[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 179 (Friday, September 13, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 48415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23448]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129018-6018-01; I.D. 090996A]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific 
Ocean Perch in the Eastern Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska

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

ACTION: Closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed fishery for Pacific ocean perch 
in the Eastern Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska. This action is 
necessary to prevent exceeding the Pacific ocean perch total allowable 
catch (TAC) in the Eastern Regulatory Area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), September 9, 
1996, until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive 
economic zone is managed by NMFS according to the Fishery Management 
Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (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 subpart H of 50 CFR 
part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
    In accordance with Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(ii), the Pacific ocean perch 
TAC for the Eastern Regulatory Area was established by the Final 1996 
Harvest Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR 4304, February 5, 1996) as 
2,366 metric tons (mt). The directed fishery for Pacific ocean perch in 
the Eastern Regulatory Area was closed under Sec. 679.20(d)(iii) on 
July 11, 1996, (61 FR 37225, July 17, 1996) and reopened on July 31, 
1996 (61 FR 40158, August 1, 1996).
    The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director), has 
determined, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1), that the Pacific 
ocean perch TAC in the Eastern Regulatory Area soon will be reached. 
Therefore, the Regional Director has established a directed fishing 
allowance of 2,066 mt, with consideration that 300 mt will be taken as 
incidental catch in directed fishing for other species in the Eastern 
Regulatory Area. The Regional Director has determined that the directed 
fishing allowance has been reached. Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting 
directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Eastern Regulatory 
Area.
    Maximum retainable bycatch amounts for applicable gear types may be 
found in the regulations at Sec. 679.20(e).

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 9, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-23448 Filed 9-9-96; 4:33 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F