[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 154 (Thursday, August 8, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 41363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20257]


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


DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 080296B]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Atka 
Mackerel in the Central Aleutian District

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 and Bering Sea subarea of the Aleutian 
Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent 
exceeding the total allowable catch of Atka mackerel in this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), August 4, 1996, 
until 12 midnight, 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 50 CFR part 679 and Subpart H of 50 CFR part 600.
    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). The directed fishery for Atka mackerel in the Central 
Aleutian District was closed under Sec. 679.20(d)(iii) on April 14, 
1996, (61 FR 16883, April 18, 1996) and reopened on July 1, 1996 (62 FR 
33046, June 26, 1996). The fishery was again closed on July 13, 1996 
(61 FR 36306, July 10, 1996) and reopened on July 31, 1996 (61 FR 
40353).
    The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director), has 
determined, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(i), 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 33,500 mt after determining that 100 mt 
will be taken as incidental catch in directed fishing for others 
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. 679.29(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: August 2, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-20257 Filed 8-5-96; 4:14 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-M