[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 20, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 11345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6629]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 031496A]


Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Inshore 
Component Pollock in the Aleutian Islands Subarea

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

ACTION: Modification of a closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock by vessels 
catching pollock for processing by the inshore component in the 
Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully utilize the 
total allowable catch (TAC) amount specified for pollock in this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 15, 1996, 
until 12 noon, A.l.t., March 16, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive 
economic zone is managed by NMFS according to the Fishery Management 
Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
Area (FMP) prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council 
under authority of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act. Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by regulations implementing 
the FMP at 50 CFR parts 620 and 675.
    The directed fishery for pollock by vessels catching pollock for 
processing by the inshore component in the Aleutian Islands subarea was 
closed on March 10, 1996 (March 13, 1996, 61 FR 10287), in order to 
provide amounts anticipated to be needed for incidental catch in other 
fisheries. NMFS has determined that as of March 2, 1996, 3,200 metric 
tons (mt) of pollock remain unharvested.
    The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that the 1996 TAC 
amount for pollock by vessels catching pollock for processing by the 
inshore component in the Aleutian Islands subarea has not been reached. 
Therefore, NMFS is terminating the previous closure and is opening the 
directed fishery for pollock by vessels catching pollock for processing 
by the inshore component in the Aleutian Islands subarea for a 24-hour 
period from 12 noon, A.l.t., March 15, 1996, until 12 noon, A.l.t., 
March 16, 1996. NMFS is taking this action to allow a controlled 
fishery to occur, thereby preventing the underharvest of the pollock 
TAC allocated to the inshore component as authorized by 
675.20(e)(2)(iii).
    All other closures remain in full force and effect.

Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR 675.20 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: March 14, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-6629 Filed 3-14-96; 4:52 pm]
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