[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 139 (Thursday, July 18, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 37403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18150]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 071296A]
Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Atka
Mackerel in the Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed fishery for Atka mackerel in the
Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding
the total allowable catch of Atka mackerel in this area.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 13, 1996,
until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive
economic zone is managed by NMFS according to the Fishery Management
Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Area (FMP) prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council
under authority of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management
Act. Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by regulations implementing
the FMP at Subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
The total allowable catch of Atka mackerel for the Central Aleutian
District was established by the Final 1996 Harvest Specifications of
Groundfish (61 FR 4311, February 5, 1996) for the BSAI and subsequent
reserve apportionment (61 FR 16085, April 11, 1996) as 33,600 metric
tons (mt). See Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(iii). As of June 8, 1996, 1,800 mt
remain. The directed fishery for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian
District was closed on April 14, 1996, (61 FR 16883, April 18, 1996;
see also Sec. 679.20(d)(iii)) and reopened on July 1, 1996 (61 FR
33046, June 26, 1996).
The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director), has
determined, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1), that the Atka
mackerel total allowable catch in the Central Aleutian District subarea
soon will be reached. Therefore, the Regional Director has established
a directed fishing allowance of 33,000 mt after determining that 600 mt
will be taken as incidental catch in directed fishing for other species
in the Central Aleutian District. Consequently NMFS is prohibiting
directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian District.
Maximum retainable bycatch amounts for applicable gear types may be
found in the regulations at Sec. 679.20(e).
Classification
This action is taken under Sec. 679.20 and is exempt from review
under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 12, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-18150 Filed 7-12-96; 4:28 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
