[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 43985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20929]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 080999F]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Crab Interim
Action Committee Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a Crab Interim Action Committee (CIAC) meeting
to review an appeal of recent Alaska Board of Fisheries (Board)
preseason management decisions to revise State regulations governing
the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner crab fisheries.
DATES: The meeting will be held Wednesday, August 11, 1999, from 10:00
am to 5:00 p.m., Alaska local time.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the NMFS Regional Office in the
Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Room 445, Juneau, AK 99801.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen Harrington, 907-586-7445
(phone), (907) 586-7465 (fax), or gretchen.harrington@noaa.gov (e-
mail).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An appeal has been submitted to the
Secretary of Commerce requesting Secretarial review of three management
decisions made by the Board at its meeting in March 1999. The Fishery
Management Plan for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner
Crabs (FMP) requires the CIAC to review the appeal prior to action by
the Secretary. The CIAC has no authority to grant or reject the appeal,
but will comment on the appeal for the benefit of the Secretary. The
CIAC will review the Board's actions to determine whether the
management measures adopted by the Board are consistent with the FMP
(including compliance with framework criteria), the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other Federal law.
The FMP delegates management of the king and Tanner crab fisheries
in Federal waters to the State of Alaska, with Federal oversight. The
appeal requested Secretarial review of the Board's decision to (1) move
the Bristol Bay red king crab fishing season from November 1 to October
15, (2) implement a 30-day exclusion period when no pot or trawl gear
can be fished in Area T before the red king crab fishery in that area,
and (3) implement a 30-day exclusion period when no pot or trawl gear
can be fished in Area J prior to the C. bairdi Tanner crab fishery in
that area and include trawl gear in the existing 14-day exclusion
period for C. opilio Tanner crab.
Subsequent to the March 1999 meeting, the Board decided to abate
the implementation through regulation of the trawl gear exclusion
periods until consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council (Council) and further deliberation. The Board consulted with
the Council during a joint meeting on July 27, 1999. The Board will
decide at an August 6, 1999, teleconference meeting whether to proceed
to implement the trawl gear exclusion periods or continue to abate this
action pending further deliberation and consultation with the Council.
If the Board continues to abate implementation of the exclusion
periods, the CIAC only will review the Board's action to change Bristol
Bay red king crab season. Further abeyance by the Board on the trawl
gear exclusion periods would alleviate the urgency for the August 11,
1999, CIAC meeting and the meeting may be rescheduled for a later date.
NMFS invites the public to attend the CIAC meeting to listen to
staff presentations, however, no public testimony will be heard.
Interested public should contact NMFS prior to August 11, 1999, to
confirm the meeting date (See ADDRESSES).
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Gretchen Harrington (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT) prior to the workshop date.
Dated: August 9, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-20929 Filed 8-9-99; 4:56 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
