[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 154 (Tuesday, August 11, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 42762-42763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21495]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

Docket No. 971229312-7312-01; I.D. 072798A]


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

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

ACTION: Fishing restrictions; requests for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces closure of the 1998 catcher/processor fishery 
for whiting at 3 p.m. local time (l.t.) August 7, 1998, because the 
allocation for the catcher/processor sector will be reached by 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 keep the harvest of whiting within the allocations NMFS 
announced on January 6, 1998.

DATES: Effective from 3 p.m. l.t. August 7, 1998, until the start of 
the 1999 primary season for the catcher/processor sector, unless 
modified, superseded or rescinded, which will be published in the 
Federal Register. Comments will be accepted through August 26, 1998.

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, Regional 
Administrator, Southwest Region, 1 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine King at 206-526-6140 or 
Svein Fougner at 562-980-4040.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 6, 1998 (63 FR 419), NMFS 
published regulations announcing the annual management measures for 
Pacific Coast whiting. The regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a) (4) (62 FR 
27519, May 20, 1997) established separate

[[Page 42763]]

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 regulations at 50 CFR 600.323(a)(3)(i) describe the primary 
season for catcher/processors as the period(s) when at-sea processing 
is allowed and the fishery is open for the catcher/processor 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 1998 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 
mothership fishery reached its allocation and was closed on May 31, 
1998 (63 FR 30147, June 3, 1998). The shore-based sector allocation has 
not yet been attained.
    The best available information on August 5, 1998, indicated that 
the 70,400-mt catcher/processor allocation would be reached by 3 p.m. 
l.t. August 7, 1998.

NMFS Action

    For the reasons stated above, and in accordance with the 
regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(A), NMFS herein announces:
    Effective 3 p.m. l.t August 7, 1998, (1) further taking and 
retaining, receiving, or at-sea processing of whiting by a catcher/
processor are prohibited. No additional unprocessed whiting may be 
brought on board after at-sea processing is prohibited, but a catcher/
processor may continue to process whiting that was on board before at-
sea processing was prohibited.

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 at the Office of the Regional 
Administrator Northwest Region (see ADDRESSES) during business hours. 
This action is taken under the authority of 50 CFR 
660.323(a)(4)(iii)(A) and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: August 6, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-21495 Filed 8-6-98; 3:07 pm]
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