[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14512-14513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7993]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 663

[Docket No. 960111002-6087-02; I.D. 112495B]
RIN 0648-AG31


Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Designation of Routine 
Management Measures

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces regulations to designate certain management 
measures as ``routine'' in the Pacific coast groundfish fishery off 
Washington, Oregon, and California. Once management measures have been 
designated as routine, they may be modified after a single meeting and 
recommendation of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council). 
Such action is authorized under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) and is intended to provide for responsive 
inseason management of the groundfish resource.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 2, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140, 
or Rodney R. McInnis at 310-980-4030.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FMP authorizes the designation of 
certain management measures as ``routine.'' Routine management measures 
are specific for species, gear types, and purposes. Implementation and 
adjustment of those routine measures may occur after consideration at a 
single Council meeting, approval by NMFS, and announcement in the 
Federal Register. Adjustments must be within the scope of the analysis 
performed when the management measure originally is designated routine. 
This final rule makes additional routine designations, as follows: (1) 
Trip limits for all groundfish species, separately or in any 
combination, taken with open access gear; and (2) in the limited entry 
(or open access) fisheries, trip and size limits for lingcod, and trip 
limits for

[[Page 14513]]
canary rockfish, shortspine thornyheads, and longspine thornyheads.
    NMFS issues this final rule under the authority of the FMP and the 
Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act). NMFS 
published a proposed rule at 61 FR 1739 (January 23, 1996), requesting 
comments through March 8, 1996. The proposed rule was based on a 
recommendation made by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
at its October 1994 meeting. NMFS concurs with the Council's 
recommendation, and, as no written comments were received, the 
regulatory text of this final rule is the same as proposed. The 
proposed rule and Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review 
(EA/RIR) prepared for this action contain relevant background and 
rationale.

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA) has determined 
that this final rule is necessary for management of the Pacific coast 
groundfish fishery and that it is consistent with the Magnuson Act and 
other applicable law.
    The Council prepared an EA for this rule (contained in the EA/RIR) 
and the AA concluded that there would be no significant impact on the 
environment.
    This rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of 
E.O. 12866.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 663

    Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: March 27, 1996.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 663 is amended 
as follows:

PART 663--PACIFIC COAST GROUNDFISH FISHERY

    l. The authority citation for part 663 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. In Sec. 663.23, paragraphs (c)(1)(i)(G)through (I) and paragraph 
(c)(1)(ii)(A) are revised, paragraphs (c)(1)(i)(J), (K), and (L) are 
added; paragraph (c)(2) is removed, and paragraph (c)(3) is 
redesignated as paragraph (c)(2) to read as follows:


Sec. 663.23  Catch restrictions.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (G) Thornyheads (shortspine thornyheads or longspine thornyheads, 
separately or combined)--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits;
    (H) Bocaccio--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits;
    (I) Pacific whiting--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits;
    (J) Lingcod--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits; size 
limits;
    (K) Canary rockfish--all gear--trip landing and frequency limits; 
and
    (L) All groundfish, separately or in any combination--any legal 
open access gear (including non-groundfish trawl gear used to harvest 
pink shrimp, spot or ridgeback prawns, California halibut or sea 
cucumbers in accordance with the regulations in this subpart)--trip 
landing and frequency limits. (Size limits designated routine in this 
section continue to apply.)
    (ii) * * *
    (A) Trip landing and frequency limits--to extend the fishing 
season; to minimize disruption of traditional fishing and marketing 
patterns; to reduce discards; to discourage target fishing while 
allowing small incidental catches to be landed; to allow small 
fisheries to operate outside the normal season; and, for the open 
access fishery only, to maintain landings at historical (1984-88) 
proportions.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-7993 Filed 4-1-96; 8:45 am]
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