[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 183 (Thursday, September 19, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49294-49295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23970]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 091296A]
RIN 0648-AI61


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Individual 
Fishing Quota Program; Sweep-up Adjustments

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of amendments to fishery management 
plans; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has 
submitted Amendment 43 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the 
Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (BSAI) 
and Amendment 43 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) 
and a regulatory amendment to the halibut Individual Fishing Quota 
(IFQ) regulations. This action is necessary to increase the 
consolidation (``sweep-up'') levels for small quota share (QS) blocks 
for Pacific halibut and sablefish managed under the IFQ program. This 
action is intended to maintain consistency with the objectives of the 
IFQ program (i.e., prevent excessive consolidation of QS, maintain 
diversity of the fishing fleet, and allow new entrants into the 
fishery), while increasing the program's flexibility by allowing a 
moderately greater amount of QS to be swept-up into amounts that can be 
fished more economically.

DATES: Comments on the FMP amendments must be received by November 12, 
1996 .

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed FMP amendments must be submitted to 
Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Region, 
NMFS, 709 West 9th Street, Room 453, Juneau, AK 99801, or P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori J. Gravel. Copies of the proposed 
amendments

[[Page 49295]]

and the Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review (EA/RIR) 
prepared for the amendments may be obtained from the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, 605 West 4th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Lepore, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson Act) requires that each Regional Fishery 
Management Council submit any fishery management plan or plan amendment 
it prepares to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial 
disapproval. The Magnuson Act also requires that NMFS, upon reviewing 
the plan or amendment, must immediately publish a notice that the plan 
or amendment is available for public review and comment.
    Amendments 43/43 would increase the sweep-up levels for small QS 
blocks for Pacific halibut and sablefish from the current 1,000 lb 
(0.45 metric tons (mt)) maximum for Pacific halibut and 3,000 lb (1.4 
mt) maximum for sablefish to a 3,000 lb (1.4 mt) maximum and a 5,000 lb 
(2.3 mt) maximum, respectively. Two other changes were recommended to 
accompany these increases. First, the base year total allowable catch 
(TAC) for determining the pounds would be the 1996 TAC, rather than 
1994 TAC, which was used for the first sweep-up levels. Second, once QS 
levels are established for the appropriate regulatory areas based on 
the 1996 TAC, those QS levels would be fixed and codified. This would 
eliminate any confusion as to the appropriate sweep-up level in pounds, 
which would fluctuate with changes in the annual TAC.
    NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment 
period in determining whether to approve the proposed amendments.

    Dated: September 13, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-23970 Filed 9-13-96; 4:09 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F