[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30835-30836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14661]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 052997B]
RIN: 0648-AJ36


Amendment 49 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish 
Fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management 
plan; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has 
submitted Amendment 49 to the Fishery Management Plan for the 
Groundfish Fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area for 
Secretarial review. Amendment 49 would require all vessels fishing for 
groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area to retain all 
pollock and Pacific cod beginning January 1, 1998, and all rock sole 
and yellowfin sole beginning January 1, 2003. Amendment 49 also would 
establish minimum utilization standards for all at-sea processors; for 
pollock and Pacific cod beginning January 1, 1998, and for rock sole 
and yellowfin sole beginning January 1, 2003. Comments from the public 
are requested.


[[Page 30836]]


DATES: Comments on Amendment 49 must be submitted on or before August 
4, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendment 49 should be submitted to Ronald J. 
Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. 
Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel, or delivered to 
the Federal Building, 709 West 9th. Street, Juneau, AK. Copies of 
Amendment 49 and the Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis prepared for the amendment are 
available from NMFS at the above address, or by calling the Alaska 
Region, NMFS, at 907-586-7228.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Lind, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each Regional 
Fishery Management Council submit any fishery management plan (FMP) or 
plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for review and approval, 
disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also 
requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, immediately 
publish a document announcing that the FMP or amendment is available 
for public review and comment. NMFS will consider the public comments 
received during the comment period in determining whether to approve 
the FMP or amendment.
    Amendment 49 is the result of over 3 years of specific discussions 
and analyses of alternative solutions to the discard problem occurring 
in the groundfish fisheries off Alaska. The expressed intent of the 
Council is to implement a program that ``would provide an incentive for 
fishermen to avoid unwanted catch, increase utilization of fish that 
are taken, and thus reduce discards of whole fish.'' While such 
discards are counted against the overall total allowable catch 
established for each species and therefore do not represent a direct 
biological concern, they do represent foregone harvest opportunities 
for other fishing operations which might otherwise target and utilize 
those fish. In addition, high levels of discards represent an important 
social policy issue, one that the fishing industry and the Council feel 
the necessity to address.
    In September 1996, after extensive debate and public testimony, the 
Council approved an Improved Retention/Improved Utilization (IR/IU) 
program as Amendment 49 to the Fishery Management Plan for the 
Groundfish Fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area. The 
retention requirement adopted by the Council would require full 
retention of pollock and Pacific cod beginning January 1, 1998, and 
full retention of rock sole and yellowfin sole beginning January 1, 
2003. The utilization requirement adopted by the Council would require 
that all IR/IU species either be (1) processed at sea subject to 
minimum recovery rates and/or requirements to be specified by 
regulation, or (2) delivered in their entirety to onshore processing 
plants for which similar minimum requirements are implemented through 
state regulations.
    NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment 
period in determining whether to approve the proposed amendment. A 
proposed rule to implement Amendment 49 is scheduled to be published 
within 15 days of this document.

    Dated: May 30, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-14661 Filed 6-4-97; 8:45 am]
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