[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 3, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14682-14683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7888]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 251

[Docket No. 960301056-6056-01; I.D. 021596D]
RIN 0648-AI76


Financial Aid Program Procedures; Removal of Conditional 
Fisheries Regulations

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS abolishes the Financial Aid Program Procedures 
regulations in accordance with the President's Regulatory Reform 
Initiative, which directs that unnecessary regulations be abolished.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 3, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Michael L. Grable, Chief, Financial Services Division, 
National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles L. Cooper, Program Leader, 
301-713-2396.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1973, NMFS established the regulations 
contained in 50 CFR part 251 to provide a central statement of NMFS 
policy related to restricting the use of financial assistance programs 
in certain fisheries in which the use of these programs has been 
determined to be inconsistent with the wise use of the fishery 
resources involved. These fisheries are designated as ``Conditional 
Fisheries.'' The programs involved are the Fisheries Capital 
Construction Fund Program (46 U.S.C. 1177) and the Fisheries Obligation 
Guarantee Program (46 U.S.C. 1271-1279).
    In March 1995, President Clinton issued a directive to Federal 
agencies regarding their responsibilities under his Regulatory Reform 
Initiative. This initiative is part of the National Performance Review 
and calls for immediate, comprehensive regulatory reform. The President 
directed all agencies to undertake an exhaustive review of all their 
regulations with an emphasis on eliminating or modifying those that are 
obsolete or otherwise in need of reform. NMFS has determined that the 
regulations pertaining to Conditional Fisheries are unnecessary and 
should be abolished, because NMFS has long-standing practices governing 
the use of the Fisheries Obligation Guarantee Fund Program and the 
Fisheries Capital Construction Fund Program that contain adequate 
safeguards against using these programs in ways that would be 
inconsistent with the wise use of fisheries resources. To ensure that 
the Fisheries Capital Construction Fund Program will not be used in 
ways that would be inconsistent with the wise use of fishery resources, 
those fisheries which had been designated as ``Conditional Fisheries'' 
shall continue to be ``closed fisheries'' pursuant to the Interim 
Capital Construction Fund agreements. The fisheries involved are the 
fishery for yellowfin tuna in the area regulated by the Inter-American 
Tropical Tuna Commission, the fishery for American lobster in the Gulf 
of Maine, the fishery for salmon in Washington, Oregon, and California, 
the fishery for king crab in

[[Page 14683]]
Alaska, the fishery for surf clams, and the fishery for Atlantic 
Groundfish.

Classification

    Because this rule eliminates an unnecessary regulation, no useful 
purpose would be served by providing prior notice and opportunity for 
comment on this rule. Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the 
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, for good cause, finds that 
it is unnecessary to provide such notice and opportunity for comment. 
Also, because this rule is only administrative in nature and is not a 
``substantive rule'' under 5 U.S.C. 533(d), it will be immediately 
effective upon publication.
    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for the 
purposes of E.O. 12866.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 251

    Administrative practice and procedure, Fisheries, Fishing vessels, 
Loan programs-business.

    Dated: March 27, 1996.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.
    For the reasons set out in the preamble, under the authority at 16 
U.S.C. 742, 50 CFR part 251 is removed.
[FR Doc. 96-7888 Filed 4-2-96; 8:45 am]
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