[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24175]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 30, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 672
[Docket No. 931199-4042; I.D. 092194B]
Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska
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
rockfish species of the genera Sebastes and Sebastolobus by vessels
using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
(GOA). This action is necessary to prevent overfishing of Pacific ocean
perch (POP).
DATES: Effective 12 noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), September 30,
1994, until 12 midnight, A.l.t., December 31, 1994. Comments must be
received at the following address no later than 4:30 p.m., Alaska local
time, October 15, 1994.
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 N. Smoker, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive
economic zone is managed by the Secretary of Commerce according to the
Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the GOA (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 50 CFR parts 620 and 672.
The Magnuson Act requires that conservation and management measures
prevent overfishing. The 1994 overfishing level for POP in the Central
Regulatory Area of the GOA is established by the final 1994
specifications (59 FR 7647, February 16, 1994) as 1,100 metric tons
(mt) and the acceptable biological catch as 850 mt. The final
specifications closed directed fishing for POP in the Central
Regulatory Area. As of September 30, 1994, NMFS anticipates that 880 mt
of POP will have been caught.
NMFS prohibited retention of POP on August 24, 1994 (59 FR 44341).
Substantial trawl fishing effort will be directed at remaining amounts
of groundfish in the GOA during 1994. These fisheries can have
significant bycatch of POP.
The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined, in accordance
with Sec. 672.22(a)(1)(i) and (a)(4), that closing the season by
prohibiting retention of rockfish species of the genera Sebastes and
Sebastolobus by vessels using trawl gear is necessary to prevent
overfishing of POP, and is the least restrictive measure to achieve
that purpose. Without this prohibition of retention, significant
incidental catch of POP would occur by operators of trawl vessels
seeking to retain as much rockfish as possible under the standards for
directed fishing Sec. 672.20(g).
Therefore, NMFS is requiring that further catches of rockfish
species of the genera Sebastes and Sebastolobus by vessels using trawl
gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA be treated as prohibited
species under Sec. 672.20(e) effective from 12 noon, A.l.t., September
30, 1994, until 12 midnight, A.l.t., December 31, 1994.
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. Without this inseason adjustment, POP in the Central
Regulatory Area of the GOA will be overfished, jeopardizing the long-
term capacity of that stock. Under Sec. 672.22(c), interested persons
are invited to submit written comments on this action to the above
address until October 15, 1994.
Classification
This action is taken under Sec. 672.22 and is exempt from review
under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 26, 1994.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-24175 Filed 9-29-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
