Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 82 / Thursday, April 27, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 24655

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000211040–0040–01; I.D.

042400A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by

Catcher Vessels Using Trawl Gear in

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing directed

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels

using trawl gear in the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands management area

(BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the portion of the

2000 total allowable catch (TAC) of

Pacific cod allocated to catcher vessels

using trawl gear in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), April 24, 2000, until 2400

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS

manages the groundfish fishery in the

BSAI according to the Fishery

Management Plan for the Groundfish

Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands Area (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.

The portion of the TAC of Pacific cod

allocated to catcher vessels using trawl

gear in the BSAI was established by the

Final 2000 Harvest Specifications for

Groundfish for the BSAI (65 FR 8282,

February 18, 2000) as 41,953 metric tons

(mt). See § 679.20(c)(3)(iii) and

§ 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the portion of the TAC

of Pacific cod allocated to catcher

vessels using trawl gear in the BSAI will

be reached. Therefore, the Regional

Administrator is establishing a directed

fishing allowance of 37,953 mt, and is

setting aside the remaining 4,000 mt as

bycatch to support other anticipated

groundfish fisheries. In accordance with

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional

Administrator finds that this directed

fishing allowance will soon be reached.

Consequently, NMFS is closing directed

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels

using trawl gear in the BSAI.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

may be found in the regulations at

§ 679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

This action responds to the best

available information recently obtained

from the fishery. It must be

implemented immediately in order to

prevent overharvesting the 2000 TAC of

Pacific cod allocated to catcher vessels

using trawl gear in the BSAI. A delay in

the effective date is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. The

Pacific cod directed fishing allowance

established for catcher vessels will soon

be reached. Further delay would only

result in overharvest which would

disrupt the FMP’s objective of providing

sufficient Pacific cod to support bycatch

needs in other anticipated groundfish

fisheries throughout the year. NMFS

finds for good cause that the

implementation of this action can not 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 § 679.20

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: April 24, 2000.

George H. Darcy,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–10513 Filed 4–24–00; 1:23 pm]

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