[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 178 (Thursday, September 12, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 48073-48074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23321]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 090696D]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sharpchin
and Northern Rockfish in the Aleutian Islands Subarea
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Inseason adjustment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues an inseason adjustment prohibiting retention of
Atka mackerel in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to
prevent overfishing of the sharpchin/northern rockfish species group.
DATES: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), September 7, 1996, until
2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1996. Comments must be received at the
following address no later than 4:30 p.m., A.l.t., September 23, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK
99802, Attn: Lori Gravel, or be delivered to the fourth floor of the
Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew 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
(Magnuson 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 Magnuson Act requires that conservation and management measures
prevent overfishing. The 1996 overfishing level for the sharpchin/
northern rockfish species group in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the
BSAI is established by the Final 1996 Harvest Specifications of
Groundfish (61 FR 4311, February 5, 1996) as 5,810 metric tons (mt) and
the acceptable biological catch as 5,810 mt. As of August 24, 1996,
6,578 mt of sharpchin/northern rockfish have been caught.
NMFS closed directed fishing for sharpchin/northern rockfish on May
30, 1996 (61 FR 28072, June 4, 1996) and prohibited retention of
sharpchin/northern rockfish on July 27, 1996 (61 FR 40158, August 1,
1996). Substantial trawl fishing effort will be directed at remaining
amounts of Atka mackerel in the Aleutian Islands subarea during 1996.
This fishery can have a significant bycatch of sharpchin/northern
rockfish.
The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined, in
accordance with Sec. 679.25(a)(1)(i) and (a)(2)(iii), that closing the
season by prohibiting retention of Atka mackerel by vessels using trawl
gear is necessary to prevent overfishing of the sharpchin/northern
rockfish species group, and is the least restrictive measure to achieve
that purpose. Without this prohibition of retention, significant
incidental catch of sharpchin/northern rockfish would occur by trawl
vessels targeting Atka mackerel.
Therefore, NMFS is requiring that further catches of Atka mackerel
by vessels using trawl gear in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI
be treated as prohibited species in accordance with Sec. 679.21(b)(2).
[[Page 48074]]
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds for good
cause that providing prior notice and public comment or delaying the
effective date of this action is impracticable and contrary to the
public interest. Immediate effectiveness is necessary to prevent
overfishing of sharpchin/northern rockfish in the Aleutian Islands
subarea of the BSAI. Under Sec. 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are
invited to submit written comments on this action to the above address
until September 23, 1996.
Classification
This action is taken under Sec. 679.20 and is exempt from OMB
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 6, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-23321 Filed 9-6-96; 5:02 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
