[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 5, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 17807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8380]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[ID. 032700A]


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Renewal of Exempted Fishing Permit

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Renewal of Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) for monitoring 
incidental catch of salmon and groundfish in the Washington-Oregon-
California (WOC) shore-based Pacific whiting fishery.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of an application, and NMFS' intent 
to renew EFPs for vessels participating in an observation program to 
monitor the incidental take of salmon and groundfish in the shore-based 
component of the Pacific whiting fishery. These EFPs are necessary to 
allow trawl vessels fishing for Pacific whiting to delay sorting their 
catch, and thus to retain prohibited species and groundfish in excess 
of cumulative trip limits until the point of offloading. These 
activities are otherwise prohibited by Federal regulations.

DATES: The EFPs will be effective no earlier than April 1, 2000, and 
would expire no later than May 31, 2001, but could be terminated 
earlier under terms and conditions of the EFPs and other applicable 
laws.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the EFP are available from Becky Renko or 
Katherine King Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Bldg. 
1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Renko or Katherine King 206-526-
6140.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act provisions at 50 CFR 
600.745 which state that EFPs may be used to authorize fishing 
activities that would otherwise be prohibited.
    NMFS received an application requesting renewal of these EFPs from 
the States of Washington, Oregon, and California at the March 6-10, 
2000, Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meeting in 
Sacramento California. An opportunity for public testimony was provided 
during the Council meeting. The Council recommended that NMFS issue the 
EFPs, as requested by the States.
    Renewal of these EFPs, to about 40 vessels, would continue an 
ongoing program to collect information on the incidental catch of 
salmon and groundfish in whiting harvests delivered to shoreside 
processing facilities by domestic trawl vessels operating off WOC. 
Because whiting deteriorates rapidly, it must be handled quickly and 
immediately chilled to maintain the quality. As a result, many vessels 
dump catch directly or near directly into the hold and are unable to 
effectively sort their catch.
    The issuance of EFPs will allow vessels to delay sorting of 
prohibited species and groundfish caught in excess of cumulative trip 
limits until offloading. Delaying sorting until the vessel offloads 
will allow state biologists to collect incidental catch data for total 
catch estimates while maintaining whiting quality. Without an EFP, 
groundfish regulations at 50 CFR 660.306(b) require vessels to sort out 
prohibited species and return them to sea as soon as practicable with 
minimum injury. To allow state biologists to sample unsorted whiting, 
it is also necessary to include provisions for potential overages of 
groundfish trip limits which would be otherwise prohibited by 
regulations at 50 CFR 660.306(h).

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: March 31, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-8380 Filed 3-31-00; 3:40 pm]
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