[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11649-11650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6134]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 300

[I.D. 022598B]


Pacific Halibut Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice of inquiry to inform the public that 
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended that 
Guideline Harvest Levels (GHLs) be established for the guided sport 
fishery for Pacific halibut in International Pacific Halibut Commission 
(IPHC) Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A. The Council's stated purpose for 
recommending these GHLs was to place an upper limit on the future 
harvest of halibut by the guided sport fishery.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Lepore, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    At its meeting in September 1997, the Council voted to recommend 
that GHLs be established for the guided sport fishery for halibut in 
IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A. The Council also recommended new 
recordkeeping and reporting requirements for the guided sport fishery 
for halibut. The Council, pursuant to the Northern Pacific Halibut Act 
of 1982 [16 U.S.C. 773, et seq.], has the authority to develop 
regulations governing halibut fisheries in the United States portion of 
Convention waters in and off Alaska, as long as such regulations are in 
addition to, and not in conflict with, regulations adopted by the IPHC. 
Such regulations developed by the Council may be implemented only with 
the approval of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary). The Council has 
not submitted regulations concerning the GHLs to the Secretary for 
approval.
    The Council's recommended GHLs for the guided sport fishery IPHC

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Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A would be based on the guided sport fleet 
receiving 125 percent of its 1995 catch in each of these areas, 
expressed each year as a percentage of each year's combined commercial 
and guided sport harvest levels. The percentages are: 12.76 percent for 
IPHC Regulatory Area 2C and 15.61 percent for IPHC Regulatory Area 3A. 
For example, if the combined commercial and guided sport harvest for 
IPHC Regulatory Area 2C is 10,000,000 lb (4,536 metric tons (mt)), then 
the Guideline Harvest Level would be 1,276,000 lb (579 mt).
    In a letter dated November 24, 1997, NMFS informed the Council that 
establishing GHLs by regulations would be problematical unless 
management measures were specified in the regulations that clearly 
indicated what would happen if the GHLs were reached. The Council 
reviewed the information provided in NMFS's letter at its meeting in 
December 1997, and decided to form a Halibut Charterboat Committee 
(Committee). The Committee is tasked with developing management 
measures to keep guided sport catch under the established GHLs in IPHC 
Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A. The Committee will report on these 
management measures to the Council in April 1998. The Committee is 
comprised of four persons representing the guided sport sector (two 
persons from IPHC Regulatory Area 2C and two persons from IPHC 
Regulatory Area 3A), three persons representing the non-guided sport 
sector, one Council member, one Alaska Board of Fish member, and a 
representative of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission who 
will serve as the chairman. The first meeting of the Committee was held 
in Anchorage, Alaska on February 25 and 26, 1998. Future meetings may 
be scheduled if needed.
    NMFS has made no determinations with respect to the approvability 
of the Council's recommended GHLs for the guided sport fishery for 
halibut or associated management measures. If the Council adopts such 
management measures in the future, the Council would submit the GHLs, 
management measures, and regulations to the Secretary for review. At 
that time, the Council's regulations would be published in the Federal 
Register for public comment. NMFS encourages the interested public to 
participate in the Council's development of recommendations concerning 
GHLs for the guided sport fishery for halibut.

    Dated: March 4, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-6134 Filed 3-9-98; 8:45 am]
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