[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 150 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 40353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19685]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 072696A]
Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Atka
Mackerel in the Central and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering
Sea Subarea
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Modification of a closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the
Central and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is
necessary to fully utilize the total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka
mackerel in these areas.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 31, 1996,
until 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew N. Smoker, 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 50 CFR parts 600 and 679.
The Final 1996 Harvest Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR 4311,
February 5, 1996) for the BSAI (see Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(iii)) and
subsequent reserve apportionment (61 FR 16085, April 11, 1996)
established 33,600 metric tons (mt) as the TAC of Atka mackerel for the
Central Aleutian District and 26,700 mt as the TAC for the Eastern
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea, respectively.
The directed fisheries for Atka mackerel for the Central Aleutian
District (61 FR 16883, April 18, 1996; 61 FR 37403, July 18, 1996) and
the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea (61 FR 6323,
February 20, 1996; 61 FR 36306, July 10, 1996) were closed to directed
fishing in order to reserve amounts anticipated to be needed for
incidental catch in other fisheries (see Sec. 679.20(d)(1)). NMFS has
determined that as of July 13, 1996, 1,000 mt in the Central Aleutian
District and 800 mt in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea
subarea remain in the respective directed fishing allowances.
The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that the 1996
directed fishing allowances for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian
District and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea have
not been reached. Therefore, NMFS is terminating the previous closures
and is reopening directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Central
Aleutian District and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea
subarea.
All other closures remain in full force and effect.
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 29, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-19685 Filed 7-30-96; 12:40 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
