[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 178 (Thursday, September 12, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 48073-48074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23321]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 090696D]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sharpchin 
and Northern Rockfish in the Aleutian Islands Subarea

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

ACTION: Inseason adjustment; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues an inseason adjustment prohibiting retention of 
Atka mackerel in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to 
prevent overfishing of the sharpchin/northern rockfish species group.

DATES: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), September 7, 1996, until 
2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1996. Comments must be received at the 
following address no later than 4:30 p.m., A.l.t., September 23, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries 
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 
99802, Attn: Lori Gravel, or be delivered to the fourth floor of the 
Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew 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 
(Magnuson 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 Magnuson Act requires that conservation and management measures 
prevent overfishing. The 1996 overfishing level for the sharpchin/
northern rockfish species group in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the 
BSAI is established by the Final 1996 Harvest Specifications of 
Groundfish (61 FR 4311, February 5, 1996) as 5,810 metric tons (mt) and 
the acceptable biological catch as 5,810 mt. As of August 24, 1996, 
6,578 mt of sharpchin/northern rockfish have been caught.
    NMFS closed directed fishing for sharpchin/northern rockfish on May 
30, 1996 (61 FR 28072, June 4, 1996) and prohibited retention of 
sharpchin/northern rockfish on July 27, 1996 (61 FR 40158, August 1, 
1996). Substantial trawl fishing effort will be directed at remaining 
amounts of Atka mackerel in the Aleutian Islands subarea during 1996. 
This fishery can have a significant bycatch of sharpchin/northern 
rockfish.
    The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined, in 
accordance with Sec. 679.25(a)(1)(i) and (a)(2)(iii), that closing the 
season by prohibiting retention of Atka mackerel by vessels using trawl 
gear is necessary to prevent overfishing of the sharpchin/northern 
rockfish species group, and is the least restrictive measure to achieve 
that purpose. Without this prohibition of retention, significant 
incidental catch of sharpchin/northern rockfish would occur by trawl 
vessels targeting Atka mackerel.
    Therefore, NMFS is requiring that further catches of Atka mackerel 
by vessels using trawl gear in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI 
be treated as prohibited species in accordance with Sec. 679.21(b)(2).

[[Page 48074]]

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds for good 
cause that providing prior notice and public comment or delaying the 
effective date of this action is impracticable and contrary to the 
public interest. Immediate effectiveness is necessary to prevent 
overfishing of sharpchin/northern rockfish in the Aleutian Islands 
subarea of the BSAI. Under Sec. 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are 
invited to submit written comments on this action to the above address 
until September 23, 1996.

Classification

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

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
    Dated: September 6, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-23321 Filed 9-6-96; 5:02 pm]
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