[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 246 (Thursday, December 21, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 80411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-32472]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 120600B]
RIN 0648-AO64


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery; Amendment 9

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: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted Amendment 9 to the Coastal Pelagic Species 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Secretarial review. The amendment was 
prepared to document bycatch in the coastal pelagic species fishery 
(CPS), ensure that a standardized reporting methodology to assess the 
amount and type of bycatch exists, and propose any necessary 
conservation and management measures to minimize bycatch. Amendment 9 
also ensures that Indian fishing rights will be met according to 
treaties between the U.S. and specific tribes.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 9 must be received on or before February 
20, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendment 9 should be sent to Dr. Rebecca Lent, 
Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802.
    Copies of Amendment 9, which includes an Environmental Assessment/
Regulatory Impact Review, are available from Donald O. McIssac, 
Executive Director, Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth 
Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR, 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Morgan, Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, NMFS, at 562-980-4036 or Daniel Waldeck, Pacific Fishery 
Management Council, at 503-326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires each regional 
fishery management council to submit any new FMP or FMP amendment 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 FMP or amendment is available for public review and 
comment. At the end of the comment period, NMFS considers the public 
comments received during the comment period and determines whether to 
approve, disapprove, or partially approve the FMP or FMP amendment.
    The 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act requires FMPs prepared by any 
council, or the Secretary of Commerce, with respect to any fishery to 
establish a standardized reporting methodology to assess the amount and 
type of bycatch occurring in the fishery, and include conservation and 
management measures, that to the extent practicable and in the 
following priority minimize bycatch; and minimize the mortality of 
bycatch that cannot be avoided. The Council sought to address the 
Magnuson-Steven Act bycatch requirement in Amendment 8. However, NMFS 
disapproved the bycatch provisions in Amendment 8. Therefore, Amendment 
9 was prepared by the Council to document bycatch in the CPS fishery, 
ensure that a standardized reporting methodology to assess the amount 
and type of bycatch exists, and propose any necessary conservation and 
management measures to minimize bycatch.
    Amendment 9 would also establish a framework process similar to 
that used in the Pacific coast groundfish fishery to allocate CPS to 
Indian tribes according to the requirements of U.S. treaties should 
such allocations become necessary.
    Public comments on Amendment 9 must be received by February 20, 
2001, to be considered by NMFS in the decision whether to approve, 
disapprove, or partially approve Amendment 9. A proposed rule to 
implement Amendment 9 has been submitted for Secretarial review and 
approval. NMFS expects to publish and request public comment on the 
proposed regulation to implement Amendment 9 in the near future.

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

    Dated: December 15, 2000.
Clarence Pautzke,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-32472 Filed 12-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE: 3510-22-S