[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 160 (Friday, August 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42591-42592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20962]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 960503125-6191-02; I.D. 080896D]
RIN 0648-AH03


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Salmon 
Donation Program

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

ACTION: Selection of an authorized distributor.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the selection of Tuck Donnelly, Executive 
Director, Northwest Food Strategies (NFS), as an Authorized Distributor 
for purposes of distributing Pacific salmon to economically 
disadvantaged individuals. These salmon are caught as bycatch during 
directed groundfish fishing operations in the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) management areas. This action 
is necessary to comply with provisions of the Salmon Donation Program 
(SDP) and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the North 
Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council).

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 16, 1996, through August 16, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Authorized Distributor Permit may be obtained 
from the Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21688, Juneau, AK 
99802. Copies of Amendments 26 and 29 and the Environmental Assessment/
Regulatory Impact Review (EA/RIR) prepared for the amendments may be 
obtained from the Council, Suite 396, 605 West 4th Ave., Anchorage, AK 
99510-2252; telephone: 907-271-2809.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Salveson, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Fishing for groundfish by U.S. vessels in the exclusive economic 
zone of the BSAI and GOA management areas is managed by NMFS according 
to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering 
Sea and Aleutian Islands Area and the Fishery Management Plan for 
Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. These fishery management plans (FMPs) 
were prepared by the Council under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.) and are implemented at 
regulations governing the U.S. groundfish fisheries at subpart H of 50 
CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
    Amendments 26 and 29 to the BSAI and GOA FMPs, respectively, which 
were approved by NMFS on July 10, 1996, implement the SDP. A full 
description of, and background information on, the SDP may be found in 
the preamble to the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on 
May 16, 1996 (61 FR 24750) and in the EA/RIR prepared for that action.
    Implementing regulations at 61 FR 38358 (July 24, 1996) authorize 
the distribution of Pacific salmon taken incidentally in the groundfish 
trawl fisheries off Alaska to economically disadvantaged individuals by 
tax-exempt organizations through an authorized distributor. The 
Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director) may select one or 
more tax-exempt organizations to be authorized distributors, as defined 
by Sec. 679.2, based on the information submitted by applicants under 
Sec. 679.26. After review of qualified applicants, NMFS will announce 
the selection of authorized distributor(s) in the Federal Register. 
Participation in the SDP is voluntary.
    On July 24, 1996, the Regional Director received an application for 
an Authorized Distributor Permit from Tuck Donnelly, Executive 
Director, NFS, 600 Erickson Avenue, Suite 395, Bainbridge Island, WA 
98110. Upon receipt of the application, the Regional Director 
determined that it provided the information required by 
Sec. 679.26(a)(1). The Regional Director has selected Mr. Donnelly as 
an Authorized Distributor for purposes of the SDP. As required by 
Sec. 679.26(a)(2), the Regional Director based his selection on the 
criteria listed below. His findings for each criterion are provided.
    1. The number and qualifications of applicants for SDP permits. As 
of August 16, 1996, only the application from NFS has been received. 
Under experimental fishing permits issued by NMFS in 1993, 1994, and 
1995, NFS (formerly Terra Marine Research and Educations, Incorporated) 
coordinated a salmon donation program, using salmon bycatch from the 
trawl groundfish fisheries. NFS will operate the same type of program 
as an Authorized Distributor. Information contained in the application 
indicates that NFS has coordinated the transportation and routing of 
seafood products from Alaska since 1993, relying on all the major 
carriers serving Dutch Harbor and Kodiak as well as carriers serving 
southeast Alaska.
    2. The number of harvesters and the quantity of salmon that 
applicants can

[[Page 42592]]

effectively administer. NFS currently administers four shorebased 
processors, 17 catcher/processors, and one mothership that are located 
on shore and at sea. The vessel numbers represent about 55 percent of 
the vessel processing capacity in the BSAI. NFS could administer 40 
processors and associated catcher vessels that might deliver to them. 
In 1995, NFS processed 44,249 lb (20 metric tons (mt)) of salmon for 
distribution under a food bank program. To date in 1996, NFS has 
processed 42,767 lb (19.4 mt) of salmon. This amount will increase 
substantially during the remainder of the year. NMFS does not have 
information to convert accurately these weights to numbers of salmon. 
Nonetheless, assuming a recovery rate of 30 percent, and an average 
recovered weight of 8 lb (3.63 kg) per fish, the above weights could 
represent about 18,000 fish.
    3. The anticipated level of salmon bycatch based on salmon bycatch 
from previous years. During 1995, about 45,000 salmon were caught in 
the BSAI management area by trawl vessels. About 51 percent of these, 
or 23,000 salmon, were caught from the middle of August through the end 
of calendar year 1995.
    4. The potential number of vessels and processors participating in 
the groundfish trawl fisheries. About 10 shorebased processors, 60 
trawl catcher/processors, five processing motherships, and about 50 
trawl catcher vessels operate in the BSAI management area.
    This Authorized Distributor Permit is in effect for a 3-year period 
from the date of publication of this announcement, unless suspended or 
revoked. It may not be transferred; however, it may be renewed 
following the application procedures in Sec. 679.26.
    If the authorized distributor modifies any information on 
participants or delivery locations on the SDP permit application 
submitted under Sec. 679.26(a)(1)(xi) or (a)(1)(xiii), the authorized 
distributor must submit a modified list of participants or delivery 
locations to the Regional Director.
    This permit may be suspended, modified, or revoked under 15 CFR 
part 904 for noncompliance with terms and conditions specified in the 
permit or for violation of Sec. 679.26 or other regulations in 50 CFR 
part 679.

Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR 679.20 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: August 12, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-20962 Filed 8-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F