[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8232-8233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3922]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XN28


Pacific Halibut Fishery; Guideline Harvest Levels for the Charter 
Vessel Fishery for Halibut

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

ACTION: Notice of guideline harvest level.

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SUMMARY: NMFS provides notice of Pacific halibut guideline harvest 
levels (GHLs) for the guided sport charter vessel fishery in the 
International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) regulatory areas 2C and 
3A. The GHLs are benchmark harvest levels for participants in the 
charter vessel fishery for halibut in each area. This notice is 
necessary to meet the management and regulatory requirements for the 
GHLs and to inform the public about the 2009 GHLs for the charter 
halibut fishery.

DATES: The GHLs are effective beginning February 1, 2009, through 
December 31, 2009. This period is specified by the IPHC as the sport 
fishing season in all waters of Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggy Murphy, (907) 586-7228, or email 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS implemented a final rule to establish 
GHLs in IPHC regulatory areas 2C and 3A for the harvest of Pacific 
halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) by the charter vessel fishery on 
August 8, 2003 (68 FR 47256). A correcting amendment was published May 
28, 2008 (73 FR 30504) to correct the GHL table at 50 CFR 300.65(c)(1) 
that lists GHLs corresponding to different levels of the total constant 
exploitation yield (CEY) because of non-substantive errors in

[[Page 8233]]

conversions from pounds to metric tons, and rounding errors for some 
metric equivalents. The GHLs are intended to serve as benchmark harvest 
levels for participants in the charter vessel halibut fishery.
    This announcement is consistent with 50 CFR 300.65(c)(2), which 
requires that GHLs for IPHC regulatory areas 2C and 3A be specified by 
NMFS and announced by publication in the Federal Register no later than 
30 days after receiving information from the IPHC. The IPHC annually 
establishes the total CEY for halibut in IPHC regulatory areas 2C and 
3A. Regulations at Sec.  300.65(c)(1) establish the GHLs based on the 
total CEY that is established annually by the IPHC. The total CEY 
established by the IPHC for 2009 is 5,570,000 lb (2,526.5 mt) in Area 
2C and 28,010,000 lb (12,705.2 mt) in Area 3A. The corresponding GHLs 
are 788,000 lb (357.4 mt) in Area 2C, and 3,650,000 lb (1,655.6 mt) in 
Area 3A. The GHL in Area 2C has been reduced from the 2008 level of 
931,000 lb (422.3 mt). The GHL for Area 3A did not change.
    This is a notice of the GHLs in Areas 2C and 3A for 2009 and does 
not require any regulatory action by NMFS. If a GHL is exceeded in 
2009, NMFS will notify the North Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) in writing within 30 days of receipt of that information. The 
Council has proposed management actions to reduce the harvest of 
Pacific halibut in the Area 2C guided charter vessel fishery to the GHL 
(73 FR 78276, December 22, 2008). The Secretary of Commerce may issue a 
final rule after consideration of the 2009 GHL and public comments on 
the proposed rule.

Classification

    This notice does not require any additional regulatory action by 
NMFS and does not impose any additional restrictions on harvests by the 
charter fishery. If a GHL is exceeded in any year, the Council would be 
notified, but would not be required to take action. This process of 
notification is intended to provide the Council with information about 
the level of Pacific halibut harvest by the charter vessel fishery in a 
given year and could prompt future action.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.

    Dated: February 17, 2009.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-3922 Filed 2-23-09; 8:45 am]
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