[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 54 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13351-13352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6966]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312-7012-02; I.D. 031297A]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Offshore 
Component Pollock in the Aleutian Islands Subarea

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

ACTION: Modification of a closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock by vessels 
catching pollock for processing by the offshore component in the 
Aleutian Islands subarea (AI) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully utilize the 
total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock in that area.


[[Page 13352]]


EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 12, 1997, 
until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 14, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patty Britza, 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 Groundfish 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.
    In accordance with Sec. 679.20(c)(3)(iii), the allowance for the 
pollock TAC apportioned for vessels catching pollock for processing by 
the offshore component in the AI was established by the Final 1997 
Harvest Specifications for Groundfish (62 FR 7168, February 18, 1997) 
as 16,835 metric tons (mt). The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator), has established a directed fishing allowance 
of 14,835 mt, and set aside the remaining 2,000 mt as bycatch to 
support other anticipated groundfish fisheries. The fishery for pollock 
by vessels catching pollock for processing by the offshore component in 
the AI of the BSAI was closed to directed fishing under 
Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on February 27, 1997, in order to reserve 
amounts anticipated to be needed for incidental catch in other 
fisheries (62 FR 9379, March 3, 1997).
    NMFS has determined that as of March 10, 1997, 5,257 mt remain in 
the directed fishing allowance. Therefore, NMFS is terminating the 
previous closure and is opening directed fishing for pollock by vessels 
catching pollock for processing by the offshore component in the AI of 
the BSAI effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 12, 1997.
    In accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional 
Administrator finds that this directed fishing allowance will soon be 
reached. Current information shows the catching capacity of vessels 
catching pollock for processing by the offshore component is in excess 
of 2,200 mt per day.
    NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock by vessels 
catching pollock for processing by the offshore component in the AI of 
the BSAI at 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 14, 1997.
    All other closures remain in full force and effect.

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: March 13, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-6966 Filed 3-14-97; 4:34 pm]
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