[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 71 (Thursday, April 11, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16085-16086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8995]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 960129019-6091-01; I.D. 040496A]


Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Reserve 
Apportionment

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

ACTION: Apportionment of reserve; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to apportion reserve to certain target species 
in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This 
action is necessary to allow for ongoing harvest and account for 
previous harvest of the total allowable catch (TAC). It is intended to 
promote the goals and objectives of the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council.

DATES: Comments must be received at the following address no later than 
4:30 p.m., Alaska local time, April 25, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries 
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 709 W. 9th, room 453, Juneau, 
AK 99801 or P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew N. Smoker, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the U.S. 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 Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that the initial 
TACs specified for the following species need to be supplemented from 
the non-specific reserve in order to continue operations and account 
for prior harvest, as follows: For pollock in the Bering Sea subarea; 
for pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea; for Atka mackerel in the 
combined Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea; for Pacific 
ocean perch in the Eastern Aleutian District; for Atka mackerel and 
Pacific ocean perch in the Central and Western Aleutian Districts; and 
for Pacific cod, arrowtooth flounder, and the ``other species'' 
category in the BSAI.

[[Page 16086]]

    Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 675.20(b), NMFS proposes to 
apportion from the reserve to TACs for the following species: (1) 
Bering Sea subarea - 89,250 metric tons (mt) to pollock; (2) Aleutian 
Islands subarea - 2,670 mt to pollock; (3) Eastern Aleutian District 
and Bering Sea subarea - 4,005 mt to Atka mackerel; (4) Eastern 
Aleutian District - 454 mt to Pacific ocean perch; (5) Central Aleutian 
District - 5,040 mt to Atka mackerel and 454 mt to Pacific ocean perch; 
(6) Western Aleutian District - 6,879 mt to Atka mackerel and 907 mt to 
Pacific ocean perch; and (7) BSAI - 40,500 mt to Pacific cod, 1,350 mt 
to arrowtooth flounder and 3,019 mt to the ``other species'' category.
    These proposed apportionments are consistent with 
Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(i) and do not result in overfishing of a target 
species or the `other species' category, because the revised TACs are 
equal to or less than specifications of acceptable biological catch.
    Pursuant to Sec. 675.20(a)(3)(i), the proposed apportionments of 
pollock are allocated between the inshore and offshore components: (1) 
For the Bering Sea subarea - 31,238 mt to vessels catching pollock for 
processing by the inshore component and 58,012 mt to vessels catching 
pollock for processing by the offshore component; and (2) for the 
Aleutian Islands subarea - 935 mt to vessels catching pollock for 
processing by the inshore component and 1,735 mt to vessels catching 
pollock for processing by the offshore component.
    Pursuant to Sec. 675.20(a)(3)(iv), the proposed apportionment of 
the BSAI Pacific cod TAC is allocated 810 mt to vessels using jig gear, 
17,820 mt to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, and 21,870 mt to 
vessels using trawl gear.
    In accordance with the Final 1996 Harvest Specifications for the 
BSAI (61 FR 4311, February 5, 1996), the allocation to hook-and-line/
pot gear will result in seasonal apportionments as follows: For the 
period January 1 through April 30 - 94,118 mt, for the period May 1 
through August 31 - 21,176 mt, and for the period September 1 through 
December 31 - 3,506 mt.

Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR 675.20 and is in compliance with 
E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: April 5, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-8995 Filed 4-10-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F