[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