[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 195 (Friday, October 8, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 54791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26216]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[I.D. 100199B]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Overfished
Fisheries
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of overfished fishery.
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SUMMARY: NMFS has identified Bering Sea snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)
and St. Matthew blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) as overfished.
This document is intended to notify the public that the North Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council) has been informed that these
stocks are overfished and has been directed to initiate action to end
overfishing and rebuild the stocks. This notification is necessary to
comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), which requires identification of overfished
stocks and subsequent implementation of management measures to rebuild
overfished stocks.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen Harrington, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 304(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act
requires that, if the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) determines that
a fishery is overfished, the Secretary shall immediately notify the
appropriate fishery management council and request that action be taken
to end overfishing in the fishery and to implement conservation and
management measures to rebuild affected stocks. The fishery management
council has 1 year from the date of notification to prepare a plan to
end overfishing in the fishery and to rebuild affected stocks.
On March 3, 1999, the Secretary approved Amendment 7 to the Fishery
Management Plan for the Bering Sea/ Aleutian Islands King and Tanner
Crabs (64 FR 11390, March 9, 1999). Pursuant to section 303(a)(10) of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and the national standard guidelines (50 CFR
part 600), the amendment revised the definitions of overfishing,
maximum sustainable yield, and optimum yield for the king and Tanner
crab fisheries in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands.
Based on an analysis of the 1999 NMFS Eastern Bering Sea trawl
survey data, the Bering Sea snow crab spawning biomass and the St.
Matthew blue king crab spawning biomass are below the minimum stock
size threshold defined for these stocks, and are thus deemed
overfished.
Pursuant to section 304 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS notified
Mr. Richard B. Lauber, Council Chairman, by letter on September 24,
1999, that these crab stocks are overfished, as follows:
Mr. Richard B. Lauber, Chairman
North Pacific Fishery Management Council
605 West 4th Avenue, Suite 306
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2252
Dear Mr. Lauber:
Amendment 7 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Bering Sea/
Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP) revised the definitions
of overfishing for the FMP crab species. This action was necessary
for compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and will advance the Council's
ability to achieve, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from
fisheries under its jurisdiction.
Based on an analysis of the 1999 NMFS Eastern Bering Sea trawl
survey data, we determine Bering Sea snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)
and St. Matthew blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) to be
overfished because the total spawning biomass of each stock is below
the minimum stock size threshold specified in the new overfishing
definitions. A copy of this analysis is attached.
This letter serves as your official notification that snow crab
and St. Matthew blue king crab are overfished. Section 304(e) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act states that a council will have one year from
notification of the overfished status of a stock to prepare and
submit conservation and management measures to end overfishing and
rebuild the affected stock. The rebuilding program must be as short
as possible, but not exceed 10 years, except if the biology of the
stock or other environmental conditions dictate otherwise.
Sincerely,
Steven Pennoyer,
Administrator, Alaska Region
Dated: September 30, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-26216 Filed 10-7-99; 8:45 am]
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