[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17815-17816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8281]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 010112013-1013-01; I.D. 032901B]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock 
Within the Shelikof Strait Conservation Area in the Gulf of Alaska

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

ACTION: Closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock within the 
Shelikof Strait conservation area in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 
action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the 
pollock total allowable catch (TAC) for the Shelikof Strait 
conservation area in the GOA.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 31, 2001, 
until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., August 20, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
GOA exclusive economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan 
for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 
Pacific Fishery Management 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.
    Within any fishing year, under harvest or over harvest of a 
seasonal allowance may be added to or subtracted from the subsequent 
seasonal allowances in a manner to be determined by the Administrator, 
Alaska Region (Regional Administrator), NMFS, so long as a revised 
seasonal allowance does not exceed 30 percent of the annual TAC 
apportionment (Sec.  679.20(a)(5)(ii)(C)). The combined A and B season 
allowance of the pollock TAC within the Shelikof Strait conservation 
area is 18,619 metric tons (mt) as established by the Final 2001 
Harvest Specifications and Associated Management Measures for the 
Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska (66 FR 7276, January 22, 2001). The 
Regional Administrator hereby increases the B season pollock TAC by 
6,207 mt, the maximum amount of the A season

[[Page 17816]]

pollock under harvest that can be added to the B season TAC without 
exceeding 30 percent of the annual TAC. In accordance with Sec.  
679.20(a)(5)(ii)(C), the B season allowance of pollock TAC within the 
Shelikof Strait conservation area is 12,413 mt.
    In accordance with Sec.  679.20(d)(1)(i), Regional Administrator 
has determined that the B season allowance of the pollock TAC within 
the Shelikof Strait conservation area will soon be reached. Therefore, 
the Regional Administrator is establishing a directed fishing allowance 
of 12,113 mt, and is setting aside the remaining 300 mt as bycatch to 
support other anticipated groundfish fisheries. In accordance with 
Sec.  679.22(b)(3)(iii)(A), the Regional Administrator finds that this 
directed fishing allowance will soon be reached. Consequently, NMFS is 
prohibiting directed fishing for pollock within the Shelikof Strait 
conservation area in the GOA.
    Maximum retainable bycatch amounts may be found in the regulations 
at Sec.  679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

    This action responds to the best available information recently 
obtained from the fishery. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 
NOAA, finds that the need to immediately implement this action to 
prevent exceeding the seasonal allocation of pollock within the 
Shelikof Strait conservation area constitutes good cause to waive the 
requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment 
pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) and 50 CFR 
679.20(b)(3)(iii)(A), as such procedures would be unnecessary and 
contrary to the public interest. Similarly, the need to implement these 
measures in a timely fashion to prevent exceeding the seasonal 
allocation of pollock within the Shelikof Strait conservation area 
constitutes good cause to find that the effective date of this action 
cannot be delayed for 30 days. Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a 
delay in the effective date is hereby waived.
    This action is required by Sec.  679.20 and is exempt from review 
under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: March 29, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead.
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service
[FR Doc. 01-8281 Filed 3-30-01; 2:51 pm]
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