[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