[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 29, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 65941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27512]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 101702B]
RIN:0648-AP92


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; 
Recordkeeping and Reporting Changes to the Individual Fishing Quota 
Program (IFQ) for Pacific Halibut and Sablefish

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

ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA) of Amendments 72/64 to fishery 
management plans; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has 
submitted Amendment 72 to the Fishery Management Plan for the 
Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Amendment 
64 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. 
Amendments 72/64 would implement revisions to the recordkeeping and 
reporting (R and R) regulations established to monitor and enforce the 
IFQ Program for fixed gear Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries in 
and off Alaska. The purpose of this action is to reduce reporting 
burden for processors and registered buyers, while maintaining existing 
data collection, monitoring, and enforcement capabilities.

DATES: Comments on Amendments 72 and 64 must be received at the 
following address by December 27, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendments 72/64 may be mailed to Sue Salveson, 
Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 
Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori 
Gravel-Durall. Hand delivery or courier delivery of comments may be 
sent to the Federal Building, 709 West 9th St., Room 453, Juneau, AK 
99801. Copies of Amendments 72/64 and the Regulatory Impact Review/
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (RIR/IRFA) prepared for this 
action are available from NMFS at the above address, or by calling the 
Alaska Region, NMFS, at 907-586-7228.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patsy A. Bearden, 907-586-7228, 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each regional 
fishery management council submit any 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, 
immediately publish a notice in the Federal Register that the FMP or 
amendment is available for public review and a 60-day comment period 
(see section 304(a)(1)(B).
    Amendments 72/64 were adopted by the Council in April 2002. If 
approved by NMFS, these amendments would be combined with regulatory 
amendments that would relieve some RR requirements for the IFQ 
fisheries. The amendments are necessary to comply with National 
Standard 7 (16 U.S.C. 1851(a)(7)), which states, ``Conservation and 
Management measures shall, where practicable, minimize costs and avoid 
unnecessary duplication.'' The proposed action that would require FMP 
amendment is as follows: Eliminate the vessel clearance requirement and 
replace it with a verbal ``departure report'' prior to leaving the 
jurisdiction of the Council. This action would modify the requirement 
in the BSAI and GOA FMPs for vessels with IFQ sablefish catch leaving 
the jurisdiction of the Council to check in with NMFS at a certified 
port and have the vessel's hold sealed prior to departure. This action 
makes no change in current management practices in the IFQ fisheries. 
This action would relieve some reporting burden and operational 
restrictions on vessels by allowing vessels leaving the jurisdiction of 
the Council to provide a verbal ``departure report'' rather than going 
to a specific port for a vessel clearance. Enforcement personnel are 
not currently able to effectively determine catch quantity at the 
vessel clearance port and are unable to seal a vessel's hold without 
compromising vessel safety. Thus, from a monitoring and enforcement 
perspective, no effective difference exists between a verbal 
``departure report'' and the verbal vessel clearance report. This 
action could reduce the time vessels are required to stay in port and 
could reduce operating costs for vessels that are landing catch in 
locations outside of Alaska. This action would also amend the FMPs to 
ensure that the scope of the FMPs is within the practical limitations 
of enforcement to meet the requirements of the FMPs. This action, if 
adopted, modifies existing recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
    Public comments are being solicited on the amendments through the 
end of the comment period stated in this NOA. A proposed rule that 
would implement the amendments as well as regulatory amendments 
proposing other changes to recordkeeping and reporting requirements for 
the IFQ fisheries will 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 
the end of the comment period on Amendments 72/64 to be considered in 
the approval/disapproval decision on the amendments, whether 
specifically directed to the amendments or the proposed rule. Comments 
received after that date will not be considered in the approval/
disapproval decision on the amendments. To be considered in the 
approval/disapproval decision, comments must be received by the close 
of business on the last day of the comment period specified in this 
NOA; that does not mean postmarked or otherwise transmitted by that 
date.

    Dated: October 23, 2002.
Bruce C. Moorehead
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-27512 Filed 10-28-02; 8:45 am]
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