[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 22, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 71688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33197]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[I.D. 113099C]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Community
Development Quota Program
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Approval of amendments to the 1998-2000 Multispecies Community
Development Plans (CDPs) for six Community Development Quota (CDQ)
groups.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the approval of recommendations made by the
State of Alaska (State) for the amendments to the 1998-2000
Multispecies (MS) CDPs for the six CDQ groups under the Western Alaska
CDQ Program. This action is necessary to announce NMFS' decision to
approve the State's recommendations and is intended to further the
goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act.
DATES: Approval of the amendments to the CDPs and the 2000 CDQ and
prohibited species quota (PSQ) allocations are effective December 21,
1999.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the findings made by NMFS in approving the State's
recommendations may be obtained from the Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box
21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori Gravel.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Obren Davis, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The current percentage allocations of pollock, arrowtooth flounder,
and ``other species'' CDQ and chinook salmon and non-chinook salmon PSQ
to the CDQ groups expire on December 31, 1999. To synchronize the 3-
year CDP cycles for all CDQ species by the end of 2000, and to allow
the State to evaluate the impact of the American Fisheries Act (AFA) on
the pollock CDQ fisheries, percentage allocations of pollock CDQ and
associated incidental catch species are being made on an annual basis
in 1999 and 2000. NMFS approved the 1999 percentage allocation
recommendations for pollock and the associated incidental catch species
on January 11, 1999. Percentage allocations to the CDQ groups for these
five CDQ and PSQ species groups now must be approved for 2000. For the
2001 through 2003 fishing years, all groundfish CDQ and PSQ species
will be combined into a single 3-year CDP cycle.
Eligible Western Alaska communities submitted to the State six
applications for amendments to the MS CDPs for pollock and the related
incidental catch species under 50 CFR 679.30. The State conducted a
public hearing on September 28, 1999. During the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council's October 1999 meeting, the State consulted with the
Council concerning the proposed amendments to the MS CDPs. At that
time, the State recommended the same percentage allocations to all of
the CDQ groups as were approved for 1999, and the Council concurred in
the State's recommendations.
On November 5, 1999, the State submitted a letter and findings to
NMFS recommending that the CDPs for the six CDQ groups be complete and
recommending the same percentage allocations for pollock and the
associated incidental catch species as those approved for these CDQ
groups for 1999. NMFS agrees with the State's recommendations and
approves the amendments to the 1998-2000 MS CDPs for the six CDQ groups
and the percentage allocations of pollock and other associated
incidental catch species for 2000.
The allocations to each CDQ group are presented in the table
following. NMFS' findings regarding this decision are also available
(see ADDRESSES).
Selected Multispecies Groundfish and Prohibited Species Community Development Quota Allocations for 2000
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Species or Species Group APICDA BBEDC CBSFA CVRF NSEDC YDFDA
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Pollock 16% 21% 5% 22% 22% 14%
Arrowtooth Flounder 18% 21% 9% 16% 16% 20%
Other Species 19% 22% 9% 14% 15% 21%
Chinook Salmon PSQ 16% 21% 5% 22% 22% 14%
Non-chinook Salmon PSQ 16% 21% 5% 22% 22% 14%
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APICDA = Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association
BBEDC = Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation
CBSFA = Central Bering Sea Fishermen's's Association
CVRF = Coastal Villages Region Fund
NSEDC = Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation
YDFDA = Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association
PSQ = prohibited species quota
Dated: December 16, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-33197 Filed 12-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F