[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 116 (Friday, June 17, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14724]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 17, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 676

[I.D. 060994B]

 

Limited Access Management of Federal Fisheries In and Off of 
Alaska

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of amendments to Fishery Management 
Plans and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 31 to the Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP) for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands Area (BSAI) and Amendment 35 to the FMP for Groundfish of the 
Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for Secretarial review and is requesting comments 
from the public. These amendments would implement the Modified Block 
proposal, an action intended to discourage excessive consolidation in 
the Pacific halibut and sablefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) 
program.

DATES: Comments on the FMP amendments should be submitted by August 12, 
1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FMP amendments should be submitted to Ronald 
J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 709 
W. 9th, Room 453, Juneau, AK 99801 or P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, 
Attention: Lori J. Gravel. Copies of the amendments and the 
environmental assessment/regulatory impact review/initial regulatory 
flexibility analysis prepared for the amendments are available from the 
Council, P.O. Box 103136, Anchorage, AK 99510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Lepore, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson Act) requires that each Regional Fishery 
Management Council submit any fishery management plan or plan 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 reviewing the plan or amendment, must 
immediately publish a notice that the plan 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 plan or amendment.
    Amendments 31 and 35 to the respective FMPs would implement the 
Modified Block proposal to the Pacific halibut and sablefish IFQ 
program. These amendments would authorize the issuance of quota share 
(QS) blocks for QS that would have resulted in less than 20,000 lb (9 
mt) of IFQ based on the 1994 total allowable catch for fixed gear in 
the halibut and sablefish fisheries, allow the combination of QS blocks 
that are less than 1,000 lb (0.5 mt) of IFQ for halibut and less than 
3,000 lb (1.4 mt) for sablefish, and restrict the amount of blocks that 
may be held in any one IFQ regulatory area. These amendments are 
intended to prevent excessive consolidation of the Pacific halibut and 
sablefish fisheries off Alaska, and are consistent with the management 
objectives of the Magnuson Act and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act.

    Dated: June 13, 1994.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-14724 Filed 6-13-94; 4:36 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F