[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 5, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 24062-24066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11158]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 600 and 660
[Docket No. 981231333-8333-01; I.D. 042299A]
Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Trip Limit Adjustments
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 changes to the restrictions to the Pacific
Coast groundfish limited entry fisheries for Dover sole and trawl-
caught sablefish in the April-May cumulative limit period, and for
Sebastes complex species (including bocaccio, canary rockfish, and
yellowtail rockfish) and for widow rockfish in the June-July, and
August-September cumulative limit periods. NMFS announces changes to
the restrictions on open access landings of groundfish by vessels
fishing with exempted trawl gear. NMFS also announces the season start
and end dates, and the tier limits for the 1999 limited entry, regular
sablefish fishery. These restrictions are intended to extend the
fisheries as long as possible during the year while keeping landings
within the 1999 optimum yields (OYs) for these species and allocations.
DATES: Effective from 0001 hours local time (l.t.) May 1, 1999, for
changes to limited entry Dover sole and trawl-caught sablefish limits,
for changes to open access exempted trawl groundfish limits, and for
the announcement of the limited entry, fixed gear regular sablefish
fishery; effective from 0001 hours l.t. June 1, 1999, for changes to
limited entry widow rockfish, Sebastes complex, yellowtail rockfish,
canary rockfish, and bocaccio. For vessels operating in the B platoon,
effective from 0001 hours l.t. May 16, 1999, for changes to limited
entry Dover sole and trawl-caught sablefish limits; effective from 0001
hours l.t. June 16, 1999, for changes to limited entry widow rockfish,
Sebastes complex, yellowtail rockfish, canary rockfish, and bocaccio.
These changes are in effect, unless modified, superseded or rescinded,
until the effective date of the 2000 annual specifications and
management measures for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery, which
will be published in the Federal Register. Comments will be accepted
through May 20, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to William Stelle, Jr., Administrator,
Northwest Region (Regional Administrator), NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way
NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or William Hogarth,
Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine King or Yvonne deReynier,
Northwest Region, NMFS, 206-526-6140.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following changes to current management
measures were recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council), in consultation with the States of Washington, Oregon, and
California, at its April 5 through 9, 1999, meeting in Sacramento, CA.
[[Page 24063]]
Dover Sole and Trawl-Caught Sablefish Trip Limit Increases--
Effective May 1, 1999
As described in the 1999 annual specifications and management
measures (64 FR 1316, January 8, 1999), the Council introduced a new
cumulative trip limit regime for 1999 that divides the fishing year
into three different phases based on 3-month, 2-month, and 1-month
periods, with specified limits for the different time periods for each
species in each phase. The limits were set to keep landings within OYs
for managed species, and to distribute varying percentages of the
landings of each species between the different cumulative limit
periods.
The first fishing phase in 1999 was a single 3-month cumulative
limit period from January 1 through March 31, 1999. The Dover sole
vessel cumulative trip limit for that period was 70,000 lb (31,752 kg),
and the fleet was expected to take 35 percent of the 1999 Dover sole
landed catch OY of 8,955 mt, or 3,134 mt, during that period. The best
available information at the April Council meeting indicates that 2,570
mt of Dover sole had been landed through March 27, 1999. To give the
fleet access to Dover sole not taken in the January 1 through March 31
cumulative limit period, the Council recommended increasing the Dover
sole cumulative limit for the April 1 through May 31 cumulative limit
period from 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) to 25,000 lb (11,340 kg). This change
would be effective for only the April 1 through May 31 cumulative limit
period; the June 1 through July 31, and the August 1 through September
30 cumulative trip limits for Dover sole will return to 20,000 lb
(9,072 kg), unless altered by future inseason actions.
The trawl-caught sablefish cumulative trip limit for the January 1
through March 31 period was 13,000 lb (5,897 kg), and the fleet was
expected to take 20 percent of the 1999 limited entry trawl-caught
sablefish allocation of 3,475 mt, or 695 mt, during that period. The
best available information at the April Council meeting indicates that
504 mt of sablefish had been landed by limited entry trawl vessels
through March 27, 1999. To give the fleet access to sablefish not taken
in the January 1 through March 31 cumulative limit period, the Council
recommended increasing the trawl-caught sablefish cumulative limit for
the April 1 through May 31 cumulative limit period from 10,000 lb
(4,536 kg) to 12,000 lb (5,443 kg). This change would also be effective
for only the April 1 through May 31 cumulative limit period; the June 1
through July 31 and August 1 through September 30 cumulative trip
limits for trawl-caught sablefish will return to 10,000 lb (4,536 kg),
unless altered by future inseason actions. These lower limits for Dover
sole and sablefish are expected to be more appropriate for the summer
months, when Dover sole and sablefish are more aggregated with
thornyheads. Shortspine thornyheads are relatively low in abundance, so
trip limits for other species in the Dover sole/thornyheads/trawl-
caught sablefish complex are higher in the months when those species
are less inter-mixed.
Changes to Open Access Groundfish Landings Restrictions for Vessels
Fishing With Exempted Trawl Gear--Effective May 1, 1999
On April 7, 1999, NMFS published an inseason action for groundfish
trip limit changes that were effective April 1 (64 FR 16862). Among
other changes, that document implemented a March 1999 Council
recommendation to restrict open access landings of groundfish by
vessels engaged in fishing for pink shrimp with exempted trawl gear
such that the amount of groundfish in any one landing could not exceed
the amount of pink shrimp in that landing. At its April meeting, the
Council recommended placing a similar restriction on vessels targeting
other species (spot and ridgeback prawns, California halibut, and sea
cucumber) with exempted trawl gear. These changes are intended to
discourage fishers from targeting groundfish with exempted trawl gear.
The Council recommended an exception to this restriction for spiny
dogfish, such that the amount of spiny dogfish in a landing made by
vessels using exempted trawl gear and targeting spot or ridgeback
prawns, California halibut, or sea cucumber could exceed the amount of
the target species in that landing. Spiny dogfish are abundant off the
Pacific coast and fishers targeting spot or ridgeback prawns
occasionally find that their prawn-targeting tows have inadvertently
captured a net full of spiny dogfish. Spiny dogfish landings would
continue to be constrained by the overall groundfish 300 lb (136 kg)
per trip limit.
Widow Rockfish Trip Limit Decrease--Effective June 1, 1999
The widow rockfish vessel cumulative trip limit for the January 1
through March 31 period was 70,000 lb (31,753 kg), and the limited
entry fleet was expected to take 35 percent of its 1999 widow rockfish
allocation of 3,777 mt, or 1,322 mt, during that period. The best
available information at the April Council meeting indicated that 1,362
mt of widow rockfish had been landed coastwide through March 27, 1999.
Although this amount is close to the 1,322 mt target for that period,
the Council's Groundfish Management Team commented that the pace of the
fishery indicated that widow rockfish cumulative limits for the summer
cumulative limit periods were set too high, and that the expected rates
of landings could result in the fishery reaching the widow rockfish
allocation before the end of the year. For these reasons, the Council
recommended decreasing the widow rockfish cumulative limit for the June
1 through July 31 and for the August 1 through September 30 cumulative
limit periods from 16,000 lb (7,257 kg) to 11,000 lb (4,990 kg).
Sebastes Complex and Component Species Trip Limit Changes--
Effective June 1, 1999
The distribution of landings of different species in the 1999
cumulative trip limit regime was designed in part to correspond with
the times when particular species are most available for harvest
without bycatch. For Dover sole and trawl-caught sablefish, trip limits
were higher in the winter months; but for Sebastes complex species,
trip limits were higher in the summer months. Overall Sebastes complex
landings, and landings of particular component species within the
Sebastes complex north of Cape Mendocino, have been lower than expected
for the January 1 through March 31 cumulative trip limit period,
probably due to bad weather. To give the fleet access to fish not taken
in the first fishing phase, yet continue Sebastes complex landing
emphasis in the summer months, the Council recommended increasing
several Sebastes limits north of Cape Mendocino for the June 1 through
July 31 and for the August 1 through September 30 cumulative trip limit
periods. Conversely, Sebastes complex landings south of Cape Mendocino
have been proceeding much faster than had been expected, resulting in
Council recommendations to decrease Sebastes limits south of Cape
Mendocino for those same periods.
The overall Sebastes complex vessel cumulative trip limit north of
Cape Mendocino for the January 1 through March 31 period was 24,000 lb
(10,866 kg), within which no more than 15,000 lb (6,804 kg) could be
yellowtail rockfish and no more than 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) could be
canary rockfish. The fleet was expected to take 20 percent of the 1999
Sebastes complex Vancouver-Columbia areas limited entry target
[[Page 24064]]
harvest of 4,033 mt, or 807 mt, during the January 1 through March 31
cumulative limit period. The limited entry fleet was also expected to
take 20 percent of its 1999 yellowtail rockfish Vancouver-Columbia
areas target harvest of 2,080 mt, or 416 mt, during the January 1
through March 31 cumulative limit period, and the fleet was expected to
take 20 percent of the 1999 canary rockfish Vancouver-Columbia areas
limited entry allocation of 618 mt, or 124 mt, during that same period.
The best available information at the April Council meeting indicates
that 432 mt of Sebastes complex species had been landed from the
Vancouver-Columbia areas through March 27, 1999, and that 269 mt of
yellowtail rockfish and 33 mt of canary rockfish had been landed from
the Vancouver-Columbia areas for that period. The Council recommended
increasing cumulative limits for the June 1 through July 31 and for the
August 1 through September 30 cumulative limit periods as follows:
Sebastes complex north of Cape Mendocino from 25,000 lb (11,340 kg) to
30,000 lb (13,608 kg); yellowtail rockfish north of Cape Mendocino from
13,000 lb (5,897 kg) to 16,000 lb (7,257 kg); and canary rockfish north
of Cape Mendocino from 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) to 14,000 lb (6,350 kg).
The overall Sebastes complex vessel cumulative trip limit south of
Cape Mendocino for the January 1 through March 31 period was 13,000 lb
(5,897 kg), within which no more than 750 lb (340 kg) per month could
be bocaccio, and within which no more than 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) could be
canary rockfish [The canary rockfish cumulative limit for the January 1
through March 31 period was a coastwide limit]. The fleet was expected
to take 31 percent of the 1999 Sebastes complex Eureka-Monterey-
Conception areas limited entry allocation of 941 mt, or 292 mt, during
the January 1 through March 31 cumulative limit period. The best
available information at the April Council meeting indicates that 665
mt of Sebastes complex species had been landed from the Eureka-
Monterey-Conception areas through March 27, 1999.
At its November 1998 meeting, the Council anticipated that bocaccio
would be considered overfished upon approval of Amendment 11 to the
groundfish fishery management plan (FMP). The 1999 bocaccio Eureka-
Monterey-Conception areas limited entry allocation is 101 mt and 1999
bocaccio cumulative limits were set low to discourage targeting. In
March 1999, NMFS notified the Council that bocaccio is considered
overfished, and that the Council must implement a bocaccio rebuilding
plan for 2000. During its April 1999 meeting, the Council reviewed a
petition from several environmental organizations asking for emergency
inseason action to further reduce bocaccio catch and landings. Bocaccio
landings in 1999 are already below 1998 landings for a comparative time
period, and the best available information at the April 1999 Council
meeting indicates that 17 mt of bocaccio had been landed from the
Eureka-Monterey-Conception areas through March 27, 1999. The Council
noted that it would be lowering the overall Sebastes complex limits
south of Cape Mendocino for the June 1 through July 31 and for the
August 1 through September 30 cumulative limit periods, expecting that
bocaccio bycatch also would be reduced by this action. Additionally,
the Council recommended reducing the current cumulative limit for
bocaccio south of Cape Mendocino from 750 lb (340 kg) per month to
1,000 lb (454 kg) per 2-month period, with a 500 lb (227 kg) per trip
limit.
To ensure that the fleet does not exceed the limited entry
allocations for Sebastes complex species, and to provide protection for
an overfished species, the Council recommended decreasing cumulative
limits south of Cape Mendocino for the June 1 through July 31 and for
the August 1 through September 30 cumulative limit periods as follows:
Sebastes complex south of Cape Mendocino from 6,500 lb (2,948 kg) to
3,500 lb (1,588 kg); canary rockfish south of Cape Mendocino limited to
not exceed the overall Sebastes complex limit, resulting in a canary
rockfish cumulative limit decrease from 6,500 (2,948 kg) to 3,500 lb
(1,588 kg) south of Cape Mendocino; and, bocaccio would be managed
under a new cumulative limit of 1,000 lb (454 kg) per 2-month period
with a 500 lb (227 kg) per trip limit. Limited Entry, Fixed Gear,
Regular Sablefish Fishery.
At its April 1999 meeting, the Council considered season structure
options for the 1999 limited entry, nontrawl (fixed gear) regular
sablefish fishery. For 1999, the Council recommended that the regular
season begin on August 16, 1999, at noon (l.t.) and last for 9 days,
ending at noon on August 25, 1999. There will be no limited entry,
daily trip limit fishery for sablefish taken with fixed gear during the
regular season. During the regular season, each vessel with a limited
entry permit with a sablefish endorsement that is registered for use
with that vessel may land up to the cumulative trip limit for the tier
to which the permit is assigned. The Council recommended the following
tier limits: Tier 1, 84,800 lb (40,823 kg); Tier 2, 38,300 lb (17,373
kg); Tier 3, 22,000 lb (9,979 kg). These tier limits are expected to
keep the overall fleet landings from exceeding the 2138.6 mt of
sablefish available to this fishery.
The pre-season and post-season closures described for this fishery
at 50 CFR Sec. 660.323(a)(2) will be in effect. The preseason closure
will begin on August 14, 1999 at noon l.t., last for 48 hours, and end
when the regular season begins on August 16, 1999, at noon l.t. During
the preseason closure, sablefish taken with fixed gear in the limited
entry or open access fisheries north of 36 deg. N. lat. may not be
retained or landed. Also during the preseason closure, all fixed gear
used to take and retain groundfish must be out of the water. The post-
season closure will begin when the regular season ends on August 25,
1999, at noon l.t., last for 30 hours, and end on August 26, 1999, at
1800 hours l.t. No sablefish taken with fixed gear north of 36 deg. N.
lat. may be retained during the post-season closure. Sablefish taken
and retained during the regular season may be possessed and landed
during the post-season closure, and gear may remain in the water during
the post-season closure. However, during the post-season closure,
fishers may not set or pull from the water fixed gear used to take and
retain groundfish.
NMFS Action
For the reasons stated, NMFS concurs with the Council's
recommendations and announces the following changes to the 1999 annual
management measures (64 FR 1316, January 8, 1999, as amended). The
annual management measures are modified as follows:
1. In section IV, under B. Limited Entry Fishery, table 2 under
paragraph B.(1), paragraphs B.(2)(b) and (i) and table 3 under
paragraph B.(2)(b)(i), paragraph B.(6)(c) and table 6 under B.(6)(c),
and paragraph B.(6)(d)(i) are revised to read as follows:
B. Limited Entry Fishery
* * * * *
(1) * * *
[[Page 24065]]
Table 2.--Widow Rockfish
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Length of
cumulative
Fishing phase Cumulative trip limit periods Cumulative trip limit trip limit
(in pounds) period
(months)
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I..................................... Jan 1-Mar 31................. 70,000................... 3
31,752 kg................
II.................................... Apr 1-May 31................. 16,000................... 2
7,257 kg.................
June 1-July 31............... 11,000................... 2
Aug 1-Sept 30................ 11,000................... 2
4,990 kg.................
III................................... Oct 1-31..................... 30,000................... 1
Nov 1-30..................... 30,000................... 1
Dec 1-31..................... 30,000................... 1
13,608 kg................
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(2) * * *
(b) Trip limits for the Sebastes complex. Harvest of all Sebastes
complex species, including those species with their own cumulative
limits (yellowtail rockfish, canary rockfish, bocaccio), count toward
the overall applicable Sebastes cumulative limits for the areas north
and south of Cape Mendocino.
(i) Crossover provisions for operating on both sides of Cape
Mendocino during a cumulative trip limit period are found in Section
IV, paragraph (A)(12), with special provisions for chilipepper
rockfish, splitnose rockfish, and the Sebastes complex. The cumulative
trip limits for the Sebastes complex and its component species are as
follows, unless otherwise announced in the Federal Register:
Table 3.--Sebastes Complex and Its Component Species
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Cumulative trip limits (in pounds)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Length of
Cumulative trip Sebastes complex (north and south of Canary rockfish \1\ (coastwide) cumulative
Phase limit periods Cape Mendocino) Yellowtail ---------------------------------------- Bocaccio \1\(south of trip limit
---------------------------------------- rockfish \1\ Cape Mendocino) period
North South (north of Cape North South (months)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mendocino)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I................................ Jan 1-Mar 31........ 24,000............ 13,000............ 15,000............ 9,000............. 9,000............. 750 per month........ 3
(10,886 kg)....... (5,897 kg)........ (6,804 kg)........ (4,082 kg)........ (4,082 kg)........ (340 kg).............
II............................... Apr 1-May 31........ 25,000............ 6,500............. 13,000............ 9,000............. 6,500............. 750 per month........ 2
(11,340 kg)....... (2,948 kg)........ (5,897 kg)........ (4,082 kg)........ (2,948 kg)........ (340 kg).............
June 1-July 31...... 30,000............ 3,500............. 16,000............ 14,000............ 3,500............. \2\ 1,000............ 2
Aug 1-Sept 30....... 30,000............ 3,500............. 16,000............ 14,000............ 3,500............. \2\ 1,000............ 2
(13,608 kg)....... (1,588 kg)........ (7,257 kg)........ (6,350 kg)........ (1,588 kg)........ (454 kg).............
III.............................. Oct 1-31............ 10,000............ 5,000............. 5,000............. 3,000............. 3,000............. 500.................. 1
Nov 1-30............ 10,000............ 5,000............. 5,000............. 3,000............. 3,000............. 500.................. 1
Nov 1-30............ 10,000............ 5,000............. 5,000............. 3,000............. 3,000............. 500.................. 1
(4,536 kg)........ (2,268 kg)........ (2,268 kg)........ (1,361 kg)........ (1,361 kg)........ (227 kg).............
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\1\ Also counts toward the overall Sebastes complex limit.
\2\ No more than 500 lb (227 kg) of bocaccio may be landed per trip, which counts towards the cumulative trip limits for bocaccio and the Sebastes complex south of Cape Mendocino.
* * * * *
(6) * * *
(c) Limited entry trip and size limits for the DTS complex. ``DTS
complex'' means Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus), thornyheads
(Sebastolobus spp.), and trawl-caught sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria).
Sablefish are also called blackcod. Thornyheads are also called idiots,
channel rockfish, or hardheads, and include two species: Shortspine
thornyheads (S. alascanus) and longspine thornyheads (S. altivelis).
These provisions apply to Dover sole and thornyheads caught with any
limited entry gear and to sablefish caught with limited entry trawl
gear. The cumulative trip limits for the DTS complex are as follows,
unless otherwise announced in the Federal Register:
[[Page 24066]]
Table 6.--DTS Complex
[Coastwide]
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Cumulative trip limits (in pounds)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Length of
Cumulative trip Longspine Shortspine Trawl-caught cumulative
Phase limit periods Dover sole thornyhead thornyhead sablefish* trip limit
cumulative trip cumulative trip cumulative trip cumulative trip period
limit limit limit limit (months)
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I............................... Jan 1-Mar 31...... 70,000............. 12,000............. 3,000.............. 13,000............. 3
(31,752 kg)........ (5,443 kg)......... (1,361 kg)......... (5,897 kg).........
II.............................. Apr 1-May 31...... 25,000............. 8,000.............. 2,000.............. 12,000............. 2
(11,340 kg)........ (5,443 kg).........
June 1-July 31.... 20,000............. 8,000.............. 2,000.............. 10,000............. 2 months
Aug 1-Sept 30..... 20,000............. 8,000.............. 2,000.............. 10,000............. 2 months
(9,072 kg)......... (3,629 kg)......... (907 kg)........... (4,536 kg).........
III............................. Oct 1-31.......... 22,000............. 4,000.............. 1,000.............. 6,000.............. 1
Nov 1-30.......... 22,000............. 4,000.............. 1,000.............. 6,000.............. 1 month
Dec 1-31.......... 22,000............. 4,000.............. 1,000.............. 6,000.............. 1 month
(9,979 kg)......... (1,814 kg)......... (454 kg)........... (2,722 kg).........
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* At any time of year unless otherwise announced, no more than 500 lb (227 kg) per trip may be trawl-caught sablefish smaller than 22 inches (56 cm)
total length. (See paragraph IV.A.(6) regarding length measurement.) The increases to the Dover sole and trawl-caught sablefish trip limits for the
April 1 through May 31 period are not effective until May 1, 1999.
(d) * * *
(i) Regular season. The regular season will begin at 12 noon l.t.
on August 16, 1999, and end at noon on August 25, 1999. Pre-season and
post-season closures described at 50 CFR Sec. 660.323(a)(2) are in
effect. The pre-season closure will begin at 12 noon l.t. on August 14,
1999, and end when the regular season begins, at 12 noon l.t. on August
16, 1999. The post-season closure will begin when the regular season
ends at noon l.t. on August 25, 1999, and end at 1800 hours l.t. on
August 26, 1999. During the regular season, each vessel with a limited
entry permit with a sablefish endorsement that is registered for use
with that vessel may land up to the cumulative trip limit for the tier
to which the permit is assigned. For 1999, the following tier limits
are in effect: Tier 1, 84,800 lb (40,823 kg); Tier 2, 38,300 lb (17,373
kg); Tier 3, 22,000 lb (9,979 kg).
* * * * *
2. In section IV, under C. Trip Limits in the Open Access Fishery,
paragraph C. (6) is revised to read as follows:
C. Trip Limits in the Open Access Fishery
* * * * *
(6) Groundfish taken with exempted trawl gear by vessels engaged in
fishing for spot and ridgeback prawns, California halibut, and sea
cucumbers--(a) Trip limits. No more than 300 lb (136 kg) of groundfish
may be taken per vessel per fishing trip. Limits and closures in
paragraphs IV.C(1) through IV.C(5) also apply and are counted toward
the 300 lb (136 kg) groundfish limit. In any landing by vessels engaged
in fishing for spot and ridgeback prawns, California halibut, or sea
cucumbers with exempted trawl gear, the amount of groundfish landed may
not exceed the amount of the target species landed, except that the
amount of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) landed may exceed the
amount of target species landed. Spiny dogfish are limited by the 300
lb (136 kg) per trip overall groundfish limit. The daily trip limits
for sablefish (paragraph IV.C.2) and thornyheads south of Pt.
Conception (paragraph IV.C.1(a)) may not be multiplied by the number of
days of the fishing trip. The groundfish ``per trip'' limit may not be
multiplied by the number of days in the fishing trip, although this was
allowed in 1998.
* * * * *
Classification
These actions are authorized by the regulations implementing the
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. The determination to
take these actions is based on the most recent data available. The
aggregate data upon which the determinations are based are available
for public inspection at the office of the Administrator, Northwest
Region, NMFS (see ADDRESSES) during business hours. Because of the need
to implement these changes by May 1, consistent with the states of
Washington, Oregon, and California, and because the public had an
opportunity to comment on the action at the April 1999 Council meeting,
NMFS has determined that good cause exists for this document to be
published without affording a prior opportunity for public comment or a
30-day delayed effectiveness period. These actions are taken under the
authority of 50 CFR 660.323(b)(1), and are exempt from review under
E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 28, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-11158 Filed 4-29-99; 4:52 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P