[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 181 (Friday, September 18, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 49892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25093]



[[Page 49892]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 090998B]
RIN 0648-AL20


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Vessel 
Moratorium Program

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

ACTION: ACTION: Notice of availability of amendments to fishery 
management plans; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has 
submitted Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the 
Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (BSAI) 
and Amendment 57 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), 
and Amendment 9 to the FMP for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab 
Fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area. These 
amendments, submitted by the Council, would extend the Vessel 
Moratorium Program for a vessel with a Moratorium Qualification for 
which a Vessel Moratorium Permit was issued on or before December 31, 
1998, or for which a Vessel Moratorium Permit was applied for on or 
before December 31, 1998. The Vessel Moratorium Program is managed 
under the FMP for the Groundfish Fishery of the BSAI, the FMP for 
Groundfish of the GOA, and the FMP for the Commercial King and Tanner 
Crab Fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area. The Vessel 
Moratorium Program extension, from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 
1999, is intended to prevent a hiatus between the ending of the Vessel 
Moratorium Program and the beginning of the License Limitation Program. 
Comments are requested from the public.

DATES: Comments on the FMP amendments must be received by November 17, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed FMP amendments must be submitted to 
Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 709 
West 9th Street, Room 453, Juneau, AK 99801, or P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 
AK 99802, Attention: Lori J. Gravel. Copies of the proposed amendments 
and the Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review (EA/RIR) 
prepared for the amendments may be obtained from the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, 605 West 4th Avenue, Room 306, 
Anchorage, AK 99510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Lepore, 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 or plan 
amendment it prepares for review and approval, disapproval, or partial 
disapproval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon 
reviewing the plan or amendment, must immediately publish a notice that 
the plan or amendment is available for public review and comment.
    NMFS implemented the Vessel Moratorium Program (60 FR 40763, August 
10, 1995) in 1996 to impose a temporary moratorium on the entry of new 
vessels into the commercial groundfish fisheries in the exclusive 
economic zone of the GOA and the BSAI and the commercial king crab and 
Tanner crab fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. The 
Vessel Moratorium Program was designed to curtail increases in fishing 
capacity and provide industry stability while the Council developed a 
comprehensive solution to problems affecting these fisheries.
    In June 1995, the Council took final action on recommending the 
License Limitation Program (LLP) as the next step towards the 
comprehensive resolution to problems of excess harvesting capacity and 
conflicts between industry sectors and gear in the affected fisheries. 
NMFS approved the LLP on September 12, 1997, and anticipated that the 
LLP could be implemented by January 1, 1999. However, the design and 
implementation of the LLP required more time than was originally 
anticipated. Fishing under the LLP is now scheduled to begin January 1, 
2000; however, the Vessel Moratorium currently is scheduled to expire 
December 31, 1998. Unless an extension is provided, a 1-year hiatus 
between the Vessel Moratorium Program and the LLP will occur.
    Amendments 9, 57, and 59 will extend the Vessel Moratorium Program 
for 1 year. Under these amendments, (1) a Moratorium qualified vessel 
for which an application for a Vessel Moratorium Permit has not been 
made on or before December 31, 1998, or (2) a Moratorium qualified 
vessel for which a Vessel Moratorium Permit has not been issued on or 
before December 31, 1998, based on that qualification, will no longer 
be eligible for a Moratorium Permit based on that qualification. This 
action is intended to eliminate the potential for latent capacity to 
enter the affected fisheries.
    NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment 
period in determining whether to approve the proposed amendments. The 
proposed regulations are scheduled to be published within 15 days of 
this document. 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; 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 of the last day of the comment period.

    Dated: September 11, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-25093 Filed 9-17-98; 8:45 am]
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