[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 19062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10114]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961126334-7025-02; I.D. 041197C]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska, Pacific Cod 
in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska

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

ACTION: Apportionment of reserve.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is apportioning the initial reserve of Pacific cod in the 
Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 
necessary to allow incidental catch of Pacific cod to be retained in 
other directed fisheries and to account for previous harvest of the 
total allowable catch (TAC) in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

DATES: Effective: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), April 18, 1997, 
until 2400, A.l.t., December 31, 1997. Comments must be received by May 
5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries 
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 
99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel.

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 
Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (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 initial TAC of Pacific cod in the Central Regulatory Area of 
the GOA was established by the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications for 
Groundfish of the GOA (62 FR 8179, February 24, 1997) as 34,952 metric 
tons (mt). Directed fishing for Pacific cod for processing by the 
inshore component in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA was closed 
on March 11, 1997, under Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(iii), in order to prevent 
exceeding the allocation for processing by the inshore component in 
this area (62 FR 11770, March 13, 1997).
    The reserve of Pacific cod in the Central Regulatory Area of the 
GOA was created as a management buffer to prevent exceeding the TAC and 
to provide greater assurance that Pacific cod could be retained as 
bycatch throughout the fishing year by the Final 1997 Harvest 
Specifications for Groundfish of the GOA (62 FR 8179, February 24, 
1997).
    The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, (Regional Administrator), 
has determined that the initial TAC for Pacific cod in the Central 
Regulatory Area needs to be supplemented from the Pacific cod reserve 
for that area in order to allow incidental catch of Pacific cod to be 
retained in other fisheries and to account for prior harvest. 
Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(b)(3)(i)(A), NMFS is 
apportioning 8,738 mt of Pacific cod from the reserve to the TAC in the 
Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.
    Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(6)(iii), the apportionment of the 
Pacific cod reserve in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 
allocated to vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the inshore 
and offshore components as 7,864 mt and 874 mt respectively. This 
action increases the total allocation of the 1997 Pacific cod TAC in 
the Central Regulatory Area for vessels catching Pacific cod for 
processing by the inshore and offshore components to 39,321 mt and 
4,369 mt, respectively.
    In accordance with Sec. 679.20 (b)(3)(iii)(A), NMFS finds that 
there is good cause for not providing the public with a prior 
opportunity to comment. As of April 2, 1997, NMFS estimates the initial 
TAC of 34,952 mt for the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA has been 
reached. This action is necessary to allow retention of amounts of 
Pacific cod that are caught incidentally while conducting directed 
fishing for other species in the Central Regulatory Area.
    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 50 CFR 679.20 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: April 15, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-10114 Filed 4-17-97; 8:45 am]
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