[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 213 (Friday, November 1, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56477-56478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28036]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129018-6018-01; I.D. 102596C]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Deep-Water 
Flatfish, Rex Sole and Arrowtooth Flounder in Statistical Area 620 of 
the Gulf of Alaska

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

ACTION: Closure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for deep-water flatfish, 
rex sole and arrowtooth flounder by vessels using trawl gear in 
Statistical Area 620 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 
necessary to prevent overfishing of Pacific ocean perch (POP).

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), October 28, 
1996, until 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Pearson, 907-486-6919.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive 
economic zone is managed by NMFS according to the Fishery Management

[[Page 56478]]

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 (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 POP in the Central 
Regulatory Area of the GOA is established by the Final 1996 Harvest 
Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR 4304, February 5, 1996) as 4,870 
metric tons (mt) and the acceptable biological catch as 3,860 mt. As of 
October 12, 1996, 5,142 mt of POP has been caught.
    NMFS closed directed fishing for POP on July 11, 1996 (61 FR 37225, 
July 17, 1996), prohibited retention of POP on July 15, 1996, (61 FR 
37700, July 19, 1996), and prohibited retention of all rockfish species 
by vessels using trawl gear on July 22, 1996 (61 FR 39100, July 26, 
1996), in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA. Substantial trawl 
fishing effort will be directed at remaining amounts of groundfish in 
the GOA during 1996. These fisheries can have significant bycatch of 
POP.
    The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined, in 
accordance with Sec. 679.25(a)(1)(i) and (a)(2)(i)(A), that prohibiting 
directed fishing for deep-water flatfish, rex sole and arrowtooth 
flounder by vessels using trawl gear is necessary to prevent 
overfishing of POP, and is the least restrictive measure to achieve 
that purpose. Without this prohibition of directed fishing, significant 
incidental catch of POP would occur by trawl vessels targeting these 
species and species groups. Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting directed 
fishing for these species and species groups by vessels using trawl 
gear in Statistical Area 620 of the GOA.
    Maximum retainable bycatch amounts bycatch amounts for applicable 
gear types may be found in the regulations at Sec. 679.20(e).

Classification

    This action is taken under Sec. 679.25 and is exempt from OMB 
review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: October 28, 1996.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-28036 Filed 10-28-96; 5:09 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F