[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 200 (Friday, October 16, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 55558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27816]



[[Page 55558]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 9712229312-7312-01; I.D. 093098B]


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; End of the Primary Season and 
Resumption of Trip Limits for the Shore-based Whiting Sector

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

ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the end of the 1998 regular season for the 
shore-based fishery for Pacific whiting (whiting), and resumption of a 
10,000-lb (4,536-kg) trip limit, at 2 p.m. (local time) l.t. October 
13, 1998, because the allocation for the shore-based 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 at 
levels announced by NMFS on January 6, 1998.

DATES: Effective from 2 p.m. l.t. October 13,1998, until the effective 
date of the 1999 annual specifications and management measures for the 
Pacific Coast groundfish fishery, which will be published in the 
Federal Register, unless modified, superseded, or rescinded. Comments 
will be accepted through November 2, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Submit comment to William Stelle, Jr., Administrator, 
Northwest Region (Regional Administrator), National Marine Fisheries 
Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or William 
Hogarth, Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 
90802-4213.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4) (62 
FR 27519, May 20, 1997) established separate allocations for the 
catcher/processor, mothership, and shore-based (also called 
``shoreside'') 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 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 best available information on October 8, 1998, indicated that 
5,432.75 mt of whiting had been taken by the shore-based sector through 
October 7, 1998, and that the 86,900 mt shore-based allocation would be 
reached by 2 p.m. l.t. October 13, 1998. Accordingly, the primary 
season for the shore-based sector ends at 2 p.m. l.t. October 13, 1998, 
at which time no more than 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of whiting may be taken 
and retained, possessed, or landed by a catcher boat in the shore-based 
sector. The regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(3)(i) describe the primary 
season for the shore-based sector as the period(s) when the large-scale 
target fishery is conducted (when routine trip limits accommodating 
small fresh fish and bait fisheries and bycatch in other fisheries 
under Sec. 660.323(b) are not needed nor in effect). The 10,000 lb 
(4,536-kg) trip limit, which also had been in effect before the primary 
season, is intended to accommodate small bait and fresh fish markets, 
and bycatch in other fisheries.

NMFS Action

    For the reasons stated above, and in accordance with the 
regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(C), NMFS herein announces:
    Effective 2 p.m. l.t. October 13, 1998--No more than 10,000 lb 
(4,536 kg) of whiting may be taken and retained, possessed, or landed 
by a catcher vessel participating in the shoreside sector.

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 (see ADDRESSES) during business hours. This action is 
taken under the authority of 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(C) and is exempt 
from review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: October 9, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-27816 Filed 10-13-98; 2:48 pm]
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