[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 132 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 42302-42303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17269]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000623193-0193-01; I.D. 060800D]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Prohibited 
Species Catch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

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

ACTION: Final 2000 harvest specifications; technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues a technical amendment to the Final 2000 Harvest 
Specifications for Groundfish for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
(BSAI). A revision to Table 7 of the Final 2000 Harvest Specifications, 
which is prohibited species bycatch allowances for the BSAI trawl and 
non-trawl groundfish fisheries, is necessary to reflect reduced 
prohibited species bycatch allowances under Amendment 57 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands Area (FMP).

DATES: Effective June 15, 2000, through 2400 hrs A.l.t. December 31, 
2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew N. Smoker, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
BSAI according to the FMP prepared by the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council (Council) under authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Regulations governing fishing 
by U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 
CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
    The Council, at its December 1999 meeting, recommended that the 
Final 2000 Harvest Specifications include prohibited species bycatch 
allowances proportionally reduced to reflect reduced prohibited species 
catch (PSC) limits under pending Amendment 57. Because the Final 
Harvest Specifications for Groundfish of the BSAI (65 FR 8282, February 
18, 2000) were issued prior to Amendment 57 being approved by NMFS and 
implemented by regulations, the specifications set forth prohibited 
species bycatch allowances for the BSAI trawl fisheries based on the 
following pre-FMP Amendment 57 PSC limits: Pacific halibut, 3,775 mt; 
Zone 1 red king crab, 100,000 animals; Chionoecetes (C.) opilio, 
4,500,000 animals; C. bairdi Zone 1, 900,000; and C. bairdi Zone 2, 
2,550,000 animals.
    Under the regulations implementing Amendment 57 to the FMP (65 FR 
31105, May 16, 2000), which became effective June 15, 2000, the 2000 
Pacific halibut and crab PSC limits for the BSAI trawl fisheries were 
reduced to the following amounts: Pacific halibut, 3,675 mt; Zone 1 red 
king crab, 97,000 animals; C. opilio, 4,350,000 animals; C. bairdi Zone 
1,830,000; and C. bairdi Zone 2, 2,520,000 animals. The corresponding 
prohibited species bycatch allowances were reduced proportionally.
    This technical amendment revises Table 7 of the Final 2000 Harvest 
Specifications for Groundfish of the BSAI accordingly to read as 
follows:

         Table 7.--Prohibited Species Bycatch Allowances for the BSAI Trawl and Non-Trawl Fisheries \1\
                                        [All amounts are in metric tons]
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                                                             Prohibited Species and Zone
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Red King                   C. bairdi (animals)
                                      Halibut      Herring        Crab      C. opilio  -------------------------
                                     mortality    (mt) BSAI    (animals)    (animals)
                                     (mt) BSAI                   Zone 1     COBLZ \2\      Zone 1       Zone 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trawl Fisheries:
    Yellowfin sole................          886          169        11655    2,876,579      288,750    1,514,683
        January 20-March 31.......          262
        April 1-May 20............          196
        May 21-July 3.............           48
        July 4-December 31........          380
    Rocksole/oth. flat/flat sole            779           24       42,090      869,934      309,326      504,894
     \3\..........................
        January 20-March 31.......          448
        April 1-July 31...........           64
        July 4-December 31........          167
    Turbot/sablefish/arrowtooth     ...........           11  ...........       41,043
     \4\..........................

[[Page 42303]]

 
    Rockfish (July 4-December 31)            69            9  ...........       41,043  ...........       10,024
     \5\..........................
    Pacific cod...................        1,434           24       11,656      123,529      154,856      275,758
    Pollock/Atka/other \6\........          232        1,616        1,660       71,622       14,818       25,641
    RKC savings subarea \3\.......  ...........       22,665  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Total Trawl PSC.......        3,400        1,853       89,725    4,023,750      767,750    2,331,000
                                   =============================================================================
Non-Trawl Fisheries:
    Pacific cod--Total............          748
        Jan. 1-April 30 \7\.......         7457
        May 1-August 31...........            0
        Sept. 1-Dec. 31...........          291
    Other non-trawl--Total........           84
        May 1-December 31.........           84
    Groundfish pot & jig..........       Exempt
    Sablefish hook-&-line.........       Exempt
                                   -------------
            Total Non-Trawl.......          833
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                PSQ Reserve \8\...          343  ...........        7,275      326,250       62,250      189,000
                Grand Total.......        4,675        1,853       97,000    4,350,000      830,000   2,520,000
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\1\ Refer to Sec.  679.2 for definitions of areas.
\2\ C. opilio Bycatch Limitation Zone. Boundaries are defined at Sec.  679.21(e)(7)(iv)(B).
\3\ The Council at its December 1999 meeting recommended limiting red king crab for trawl fisheries within the
  RKCSS to 35 percent of the total allocation to the rock sole, flathead sole, and other flatfish fishery
  category (Sec.  679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)).
\4\ Greenland turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish fishery category.
\5\ The Council at its December 1999 meeting recommended apportioning the rockfish PSC amounts from July 4-
  December 31, to prevent fishing for rockfish before July 4, 2000.
\6\ Pollock, Atka mackerel, and ``other species'' fishery category.
\7\ Any unused halibut PSC from the first trimester may be rolled over into the third trimester.
\8\  With the exception of herring, 7.5 percent of each PSC limit is allocated to the multi-species CDQ program
  as PSQ reserve. The PSQ reserve is not allocated by fishery, gear or season.

Classification

    Because this technical amendment merely revises a table in the 
specifications to reflect new allowances under a previous final rule, 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5539(b)(B), the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries, NOAA, finds, for good cause, that it is unnecessary to 
provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment in that no 
useful purpose would be served.
    In addition, because this is a non-substantive rule, under 5 U.S.C. 
553(d), a 30-day delay in effectiveness is not required.
    Because prior notice and opportunity for public comment are not 
required for this rule by 5 U.S.C. 533, or any other law, the 
analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 
et seq. are inapplicable.
    This action is required by Sec. 679.20 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: July 3, 2000.
Penelope D. Dalton,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-17269 Filed 7-7-00; 8:45 am]
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