[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 29, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 52405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22063]



[[Page 52405]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 080900A]
RIN 0648-A028


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: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management 
plan; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has 
submitted for Secretarial review Amendment 15 to the Fishery Management 
Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP). This 
amendment is necessary to implement a rebuilding plan to rebuild the 
overfished stock of St. Matthew blue king crab. This action is intended 
to ensure that conservation and management measures continue to be 
based upon the best scientific information available and is intended to 
advance the Council's ability to achieve, on a continuing basis, the 
optimum yield from fisheries under its authority.

DATES: Comments on the amendment must be submitted on or before October 
30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to Sue Salveson, Assistant 
Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, 
NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel. 
Comments also may be sent via facsimile (fax) to 907-586-7465. Comments 
will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or Internet. Courier or 
hand delivery of comments may be made to NMFS in the Federal Building, 
Room 453, Juneau, AK 99801. Copies of Amendment 15 to the FMP, and the 
Environmental Assessment prepared for the amendment are available from 
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 West 4th Ave., Suite 
306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252; telephone 907-271-2809.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS declared the St. Matthew stock of blue 
king crab (Paralithodes platypus) overfished on September 24, 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 Council once NMFS determined that the stock was 
overfished (64 FR 54791, October 8, 1999). The Council then took action 
to develop a rebuilding plan within 1 year. In June 2000, the Council 
adopted Amendment 15, the rebuilding plan, to accomplish the purposes 
outlined in the national standard guidelines to rebuild the overfished 
stock. Amendment 15 specifies a time period for rebuilding the stock 
intended to comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The rebuilding plan is estimated 
to allow St. Matthew blue king crab to rebuild, with a 50 percent 
probability, within 10 years. The stock will be considered ``rebuilt'' 
when the stock reaches the maximum sustainable yield stock size level 
in 2 consecutive years.
    The rebuilding plan consists of a framework that references the 
State of Alaska's harvest strategy, bycatch control measures, and 
habitat protection measures.
    The rebuilding plan would utilize the harvest strategy developed by 
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and adopted by the 
Alaska Board of Fisheries (Board). Section 8.0 of thr FMP defers to the 
State of Alaska the authority to develop harvest strategies, with 
oversight by NMFS and the Council. The ADF&G revised harvest strategy 
should result in more spawning biomass, because more larger female 
crabs would be conserved and fewer juveniles and females would die due 
to incidental catch and discard mortality. This higher spawning biomass 
would be expected to produce year-classes when environmental conditions 
are favorable.
    The rebuilding plan also references the bycatch reduction measures 
and habitat protection measures adopted by the Board in March 2000. The 
Board adopted gear restrictions to reduce bycatch of sub-legal and 
female blue king crab in the directed fishery. To protect the habitat 
of egg-bearing females, the Board took action to close State waters 
around St. Matthew Island, Hall Island, and Pinnacles Island to crab 
fishing. Protection of habitat and reduction of bycatch would be 
expected to reduce mortality on juvenile and egg-bearing female crabs, 
thus allowing a higher percentage of each year-class to contribute to 
spawning and future landings.
    The Council prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for Amendment 
15 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 the Council (see ADDRESSES).
    The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each regional fishery 
management council submit each FMP or FMP amendment it prepares to NMFS 
for review and approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The 
Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or 
FMP amendment, immediately publish a notification in the Federal 
Register that the amendment is available for public review and comment. 
This action constitutes such notice for FMP Amendment 15. NMFS will 
consider the public comments received during the comment period in 
determining whether to approve this FMP amendment. To be considered, a 
comment must be received by close of business on the last day of the 
comment period (see DATES), regardless of the comment's postmark or 
transmission date.

    Dated: August 24, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-22063 Filed 8-28-00; 8:45 am]
Billing Code: 3510-22-S