[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 11189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6488]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 031396A]


Limited Access Management of Federal Fisheries In and Off of 
Alaska; Season Opening

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

ACTION: Notice of fishing season dates.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is opening the directed fishery for sablefish with fixed 
gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. The 
season will open on 12:00 noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 15, 
1996, and will close 12:00 noon, A.l.t., November 15, 1996. This period 
runs concurrently with the IFQ season for Pacific halibut announced by 
the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 15, 1996, 12:00 noon, A.l.t., through November 
15, 1996, 12:00 noon, A.l.t.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning in 1995, fishing for Pacific 
halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) 
with fixed gear in the IFQ regulatory areas defined in Sec. 676.11 have 
been managed under the IFQ Program. The IFQ Program is a regulatory 
regime designed to promote the conservation and management of these 
fisheries and to further the objectives of the Magnuson Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and the 
Northern Pacific Halibut Act (16 U.S.C. 773-773k). Persons holding 
quota share, which represents a transferable harvest privilege, receive 
an annual allocation of IFQ. Persons receiving an annual allocation of 
IFQ are authorized to harvest IFQ species within specified limitations. 
Further information on the implementation of the IFQ Program, and the 
rationale supporting it, is contained in the preamble to the final rule 
implementing the IFQ Program published in the Federal Register, 
November 9, 1993 (58 FR 59375) and subsequent amendments.
    This announcement is consistent with Sec. 676.23(b), which requires 
that directed fishing for sablefish managed under the IFQ program be 
announced by the Director, Alaska Region, NMFS by publication in the 
Federal Register. This method of season announcement was selected to 
facilitate coordination between the sablefish season, chosen by the 
Director, Alaska Region, NMFS and the halibut season, chosen by the 
IPHC. The directed fishing season for sablefish with fixed gear managed 
under the IFQ program will open on 12:00 noon, A.l.t., March 15, 1996, 
and will close 12:00 noon, A.l.t., November 15, 1996. This period runs 
concurrently with the IFQ season for Pacific halibut announced by the 
IPHC.

    Dated: March 13, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-6488 Filed 3-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F