[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 38216-38217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15510]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 022500C]
RIN 0648-AM29


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Rebuilding 
Overfished Fisheries

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

ACTION: Approval of fishery management plan amendment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the approval of Amendment 11 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs 
(FMP). This amendment is necessary to implement a plan to rebuild the 
overfished stock of Bering Sea Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi). This 
action is intended to ensure that conservation and management measures 
continue to be based on the best scientific information available and 
is intended to achieve, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from 
the affected crab fisheries.

DATES: The amendment was approved on June 8, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Copies of Amendment 11 to the FMP, and the Environmental 
Assessment (EA) prepared for the amendment are available from the 
Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, 
Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen Harrington, 907-586-7228 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS declared the Bering Sea stock of Tanner 
crab overfished on March 3, 1999, because the spawning stock biomass 
was below the minimum stock size threshold defined in Amendment 7 to 
the FMP (64 FR 11390). Amendment 7 specified objective and measurable 
criteria for identifying when all of the crab fisheries covered by the 
FMP are overfished or when overfishing is occurring. NMFS notified the 
North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) once NMFS determined 
that the stock was overfished (64 FR 15308, March 31, 1999). The 
Council then took action to develop a rebuilding plan within 1 year. 
Amendment 11, the rebuilding plan, is an FMP amendment that 
accomplishes the purposes outlined in the national standard guidelines 
to rebuild the overfished stock. Amendment 11 specifies a time period 
for rebuilding the stock that satisfies the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
    The rebuilding plan is estimated to allow the Bering Sea Tanner 
crab stock to rebuild, with a 50 percent probability, in 10 years. The 
stock will be considered ``rebuilt'' when the stock reaches the maximum 
sustainable yield stock size level in 2 consecutive years.
    The Council's rebuilding plan incorporates the harvest strategy 
developed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and adopted by the 
Alaska Board of Fisheries. Section 8.0 of the FMP defers to the State 
of Alaska the authority to develop harvest strategies, with oversight 
by NMFS and the Council. The rebuilding harvest strategy should result 
in more spawning biomass because fishery and bycatch mortality would be 
reduced. This higher spawning biomass is expected to produce large 
year-classes when environmental conditions are favorable.
    An EA was prepared for Amendment 11 that describes the management 
background, the purpose and need for action, the management 
alternatives, and the environmental and the socio-economic impacts of 
the alternatives. A copy of the EA can be obtained from NMFS (see 
ADDRESSES).
    A notice of availability for the proposed Amendment 11 to the FMP, 
which described the proposed amendment and invited comments from the 
public, was published in the Federal Register on March 7, 2000 (65 FR 
11973). Comments were invited until May 8, 2000. NMFS received no 
public comments on Amendment 11.
    NMFS determined that Amendment 11 to the FMP is consistent with the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act and other

[[Page 38217]]

applicable laws and approved Amendment 11 on June 8, 2000. Additional 
information on this action is contained in the March 7, 2000, notice of 
availability (65 FR 11973).
    No regulatory changes are necessary to implement this FMP 
amendment.

    Dated: June 14, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-15510 Filed 6-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F