[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 23, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 54953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27080]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129019-6019-01; I.D. 101696B]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Offshore 
Component of Pollock in the Bering Sea Subarea

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

ACTION: Closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing directed fishing for pollock by vessels 
catching pollock for processing by the offshore component in the Bering 
Sea subarea (BS) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area 
(BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the second 
seasonal allowance of the pollock total allowable catch (TAC) allocated 
to vessels harvesting pollock for processing by the offshore component 
in this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), October 17, 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 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. 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)(iii), the second seasonal 
allowance of pollock for vessels catching pollock for processing by the 
offshore component in the BS was established by the Final 1996 Harvest 
Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR 4311, February 5, 1996), and 
subsequent reserve apportionment (61 FR 16085, April 11, 1996) as 
419,623 metric tons (mt).
    The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Director) has 
established a directed fishing allowance of 397,623 mt and set aside 
the remaining 22,000 mt as bycatch to support directed fishing for 
other species in the BS. The Regional Director has determined in 
accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(iii), that the second seasonal 
allowance of pollock TAC for vessels catching pollock for processing by 
the offshore component in the BS soon will be reached. Consequently, 
NMFS is closing directed fishing for pollock by vessels catching 
pollock for processing by the offshore component in the BS.
    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 review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: October 16, 1996.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-27080 Filed 10-17-96; 4:13 pm]
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