[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66111-66112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32018]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 112498A]
RIN 0648-AL52


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Amendment 11

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management 
plan; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted Amendment 11 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Secretarial review. The amendment was 
prepared with the intention of bringing the FMP into compliance with 
provisions of the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) regarding 
overfishing, bycatch, essential fish habitat, and fishing communities. 
This action also is intended to improve the types and amounts of 
scientific information available for use in stock assessments and 
management of the Pacific coast groundfish fishery.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 11 must be received on or before February 
1, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendment 11 or supporting documents should be 
sent to William Stelle, Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, Sand 
Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or to William 
Hogarth, Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean 
Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
    Copies of Amendment 11 and the Environmental Assessment/ Regulatory 
Impact Review are available from Larry Six, Executive Director, Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 224, Portland, OR 
97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvonne deReynier at 206-526-6140, Jim 
Morgan at 562-980-4000, or the Pacific Fishery Management Council at 
503-326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each Regional 
Fishery Management Council submit any amendment to an FMP to NMFS for 
review and approval,

[[Page 66112]]

disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also 
requires that NMFS, upon receiving an amendment, immediately publish a 
notice in the Federal Register that the amendment is available for 
public review and comment. NMFS will consider the public comments 
received during the comment period described above in determining 
whether to approve the amendment for implementation.
    The SFA amended the requirements for FMPs in section 303(a) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act. The SFA established a 2-year deadline (October 
11, 1998) by which each Regional Fishery Management Council had to 
submit amendments to NMFS to bring all the FMPs into compliance with 
the SFA/Magnuson-Stevens Act requirements.
    Amendment 11 seeks to make the Pacific Coast Groundfish FMP 
consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act by: amending the FMP framework 
that defines ``optimum yield'' for setting annual groundfish harvest 
limits; setting framework control rules on defining rates of 
``overfishing'' and levels at which managed stocks are considered 
``overfished;'' defining Pacific Coast groundfish essential fish 
habitat; setting a bycatch management objective and a framework for 
bycatch reduction measures; establishing a management objective to take 
the importance of fisheries to fishing communities into account when 
setting groundfish management measures; providing authority within the 
FMP for the Council to require groundfish use permits for all 
groundfish users; authorizing the use of fish for compensation for 
private vessels conducting NMFS-approved research; removing jack 
mackerel from the fishery management unit; and updating FMP objectives, 
definitions and industry descriptions.
    Public comments on Amendment 11 must be received by February 1, 
1999 to be considered by NMFS in the decision to approve/disapprove 
Amendment 11. A proposed rule to implement Amendment 11 has been 
submitted for Secretarial review and approval. NMFS expects to publish 
and request public comment on proposed regulations to implement 
Amendment 11 in the near future.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 25, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-32018 Filed 11-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F