[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 30776-30777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14632]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 970403076-7114-02; I.D. 053097A]


Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Whiting Closure for the Mothership 
Sector

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

ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the end of the 1997 mothership fishery for 
whiting at 3 p.m. (local time) June 1, 1997, because the allocation for 
the mothership sector should be reached by

[[Page 30777]]

that time. This action is authorized by regulations implementing the 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which governs 
the groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California. This 
action is intended to prevent the harvest of whiting for the mothership 
sector from exceeding its 1997 allocation level of 49,700 mt.

DATES: Effective from 3 p.m. (local time) June 1, 1997, until the start 
of the 1998 primary season for the mothership sector, unless modified, 
superseded or rescinded, which will be published in the Federal 
Register. Comments will be accepted through June 20, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit comment to William Stelle, Jr., Administrator, 
Northwest Region (Regional Administrator), NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way 
NE., Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or William Hogarth, Acting Regional 
Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140 or 
Rodney McInnis at 562-980-4040.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4) (62 
FR 27519, May 20, 1997) established separate allocations for the 
catcher/processor, mothership, and shore-based sectors of the whiting 
fishery. Each allocation is a harvest guideline, which, when reached, 
results in the end of the primary season for that sector. The catcher/
processor sector is composed of catcher/processors, which are vessels 
that harvest and process whiting. The mothership sector is composed of 
motherships and catcher vessels that harvest whiting for delivery to 
motherships. Motherships are vessels that process, but do not harvest, 
whiting. The shoreside sector is composed of vessels that harvest 
whiting for delivery to shore-based processors. The allocations, which 
are based on the 1997 commercial harvest guideline for whiting of 
207,000 metric tons (mt), are: 70,400 mt (34 percent) for the catcher/
processor sector; 49,700 mt (24 percent) for the mothership sector; and 
86,900 mt (42 percent) for the shoreside sector.
    The best available information on May 29, 1997, indicates that 
36,072 mt of whiting had been taken by the mothership sector through 
May 27, 1997, and that the 49,700-mt mothership allocation would be 
reached by 3 p.m. June 1, 1997. Accordingly, the primary season for the 
mothership sector ends at 3 p.m. (local time) June 1, 1997, at which 
time further at-sea processing and receipt of whiting by a mothership, 
or taking and retaining, possessing or landing of whiting by a catcher 
boat in the mothership sector, are prohibited. The regulations at 50 
CFR 600.323(a)(3)(i) describe the primary season for vessels delivering 
to motherships as the period(s) when at-sea processing is allowed and 
the fishery is open for the mothership sector.)
    Attainment of the catcher/processor and shore-based sector 
allocations is not announced at this time.

NMFS Action

    For the reasons stated above, and in accordance with the 
regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B), NMFS herein announces:
    Effective 3 p.m. (local time) June 1, 1997--(1) Further receiving 
or at-sea processing of whiting by a mothership is prohibited. No 
additional unprocessed whiting may be brought on board after at-sea 
processing is prohibited, but a mothership may continue to process 
whiting that was on board before at-sea processing was prohibited; and 
(2) whiting may not be taken and retained, possessed, or landed by a 
catcher vessel participating in the mothership sector.

Classification

    This action is authorized by the regulations implementing the FMP. 
The determination to take this action is based on the most recent data 
available. The aggregate data upon which the determination is based are 
available for public inspection a the Office of the Regional 
Administrator (see ADDRESSES) during business hours. This action is 
taken under the authority of 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B) and is exempt 
from review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: May 30, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-14632 Filed 5-30-97; 4:52 pm]
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