[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 54 (Monday, March 22, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13723-13724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6925]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 031599A]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Fishery 
Cooperatives

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

ACTION: Final rule; notice of availability of fishery cooperative 
contracts.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the availability of two fishery cooperative 
contracts under the American Fisheries Act (AFA). The Pollock 
Conservation Cooperative and the Offshore Pollock Catcher Cooperative 
filed membership agreements (agreements) with the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council (Council) and the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) 
under section 210(a) of the AFA. This notification is intended to 
promote public awareness of the agreements and is necessary to comply 
with the AFA requirement to make public information about the 
agreements.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Agreement may be requested in writing from (1) 
Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 709 
West 9th Street, Room 401, Juneau, AK 99801, or P.O. Box 
21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attention: Lori Gravel, or from (2) Clarence 
Pautzke, Executive Director, North Pacific Fishery Management

[[Page 13724]]

Council, 605 West 4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 
99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Ginter, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 210 of the AFA specifically provides 
for fishery cooperatives under section 1 of 15 U.S.C. 521 et seq. (June 
25, 1934), for purposes of harvesting and processing pollock (Theragra 
chalcogramma) caught in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area. Any 
contract implementing a fishery cooperative under this authority is 
required to meet certain minimal criteria (section 210(a)(1)). These 
criteria include filing the contract, and any material modifications to 
the contract, with the Council and the Secretary not less than 30 days 
prior to the start of fishing under the contract. Additional criteria 
include public disclosure of certain information about the contract or 
the fishery cooperative and its harvest. Specifically, the Council and 
the Secretary are required to make available to the public information 
they deem appropriate but which at a minimum will include:
    1. A list of the parties to the contract, a list of the vessels 
involved, and the amount of pollock and other fish to be harvested by 
each party to the contract; and
    2. The harvest by vessels under the cooperative contract of all 
species (including bycatch) in the directed pollock fishery on a 
vessel-by-vessel basis.
    Both agreements were filed or submitted to the Chairman of the 
Council and the Secretary on December 20, 1998. On January 20, 1999, 
the Council and NMFS received copies of a ``housekeeping'' amendment to 
the Offshore Pollock Catcher Cooperative membership agreement. The 
Pollock Conservation Cooperative membership agreement lists nine 
members, the percentage of the annual directed pollock fishery 
allowance for each member, and 20 participating vessels. The 20 listed 
vessels are the same catcher/processors listed at section 208(e) of the 
AFA. The Offshore Pollock Catcher Cooperative membership agreement 
lists seven members, the percentage of the annual directed pollock 
fishery allowance for each member, and the seven participating catcher 
vessels named at section 208(b) of the AFA.
    NMFS announces the availability of both agreements (see ADDRESSES). 
Both agreements and the amendment were made available to the public 
during the Council meetings February 1 through 8, 1999. The actual 
harvest of each vessel operating under each agreement will be made 
available at the conclusion of the fishing year.

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

    Dated: March 16, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-6925 Filed 3-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F