[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 1, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 65272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28019]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 000831250-0250-01; 102500C]


Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Closure of Directed Fishery for 
Pacific Mackerel

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

ACTION: Closure of directed fishery for Pacific mackerel.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the closure of the directed fishery for Pacific 
mackerel in the exclusive economic zone off the Pacific coast October 
27, 2000.The Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and 
its implementing regulations require NMFS to set an annual harvest 
guideline for Pacific mackerel based on a formula in the FMP and to 
close the fishery when the harvest guideline is reached. The harvest 
guideline of 20,740 metric tons is projected to be reached before the 
end of the fishing season on June 30, 2001, which requires closing the 
directed fishery and setting an incidental harvest limit for Pacific 
mackerel so that the harvest of other coastal pelagic species will not 
be further restricted. The intended effect of this action is to ensure 
conservation of the Pacific mackerel resource.

DATES: Effective October 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The data that was used as the basis for this action are 
available for public inspection at the Office of the Regional 
Administrator, Rebecca Lent, Southwest Region (Regional Administrator), 
NMFS, 501 W. Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James J. Morgan, Southwest Region, 
NMFS, (562) 980-4036.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 11, 2000, NMFS announced a 
harvest guideline in the Federal Register (65 FR 54817) for Pacific 
mackerel of 20,740 mt for the fishing season of July 1, 2000 through 
June 30, 2001. The harvest guideline was based on an annual biomass 
estimate and calculated using a formula in the FMP applying information 
on that portion of the stock in U.S. waters and the required harvest 
rate above a minimum biomass.
    As of October 17, 2000, 17,829 mt of Pacific mackerel has been 
harvested. The FMP states that incidental catch allowances are applied 
when a stock is overfished or a harvest guideline is met, but may be 
employed under other conditions such as to avoid premature filling of a 
harvest guideline due to the incidental catch. The high harvest rate of 
Pacific mackerel will lead to reaching the harvest guideline well 
before the end of the season and at a time when sardine harvests are 
likely to be high; therefore, the remaining harvest guideline will be 
set aside to account for incidental harvests of Pacific mackerel when 
fishing for sardine. This will tend to minimize bycatch of Pacific 
mackerel while allowing the sardine fishery to be conducted without 
further restrictions.
    The FMP allows the setting of incidental catch allowances from zero 
to 45 percent of the landed weight as determined by the Pacific Fishery 
Management Council (Council) and/or the NMFS Regional Administrator. 
The Council's Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team and the Coastal 
Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel on October 17-18, 2000 recommended 
closing the directed fishery for Pacific mackerel and imposing an 
incidental harvest limit of no more than 20 percent by weight of 
Pacific mackerel in landings of Pacific sardine. These incidental catch 
allowances will avoid unnecessary discard; ensure that optimum yield is 
taken, but not exceeded; and promote efficiency and profitability in 
the fishery.
    For the reasons stated here and in accordance with the FMP and its 
implementing regulations at 50 CFR 660.509, the directed fishery for 
Pacific mackerel will be closed October 27, 2000, after which time no 
more than 20 percent by weight of any landing of Pacific sardine may be 
Pacific mackerel.

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR 660.509 and is exempt from review 
under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: October 27, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-28019 Filed 10-27-00; 2:41 pm]
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