[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 10, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 47587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23941]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket Number; 970903221-7221-01; I.D. 081297C]
RIN 0648-XX89


Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Precious Corals Fisheries; Technical Amendment

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

ACTION: Correcting amendment.

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SUMMARY: This document contains a correction to the regulations 
implementing the Fishery Management Plan for Precious Corals Fisheries 
of the Western Pacific Region (FMP) which were published in the Federal 
Register on July 2, 1996. This amendment corrects the coordinates for 
the location of the Makapuu bed of precious corals appearing under the 
category of ``Established beds'' in the definition of ``Precious coral 
permit area''.

DATES: Effective September 10, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Svein Fougner, 562-980-4034; or Alvin 
Katekaru, 808-973-2985.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the original FMP the coordinates for the 
center of the Makapuu bed contained a typographical error. Instead of 
the longitude being listed as 157 deg. 32.5' W. it was incorrectly 
listed as 157 deg. 35.5' W. longitude. This error placed the location 
of the bed approximately three miles away from its actual location.
    There has been almost no fishing under the FMP since its 
implementation, and this error was only recently discovered. This 
technical amendment corrects the regulations implementing the FMP 
(August 30, 1983, 48 FR 3923; consolidated by July 2, 1996, 61 FR 
34570) to list the coordinates for the center of the Makapuu bed.

Classification

    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), under 5 
U.S.C. 553(b)(B) finds that providing prior notice and an opportunity 
for public comment on this rule is unnecessary, because the rule merely 
corrects coordinates for the location of a resource, and such notice 
and opportunity for comment would serve no useful purpose. Similarly, 
the AA, under 5 U.S.C. 553 (d)(3) finds that delaying the effective 
date of the correction for 30 days is unnecessary because the location 
of the bed is fixed.
    Because prior notice and opportunity for public comment are not 
required for this rule by 5 U.S.C. 553, or by any other law, the 
analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 
et seq., are inapplicable. This rule is exempt from review under E.O. 
12866.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 660

    Fisheries, Fishing, Indians, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Administrative practice and procedure, American Samoa, 
Guam, Hawaiian Natives, Northern Mariana Islands.

    Dated: September 4, 1997.
David L. Evans,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR Part 660 is amended 
as follows:

PART 660--FISHERIES OFF WEST COAST STATES AND THE WESTERN PACIFIC

    1. The authority citation for part 660 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. In Sec. 660.12, the category for'' Established beds ``under the 
definition of ``Precious coral permit area`` is corrected by revising 
the coordinates of the point specified therein to read ``21 deg. 18.0' 
N. lat, 157 deg. 32.5' W. long.''
[FR Doc. 97-23941 Filed 9-9-97; 8:45 am]
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