[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 19, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 42588-42589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18013]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

RIN 0648-BA40
[Docket No. 101221628-0628-01]


Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 
Management Plan; Amendments 20 and 21; Trawl Rationalization Program; 
Pacific Halibut Bycatch Quota for the Remainder of the 2011 Fishery

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

ACTION: Agency determination.

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[[Page 42589]]

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the provisions for the Pacific halibut 
trawl mortality bycatch limit and for calculation of Pacific halibut 
individual bycatch quota (IBQ) pounds in the Shorebased Individual 
Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program will remain in effect for the remainder of 
the 2011 groundfish fishery. This announcement is required in order to 
maintain the current amount of Pacific halibut IBQ pounds in the 
Shorebased IFQ Program.

DATES: Effective on July 19, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Background information and documents are available from 
William W. Stelle, Jr., Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, 
7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or by phone at 206-
526-6150.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen A. Hanshew, 206-526-6147; 
(fax) 206-526-6736; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 30, 2010, NMFS published a rule 
(75 FR 82296) that, among other actions, revised the Pacific halibut 
trawl mortality bycatch limit, specified at Sec.  660.55(m), subpart C, 
and calculations for issuance of IBQ pounds in the Shorebased IFQ 
Program, specified at Sec.  660.140(d)(1)(ii)(C), subpart D. Further 
background information for this action is provided in the preamble text 
of the December 30, 2010, rule and in the supporting documents for that 
action, and is not repeated here.
    One public comment letter was received in response to the December 
30, 2010, rule. In its January 31, 2011, letter, the Natural Resource 
Defense Council urged NMFS to provide adequate protection and adopt 
conservative harvest levels for rebuilding groundfish species, 
particularly for yelloweye rockfish, cowcod and darkblotched rockfish. 
No comments were made specific to provisions at Sec.  660.55(m), 
subpart C, or Sec.  660.140(d)(1)(ii)(C), subpart D. The provisions 
that were the subject of the January 31, 2011, letter of comment were 
superseded by the final rule for the 2011-2012 biennial specifications 
and management measures (May 11, 2011, 76 FR 27508), and are not 
related to the measures at issue in this notice.
    The Pacific Fishery Management Council is actively working to 
prepare an amendment to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management 
Plan to address the Pacific halibut trawl mortality bycatch limit and 
calculation of Pacific halibut IBQ pounds in the Shorebased IFQ Program 
for 2012 and beyond.
    Therefore, this document announces the agency determination made 
prior to June 29, 2011, to continue through December 31, 2011, the 
measures set forth in the December 30, 2010, rule at Sec.  660.55(m), 
subpart C, and Sec.  660.140(d)(1)(ii)(C), subpart D.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.

    Dated: July 12, 2011.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-18013 Filed 7-18-11; 8:45 am]
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