[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 179 (Wednesday, September 16, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49540-49541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24847]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[I.D. 090898D]
RIN 0648-AK12
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Amendment 51
to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska and
Amendment 51 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery
of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has
submitted Amendment 51 to the Fishery Management Plan for the
Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (BSAI)
and Amendment 51 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Gulf of Alaska (GOA) (FMPs). BSAI Amendment 51 would establish the
following allocations and management measures for a 3-year period
beginning in January 1999. Comments from the public are requested.
DATES: Comments on Amendments 51/51 must be submitted on or before
November 16, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendments 51/51 should be submitted to Sue
Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,
Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori
Gravel, or delivered to the Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street,
Juneau, AK. Copies of Amendments 51/51 and the Environmental
Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis prepared for Amendments 51/51 are available from the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council at 605 West 4th Ave., Room 306,
Anchorage, AK 99501, telephone 907-271-2809.
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.
BSAI Amendment 51
At its June 1998 meeting, the Council voted 7-4 to adopt BSAI
Amendment 51. This amendment, if approved, would make three significant
changes to the existing BSAI inshore/offshore pollock allocation
provisions: (1) Four percent of the BSAI pollock TAC, after subtraction
of reserves, would be shifted to the inshore component resulting in a
39/61 inshore/offshore allocation split; (2) a portion of the inshore
component Bering Sea B season allocation, equal to 2.5 percent of the
BSAI pollock TAC after subtraction of reserves, would be set aside for
small catcher vessels, and would become available on or about August 25
of each year; (3) catcher vessels delivering to the offshore component
would be prohibited from fishing inside the CVOA during the B season
from September 1 until the inshore component is closed to directed
fishing. Amendment 51 would remain in effect for the years 1999 through
2001.
At its June 1998 meeting, the Council voted unanimously to adopt
GOA Amendment 51. GOA Amendment 51, if approved, would allocate 100
percent of the GOA pollock TAC and 90 percent of the GOA Pacific cod
TAC to vessels catching pollock and Pacific cod for processing by the
inshore component. Ten percent of the GOA Pacific cod TAC would be
allocated to vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the
offshore component.
A major concern identified during the preliminary review of
Amendments 51/51 is that the economic analysis submitted by the Council
does not provide a basis upon which to draw unambiguous conclusions
about the probable net economic benefits of the competing alternatives.
Treated in considerable detail in the document, the reasons for this
deficiency pertain to basic data limitations that make conversion from
gross to net economic measures impossible.
Completion of the preliminary review with publication of the notice
of availability (NOA) for Amendments 51/51 does not mean that either of
these two amendments will be approved.
[[Page 49541]]
NMFS invites comment on the consistency of the amendments with the
provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the national standards, and
other applicable laws. Comments are specifically requested on the
adequacy of the analysis to support findings of compliance with
national standards 2 (scientific information), 4 (allocations), 5
(efficiency), 7 (costs and benefits), 8 (fishing communities), and 10
(safety of life at sea). Information and analysis that bolster or
contradict the conclusions in any of the supporting documents are also
welcome.
NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment
period in determining whether to approve Amendments 51/51. A proposed
rule to implement Amendments 51/51 is scheduled to be published within
15 days of this document.
Public comments are being solicited on the amendments through the
end of the comment period stated in this NOA; a proposed rule that
would implement the amendments may be published in the Federal Register
for public comment following NMFS' evaluation under the Magnuson-
Stevens Act procedures. Public comments on the proposed rule must be
received by the end of the comment period on the amendments to be
considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the amendments. All
comments received by the end of the comment period on the amendments,
whether specifically directed to the amendments or the proposed rule,
will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision; comments
received after that date will not be considered in the approval/
disapproval decision on the amendments. To be considered, comments must
be received by close of business on the last day of the comment period
specified in this NOA; that does not mean postmarked or otherwise
transmitted by that date.
Dated: September 10, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-24847 Filed 09-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F