[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12665]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 24, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 671, 672, and 675

[I.D. 051794B]

 

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Groundfish of the Bering Sea 
and Aleutian Islands Area; King and Tanner Crab Fisheries of the Bering 
Sea and Aleutian Islands

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of amendments to fishery management 
plans; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice that the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 30 to the Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), 
Amendment 27 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands Area, and Amendment 3 to the FMP for the Commercial King and 
Tanner Crab Fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands for 
Secretarial review and is requesting comments from the public. These 
amendments would incorporate the provisions of the North Pacific 
Fisheries Research Plan (Research Plan) into each FMP. The intended 
effect of these amendments is to provide a standard application of the 
Research Plan and associated observer coverage throughout applicable 
fisheries.

DATES: Comments on the FMP amendments must be received by July 18, 
1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FMP amendments should be submitted to Ronald 
J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 
P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802 (Attn: Lori Gravel), or delivered to 
the Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK.
    Copies of the amendments and the environmental assessment/
regulatory impact review prepared for the North Pacific Fisheries 
Research Plan (Research Plan) are available from the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, P.O. Box 103136, Anchorage, AK 99510; 
(telephone: 907-271-2809).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald J. Berg, at 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson Act) requires that each Regional Fishery 
Management Council submit any FMP or FMP amendment it prepares to the 
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) for review and approval, disapproval, 
or partial disapproval. The Magnuson Act also requires that the 
Secretary, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, immediately publish a 
notice that the FMP or amendment is available for public review and 
comment. The Secretary will consider the public comments received 
during the comment period in determining whether to approve the FMP or 
amendment.
    Amendments 30, 27, and 3 would revise language in the FMPs for GOA 
groundfish, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area groundfish, and Bering 
Sea and Aleutian Islands king and Tanner crab, respectively, to reflect 
the development of the Research Plan and to indicate that observer 
requirements under those FMPs are as specified under the Research Plan.
    The Research Plan was prepared by the Council under section 313 of 
the Magnuson Act, as amended by section 404 of the High Seas Driftnet 
Fisheries Enforcement Act, Public Law 102-582, and is intended to 
provide an industry-funded observer program and to promote management, 
conservation, and scientific understanding of groundfish, halibut, and 
crab resources off Alaska. The proposed Research Plan, that was 
submitted for Secretarial review on March 31, 1994 would: (1) Require 
that observers be stationed on fishing vessels engaged in the catching, 
taking, or harvesting of fish and on U.S. fish processors fishing for 
or processing species under the authority of the Council, except 
salmon, including the Northern Pacific halibut fishery, for the purpose 
of collecting data necessary for the conservation, management, and 
scientific understanding of fisheries under the Council's authority; 
and (2) establish a system of fees to pay for the costs of implementing 
the Research Plan. A proposed rule to implement the Research Plan was 
published in the Federal Register on May 6, 1994 (59 FR 23664); 
additional details of the Research Plan may be found in the proposed 
rule. Because Amendments 30, 27, and 3 are non-regulatory in nature, no 
proposed rule will be published to implement them.

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

    Dated: May 19, 1994.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-12665 Filed 5-19-94; 4:25 pm]
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