[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 235 (Thursday, December 5, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64487-64488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30969]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129018-6018-01; I.D. 120296A]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Trawl Gear 
in 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 groundfish by vessels 
using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), except for directed 
fishing for pollock by vessels using pelagic trawl gear in those 
portions of the GOA that remain open to directed fishing for pollock. 
This action is necessary because the 1996 Pacific halibut prohibited 
species catch (PSC) limit for trawl gear in the GOA has been caught.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), December 2, 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.
    The Final 1996 Harvest Specifications of Groundfish for the GOA (61 
FR 4304, February 5, 1996) established the 1996 Pacific halibut PSC 
limit for vessels using trawl gear at 2,000 metric tons (mt). The 
Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined, in accordance with 
Sec. 679.21(d)(7)(i), that vessels engaged in directed fishing for 
groundfish with trawl gear in the GOA

[[Page 64488]]

have caught the 1996 Pacific halibut PSC limit. Therefore, NMFS is 
closing the directed fishery for groundfish by vessels using trawl gear 
in the GOA, except for directed fishing for pollock by vessels using 
pelagic trawl gear in those portions of the GOA that remain open to 
directed fishing for pollock.

Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR 679.21 and is exempt from OMB 
review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: December 2, 1996.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-30969 Filed 12-2-96; 2:05 pm]
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