[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 24, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38412-38413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18416]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 071701C]
RIN 0648-AK70


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Individual 
Fishing Quota Program

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

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has 
submitted Amendment 54 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of 
the Gulf of Alaska and Amendment 54 to the Fishery Management Plan for 
the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area 
(FMPs). These amendments would make three changes to the Individual 
Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program for fixed gear Pacific halibut and 
sablefish fisheries off Alaska. This action is necessary to improve the 
effectiveness of the IFQ Program and is intended to promote the 
objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) with respect to the IFQ fisheries. NMFS is 
requesting comments from the public on the proposed amendments, copies 
of which may be obtained from the Council (See ADDRESSES).

DATES: Comments on Amendments 54/54 must be submitted by September 24, 
2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed amendments should be submitted to 
Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable 
Fisheries, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: 
Lori Gravel, or delivered to the Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, 
Juneau, AK. Copies of Amendments 54/54 and the Regulatory Impact 
Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis prepared for the 
proposed amendments 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: James Hale, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each Regional Fishery 
Management Council submit any FMP or plan amendment it prepares to NMFS 
for review and approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The 
Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, after receiving a fishery 
management plan or amendment, immediately publish a notice in the 
Federal Register that the fishery management plan or amendment is 
available for public review and comment. This action constitutes such 
notice for Amendments 54/54 to the FMPs. NMFS will consider the public 
comments received during the comment period in determining whether to 
approve these amendments.
    The IFQ Program, a limited access management system for the fixed 
gear Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries off Alaska, was approved 
by NMFS in January 1993, and fully implemented beginning in March 1995. 
The sablefish IFQ Program is implemented by the FMPs and Federal 
regulations under 50 CFR part 679, Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 
Zone Off Alaska, under authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
    Amendments 54/54, if approved, would make three changes in the IFQ 
Program: (1) Allow a QS holder's indirect ownership of a vessel, 
through corporate or other collective ties, to substitute for the QS 
holder's vessel ownership in his or her own name for purposes of hiring 
a skipper to fish the QS holder's IFQ; (2) add language specific to 
estates to the definition of ``a change in the corporation or 
partnership'' to prevent estates from holding QS indefinitely; and (3) 
standarize use limits for the two IFQ species, Pacific halibut and 
sablefish, by revising sablefish use limits from percentages of the 
total number of QS units in the QS pool to specific numbers of QS 
units.
    Public comments are being solicited on these proposed amendments 
through

[[Page 38413]]

the end of the comment period specified in this notice. A proposed rule 
that would implement the amendments may be published in the Federal 
Register for public comment following NMFS' evaluation under the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act procedures. Public comments on the proposed rule 
must be received by close of business on the last day of the comment 
period to be considered in the decision to approve or disapprove the 
amendments. All comments received by the end of the comment period, 
whether specifically directed to the amendments or to the proposed 
rule, will be considered in the decision.

    Dated: July 17, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-18416 Filed 7-23-01; 8:45 am]
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