[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 14, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 37296-37297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14995]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 99122347-9347-01; I.D. 060500A]


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Whiting Closure for the Mothership 
Sector

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

ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces closure of the 2000 mothership fishery for 
Pacific whiting (whiting) at 4:00 p.m. local time (l.t.) June 9, 2000, 
because the allocation for the mothership sector is projected to be 
reached by that time. This action is intended to keep the harvest of 
whiting at the 2000 allocation levels.

DATES: Effective from 4:00 p.m. l.t. June 9, 2000, until the start of 
the 2001 primary season for the mothership sector, unless modified, 
superseded or rescinded; such action will be published in the Federal 
Register. Comments will be accepted through June 29, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to William Stelle, Jr., Administrator, 
Northwest Region (Regional Administrator), NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way 
NE., Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or Rodney R. McInnis, Acting Regional 
Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine King at 206-526-6145 or 
Becky Renko at 206-526-6110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by regulations 
implementing the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan 
(FMP), which governs the groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and 
California. On January 4, 2000 (65 FR 221), the levels of allowable 
biological catch (ABC), the optimum yield (OY) and the commercial OY 
(the OY minus the tribal allocation)for U.S. harvests of whiting were 
announced in the Federal Register. For 2000 the whiting ABC and OY are 
232,000 mt (mt) and the commercial OY is 199,500 mt. Regulations at 50 
CFR 660.323(a)(4) divide the commercial OY into separate allocations 
for the catcher/processor, mothership, and shore-based sectors of the 
whiting fishery. The 2000

[[Page 37297]]

allocations, which are based on the 2000 commercial OY, are 67,830 mt 
(34 percent) for the catcher/processor sector, 47,880 mt (24 percent) 
for the mothership sector, and 83,790 mt (42 percent) for the shoreside 
sector.
    When each sector's allocation is reached, the primary season for 
that sector is ended. The catcher/processor sector is composed of 
vessels that harvest and process whiting. The mothership sector is 
composed of motherships, and catcher vessels that harvest whiting for 
delivery to motherships. Motherships are vessels that process, but do 
not harvest, whiting. The shoreside sector is composed of vessels that 
harvest whiting for delivery to shoreside processors. The regulations 
at 50 CFR 600.323 (a)(3)(i) describe the primary season for vessels 
delivering to motherships as the period(s) when at-sea processing is 
allowed and the fishery is open for the mothership sector.

NMFS Action

    This action announces achievement of the allocation for the 
mothership sector only. The best available information on June 8, 2000, 
indicated that the 47,880-mt mothership allocation would be reached by 
4:00 p.m., June 9, 2000, at which time the primary season for the 
mothership sector ends and further at-sea processing and receipt of 
whiting by a mothership, or taking and retaining, possessing, or 
landing of whiting by a catcher boat in the mothership sector, are 
prohibited. For the reasons stated here, and in accordance with the 
regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B), NMFS herein announces that 
effective at 4:00 p.m., June 9, 2000--(1) further receiving or at-sea 
processing of whiting by a mothership is prohibited. No additional 
unprocessed whiting may be brought on board after at-sea processing is 
prohibited, but a mothership may continue to process whiting that was 
on board before at-sea processing was prohibited, and (2) whiting may 
not be taken and retained, possessed, or landed by a catcher vessel 
participating in the mothership sector.

Classification

    This action is authorized by the regulations implementing the FMP. 
The determination to take this action is based on the most recent data 
available. The aggregate data upon which the determination is based are 
available for public inspection at the office of the Regional 
Administrator (see ADDRESSES) during business hours. This action is 
taken under the authority of 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B) and is exempt 
from review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: June 9, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-14995 Filed 6-9-00; 1:38 pm]
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