[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 150 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 40353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19685]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 072696A]


Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Atka 
Mackerel in the Central and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering 
Sea 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 Atka mackerel in the 
Central and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is 
necessary to fully utilize the total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka 
mackerel in these areas.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), July 31, 1996, 
until 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew N. Smoker, 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 600 and 679.
    The Final 1996 Harvest Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR 4311, 
February 5, 1996) for the BSAI (see Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(iii)) and 
subsequent reserve apportionment (61 FR 16085, April 11, 1996) 
established 33,600 metric tons (mt) as the TAC of Atka mackerel for the 
Central Aleutian District and 26,700 mt as the TAC for the Eastern 
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea, respectively.
    The directed fisheries for Atka mackerel for the Central Aleutian 
District (61 FR 16883, April 18, 1996; 61 FR 37403, July 18, 1996) and 
the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea (61 FR 6323, 
February 20, 1996; 61 FR 36306, July 10, 1996) were closed to directed 
fishing in order to reserve amounts anticipated to be needed for 
incidental catch in other fisheries (see Sec. 679.20(d)(1)). NMFS has 
determined that as of July 13, 1996, 1,000 mt in the Central Aleutian 
District and 800 mt in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea 
subarea remain in the respective directed fishing allowances.
    The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that the 1996 
directed fishing allowances for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian 
District and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea have 
not been reached. Therefore, NMFS is terminating the previous closures 
and is reopening directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the Central 
Aleutian District and Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea 
subarea.
    All other closures remain in full force and effect.

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 29, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-19685 Filed 7-30-96; 12:40 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F