00-19586. Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock for Processing by the Inshore Component in the Bering Sea Subarea

AGENCY:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Closure.

SUMMARY:

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock by “open access” vessels (i.e., those vessels that are not fishing in cooperatives), which are catching pollock for processing by the inshore component in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the amount of the C/D season allocation of pollock total allowable catch (TAC) specified for “open access” vessels in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

DATES:

Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 29, 2000, until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the BSAI 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-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations governing fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.

In accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(D)(3) and the revised interim 2000 TAC amounts for pollock in the Bering Sea subarea (65 FR 39107, June 23, 2000), the C/D season allocation of pollock TAC specified to the “open access” vessels in the Bering Sea subarea is 17,953 metric tons (mt).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has determined that the C/D season allocation of pollock TAC specified for the “open access” vessels, which are catching pollock for processing by the inshore component in the Bering Sea subarea will be reached. Therefore, the Regional Administrator is establishing the C/D season allocation of pollock TAC as the directed fishing allowance (§ 679.20(a)(5)(i)(D)(2)). In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional Administrator finds that this directed fishing allowance soon will be reached. Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock by “open access” vessels, which are catching pollock for processing by the inshore component in the Bering Sea subarea.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts may be found in the regulations at § 679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

This action responds to the best available information recently obtained from the fishery. It must be implemented immediately in order to prevent exceeding the C/D season allocation of pollock TAC specified for the vessels not participating in cooperatives catching pollock for processing by the inshore component in the Bering Sea subarea. A delay in the effective date is impracticable and contrary to the public interest. Further delay would only result in overharvest. NMFS finds for good cause that the implementation of this action can not be delayed for 30 days. Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a delay in the effective date is hereby waived.

This action is required by § 679.22 and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: July 28, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.