[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 42 (Friday, March 3, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11915-11916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5298]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

[Docket No. 900833-1095; I.D. 021595C]


Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Groundfish Fishery of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Bycatch Rate Standards for the 
First Half of 1995

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

ACTION: Pacific halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards; 
response to comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS responds to a comment submitted on Pacific halibut and 
red king crab bycatch rate standards for the first half of 1995. NMFS 
previously published these bycatch rate standards in the Federal 
Register for comment as required under regulations implementing the 
vessel incentive program (VIP). No change in the Pacific halibut or red 
king crab bycatch rate standards is specified as a result of this 
action.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the January 12, 1995, final rule 
is 12:01 a.m., Alaska local time (A.l.t.), January 20, 1995, through 12 
midnight, A.l.t., June 30, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan J. Salveson, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Regulations at Secs. 672.26 and 675.26 implement a VIP to reduce 
halibut and red king crab bycatch rates in the groundfish trawl 
fisheries. Regulations at Secs. 672.26(c) and 675.26(c) require that 
halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards for each fishery 
included under the incentive program be published in the Federal 
Register.
    NMFS published Pacific halibut and red king crab bycatch rate 
standards for the first half of 1995 in the Federal Register on January 
12, 1995 (60 FR 2905), and solicited comments from the public until 
January 23, 1995. One letter of comment was received within the comment 
period that is summarized in the Response to Comments section, below. 
After review of the comment received, NMFS determined that no change to 
the bycatch rate standards for the first half of 1995 is warranted. 
Additional information on the derivation of the 1995 bycatch rate 
standards is contained in the January 12, 1995, publication of these 
standards in the Federal Register.

Response to Comments

    One letter of comment was received within the comment period that 
ended January 23, 1995. A summary of the comment and NMFS' response 
follows.
    Comment. Given an agreement among many vessel operators to use 
large mesh trawl gear in the Bering Sea rock sole fishery to reduce 
groundfish discard amounts, NMFS should make allowances for vessels 
that have higher halibut and red king bycatch rates if the higher rates 
are a result of decreased discard amounts of groundfish as a result of 
large mesh trawl gear, rather than increased amounts of halibut or 
crab.
    Response. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
reviewed current and historical halibut and red king crab bycatch rates 
when recommending that NMFS implement the VIP bycatch rate standards 
for the first half of 1995 that were published in the Federal Register 
on January 12, 1995. When recommending these rates, the Council was 
aware of the fact that some vessels may use large mesh trawl gear and 
that the resulting bycatch rates of halibut and red king crab could 
increase. However, no information was available on whether the use of 
large mesh trawl gear would result in vessel bycatch rates that exceed 
the recommended VIP standard established for the ``other trawl'' 
fishery category, which includes the rock sole fishery. The Council, 
therefore, recommended to maintain the current VIP bycatch rate 
standards until information is available on which to base a change in 
these standards, and regulatory changes are implemented to allow a 
separate bycatch rate standard for the rock sole fishery.
    Voluntary industry efforts to reduce groundfish discard amounts are 
laudable. Nonetheless, NMFS does not [[Page 11916]] intend to absolve a 
vessel owner/operator from accountability under the VIP simply because 
groundfish are harvested using large mesh trawl gear.

    Dated: February 27, 1995.
David S. Crestin,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-5298 Filed 3-2-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F