[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 139 (Thursday, July 18, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 37403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18150]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 071296A]


Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Atka 
Mackerel in the Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands

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

ACTION: Closure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed fishery for Atka mackerel in the 
Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding 
the total allowable catch of Atka mackerel in this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 13, 1996, 
until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 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 Subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
    The total allowable catch of Atka mackerel for the Central Aleutian 
District was established by the Final 1996 Harvest Specifications of 
Groundfish (61 FR 4311, February 5, 1996) for the BSAI and subsequent 
reserve apportionment (61 FR 16085, April 11, 1996) as 33,600 metric 
tons (mt). See Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(iii). As of June 8, 1996, 1,800 mt 
remain. The directed fishery for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian 
District was closed on April 14, 1996, (61 FR 16883, April 18, 1996; 
see also Sec. 679.20(d)(iii)) and reopened on July 1, 1996 (61 FR 
33046, June 26, 1996).
    The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director), has 
determined, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1), that the Atka 
mackerel total allowable catch in the Central Aleutian District subarea 
soon will be reached. Therefore, the Regional Director has established 
a directed fishing allowance of 33,000 mt after determining that 600 mt 
will be taken as incidental catch in directed fishing for other species 
in the Central Aleutian District. Consequently NMFS is prohibiting 
directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian District.
    Maximum retainable bycatch amounts for applicable gear types may be 
found in the regulations at Sec. 679.20(e).

Classification

    This action is taken under Sec. 679.20 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: July 12, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-18150 Filed 7-12-96; 4:28 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F