[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 4, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 9718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5301]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312-7012-02; I.D. 022697D]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific 
Ocean Perch in the Eastern Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands

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 Pacific ocean perch in 
the Eastern Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding 
the 1997 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean perch in this 
area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), February 27, 
1997, until 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1997.

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-Stevens 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 TAC of Pacific ocean perch for the Eastern Aleutian District 
was established by the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications of Groundfish 
for the BSAI (62 FR 7168, February 18, 1997) as 3,240 metric tons (mt). 
See Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(iii).
    In accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Administrator, Alaska 
Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has determined that the TAC for 
Pacific ocean perch specified for the Eastern Aleutian District will 
soon be reached. Therefore, the Regional Administrator is establishing 
a directed fishing allowance of 3,040 mt, and is setting aside the 
remaining 200 mt as bycatch to support other anticipated groundfish 
fisheries. In accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional 
Administrator finds that this directed fishing allowance will soon be 
reached. Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific 
ocean perch in the Eastern Aleutian District.
    Maximum retainable bycatch amounts for applicable gear types may be 
found in the regulations at Sec. 679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

    This action is required by Sec. 679.20 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: February 27, 1997.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-5301 Filed 2-27-97; 5:02 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F