[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 13, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 41987-41988]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20618]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 300

[Docket No. 960111003-6068-03; I.D. 080796A]


International Fisheries Regulations; 1996 Halibut Report No. 6

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


[[Page 41988]]


ACTION: Inseason action.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, on behalf of 
the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), publishes this 
inseason action pursuant to IPHC regulations approved by the U.S. 
Government to govern the Pacific halibut fishery. NMFS announces that 
the Area 2A (off Washington, Oregon, and California) commercial halibut 
fishery quota has been reached and both the directed commercial fishery 
and the incidental halibut catch fishery during salmon trolling in Area 
2A are closed for the remainder of 1996. This action is intended to 
enhance the conservation of the Pacific halibut stock.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1800 hrs, Pacific Daylight time, August 1, 1996, until 
2400 hrs, Pacific local time, December 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Scordino, 206-526-6140.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the final regulations implementing the 
Catch Sharing Plan (Plan) for Area 2A (61 FR 11337, March 20, 1996), 
the commercial fishery for Pacific halibut in Area 2A was divided 
between a directed halibut fishery with a quota of 91,052 lb (41.3 
metric tons (mt) and an incidental halibut catch fishery during the 
salmon troll fishery with a quota of 16,068 lb (7.3 mt). The Plan 
stipulates that if the quota for the incidental catch fishery is not 
harvested during the May and June salmon troll fishery, the remaining 
quota will be made available to the directed halibut fishery on July 1. 
Further, the Plan stipulates that if the quota for the directed halibut 
fishery is not harvested by July 31 and the halibut quota for the 
salmon troll fishery was not harvested during the May/June fishery, 
then the landings of halibut caught incidentally during salmon troll 
fisheries will be allowed effective August 1. The salmon troll fishery 
closed June 30, 1996, and the remaining incidental Pacific halibut 
catch of 8,066 lb (3.65 mt) was added to the directed commercial catch 
limit (61 FR 39362, July 29, 1996).

Inseason Action

1996 Halibut Report No. 6

    In accordance with the annual management measures for ocean salmon 
fisheries (61 FR 20175, May 6, 1996), which stipulate the halibut 
retention measures in the salmon troll fishery, NMFS is taking inseason 
action to close the incidental halibut fishery because the Area 2A 
commercial halibut quota has been reached. NMFS is also providing 
notification of the closure of the directed halibut fishery by the 
IPHC.

    Dated: August 7, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-20618 Filed 8-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F