[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 18, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 26890-26891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-12486]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 300
[Docket No. 99990312074-9074-01; I.D. 051299A]
Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Washington Sport Fisheries
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Inseason action.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces changes to the regulations for the Area 2A
sport fisheries off the south coast of Washington. This action opens
the south coast closed area to halibut fishing. The purpose of this
action is to allow sport fishers access to the south coast of
Washington halibut quota in a season of unusually slow fishing.
DATES: Effective May 13, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to William Stelle, Jr., Regional
Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, Seattle, WA
98115.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvonne deReynier, 206-526-6120.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan for Pacific
halibut off Washington, Oregon, and California is implemented in the
annual management measures for the Pacific halibut fisheries published
on March 19, 1999 (64 FR 13519). Those regulations established the 1999
subarea quota for the south coast of Washington (Queets River,
Washington to Leadbetter Point, Washington) fishery as 32,081 lb (14.6
mt). The all-depth sport fishery in this area is scheduled for 5 days
per week (Sunday through Thursday), and the nearshore fishery is
scheduled for 7 days per week. Early catch rate attainment for this
area is significantly slower than in past years, with several charter
vessels returning to dock without having caught any halibut. In 1998,
charter anglers averaged 1 fish per person over the fishery's opening
weekend. This year, anglers averaged .25 fish per person over the
opening weekend.
[[Page 26891]]
Section 24 of the 1999 Pacific halibut regulations provides NMFS
with the flexibility to make certain inseason management changes,
provided that the action is necessary to allow allocation objectives to
be met, and that the action will not result in exceeding the catch
limit for the area. The structuring objective for the Washington coast
subarea is to maximize the season length, while maintaining a quality
fishing experience. This inseason action would open to fishing the
portion of the Washington south coast subarea that is currently closed
to sport fishing for halibut.
The Washington south coast closed area is a halibut ``hot spot.''
The purpose of having a closed ``hot spot'' is to lengthen the season
in this subarea by preventing fisher access to this area of more
abundant halibut. The closed area is not maintained for conservation
purposes. Given the extremely low rate of halibut landings thus far in
1999, opening the ``hot spot'' to fishing is not expected to shorten
the season for this area over past years' season lengths. The closed
area is a rectangle defined by these four coordinates: 47 deg.19'00''
N. lat., 124 deg.53'00'' W. long.; 47 deg.19'00'' N. lat.,
124 deg.48'00'' W. long.; 47 deg.16'00'' N. lat., 124 deg.53'00'' W.
long.; 47 deg.16'00'' N. lat., 124 deg.48'00'' W. long.
In consultation with the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the International
Pacific Halibut Commission, NMFS has determined that opening the
Washington south coast closed area to halibut fishing meets the season
structuring objective of providing a quality fishing experience without
allowing the fishery to exceed the Washington south coast quota.
NMFS Action
For the reasons stated above, NMFS announces the following change
to the 1999 annual management measures (64 FR 13519, March 19, 1999, as
amended).
1. For the Washington south coast subarea, section 23(4)(b)(iii)(C)
is removed.
Classification
This action is authorized by the regulations implementing the Catch
Sharing Plan. The determination to take these actions is based on the
most recent data available. Because of the need for immediate action to
allow fishers access to the Washington south coast halibut quota, and
because the public had an opportunity to comment on the NMFS authority
to make inseason changes to certain management measures when those
measures would further the objectives of the Catch Sharing Plan, 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. Public comments will be received for a
period of 15 days after the effectiveness of this action. This action
is authorized by Section 24 of the annual management measures for
Pacific halibut fisheries published on March 19, 1999 (63 FR 13519) and
has been determined to be not significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
Dated: May 13, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-12486 Filed 5-13-99; 4:05 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F