[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 58359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29085]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 101698B]


Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Northern Anchovy Fishery

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

ACTION: Receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces receipt of an application for an exempted 
fishing permit(EFP) that would allow an experimental fishery for 
northern anchovy in an area off San Francisco closed to vessels fishing 
for the purposes of reducing the catch into products such as fish meal 
and oil. Reduction fishing is prohibited in the Farallon Islands 
closure by 50 CFR 660.512 of the regulations implementing the Northern 
Anchovy Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The purpose of the proposed 
experiment is to investigate the consequences of conducting a small-
scale reduction fishery in the area. If granted, the permit would allow 
fishing that otherwise would be prohibited by the FMP and its 
implementing regulations. NMFS may authorize such a permit pursuant to 
regulations at 50 CFR 600.745(b).

DATES: Comments must be received by November 30, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Dr. William T. Hogarth, Regional 
Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 W. Ocean Boulevard, Suite 
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Svein Fougner or James Morgan at 
(562)980-4030).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FMP and implementing regulations at 50 
CFR 600.745(b) specify that EFPs may be issued to authorize fishing 
that otherwise would be prohibited by an FMP and set forth procedures 
for issuing permits.
    NMFS has accepted an EFP application for review and has forwarded 
copies to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Director of the California 
Department of Fish and Game. The applicant proposes to harvest northern 
anchovy off the coast of California in the area of the Farallon 
Islands. This area has been closed to reduction fishing since 
implementation of the FMP in 1978 and, like other area closures in the 
FMP, was meant to avoid conflict between recreational vessels and what 
was then a high-volume reduction fishery. Fishing operations would most 
likely take place in the spring of 1999 with roundhaul gear and would 
involve from one to three vessels of 30 to 50 mt capacity.
    The application will be discussed at the November 2-6, 1998, 
meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which will be held 
at the Doubletree Hotel Columbia River in Portland,OR 1401 N. Hayden 
Island Drive, Portland, OR 97217 (63 FR 54450, October 9, 1998). The 
decision on whether to issue an EFP and determinations on appropriate 
permit conditions will be based on a number of considerations, 
including recommendations made by the Council and comments received 
from the public. A copy of the application is available for review at 
the NMFS Southwest Regional Office (see ADDRESSES).

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

    Dated: October 23, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-29085 Filed 10-29-98; 8:45 am]
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