[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 106 (Tuesday, June 3, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 30287-30288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14467]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312-7021-02; I.D. 052897B]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod 
by Vessels Using Hook-and-Line Gear in 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 cod by vessels 
using hook-and-line gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding 
the second seasonal apportionment of the 1997 Pacific halibut bycatch 
allowance specified for the Pacific cod hook-and-line fishery category.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), May 30, 1997, 
until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., September 15, 1997.


[[Page 30288]]


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 second seasonal apportionment of the 1997 Pacific halibut 
bycatch allowance specified for the Pacific cod hook-and-line fishery 
in the BSAI, which is defined at Sec. 679.21(e)(4)(ii)(A), was 
established by the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications of Groundfish for 
the BSAI (62 FR 7168, February 18, 1997) as 40 metric tons.
    In accordance with Sec. 679.21(e)(8), the Administrator, Alaska 
Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has determined that the second 
seasonal apportionment of the 1997 Pacific halibut bycatch allowance 
specified for the Pacific cod hook-and-line fishery in the BSAI has 
been caught. Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for 
Pacific cod by vessels using hook-and-line gear in the BSAI.
    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 679.21 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: May 29, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-14467 Filed 5-29-97; 4:26 pm]
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