30548 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 93 / Friday, May 12, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf

of Mexico shrimp fishery is managed

under the Fishery Management Plan for

the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of

Mexico (FMP). The FMP was prepared

by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Management Council and is

implemented by regulations at 50 CFR

part 622 under the authority of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

Implementing regulations at 50 CFR

622.34 describe the Texas closure and

provide for adjustments to the beginning

and ending dates by the Regional

Administrator, Southeast Region,

NMFS, under specified criteria.

The beginning and ending dates of the

Texas closure are based on biological

sampling by Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department (TPWD). This sampling is

used to project when brown shrimp in

Texas bays and estuaries will reach a

mean size of 90 mm, and begin strong

emigrations out of the bays and

estuaries during maximum duration ebb

tides. Sampling during the spring of

2000 indicates that brown shrimp will

be leaving the Texas estuaries earlier

than normal. Thus, to provide adequate

protection of small brown shrimp

emigrating from the Texas estuaries,

NMFS has determined that an

adjustment to the closure date is

necessary. During the closure, the EEZ

off Texas is closed to all trawl fishing,

except for vessels trawling for royal red

shrimp beyond the 100-fathom (183-m)

depth contour. State waters off Texas

will also be closed commencing at 30

minutes after sunset on May 11, 2000.

The termination date of the Texas

closure is based on continued sampling

by TPWD to develop projections of

when brown shrimp will reach a mean

size of 112 mm, and when maximum

duration ebb tides will occur. If there is

a need to adjust the July 15 date for the

termination of the closure, notification

of the revised termination date will be

published in the Federal Register.

Classification

This action is authorized by 50 CFR

622.26(b) and is exempt from review

under Executive Order 12866.

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

Dated: May 8, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12032 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000407096–0096–01; 040300C]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United

States; Northeast Multispecies

Fishery; Framework Adjustment 33 to

the Northeast Multispecies Fishery

Management Plan; Correction

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

SUMMARY: On April 24, 2000, NMFS

published a final rule implementing

Framework Adjustment 33 to the

Northeast Multispecies Fishery

Management Plan. The final rule

implementing Framework Adjustment

33 contained errors. The effective date

of the increase in the haddock landing

limit specified in § 648.86(a)(1)(i) and

(ii), and the paragraph numbering of the

new paragraph (e) in § 648.89,

Recreational and charter/party

restrictions, are corrected in this

document. In addition, the amendatory

instruction for the revision to § 648.23

indicated that paragraph (b)(4) would be

revised rather than only the

introductory text to paragraph (b)(4).

Also, three metric conversions (pounds

to kilograms) for haddock contained in

the preamble are incorrect. This

document corrects these errors.

DATES: Sections 648.23(b)(4)

introductory text, and 648.86(a)(1)(i)

and (ii) are effective May 1, 2000.

Section 648.89(e) contains information

collection requirements and is not

effective until approved by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB). When

OMB approval is received, NMFS will

announce the effective date of

§ 648.89(e) in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard A. Pearson, Fishery Policy

Analyst, 978–281–9279.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the

final rule published April 24, 2000, at

65 FR 21658, the preamble indicated

that the haddock daily landing limit

during the May 1–September 30 period

was increased to 3,000 lb/DAS (1,360.8

kg/DAS), or part of a DAS, with a

maximum possession limit of 30,000 lb

(13,608 kg) per trip. The preamble also

indicated that the daily landing limit

will increase on October 1, 2000, to

5,000 lb/DAS (2,268 kg/DAS), with a

maximum possession limit of 50,000 lb

(22,680 kg) per trip. However,

§ 648.86(a)(1)(i) of the final rule

inadvertently indicated that the 3,000

lb/DAS (1,360.8 kg/DAS) landing limit

would be in effect through August 31,

rather than September 30, and that the

increase in the landing limit reflected in

§ 648.86(a)(1)(ii) would occur on

September 1, 2000, rather than on

October 1, 2000. This document corrects

the effective date of the haddock

increase contained in § 648.86(a)(1)(i)

and (ii) to be consistent with the

preamble language. In addition, in the

paragraph entitled ‘‘Haddock Measures’’

and in the haddock discussion

contained in the Classification section

three of the metric conversions for

haddock are incorrect. This document

corrects those errors.

In § 648.23, amendatory instruction 4

indicated that paragraph (b)(4) was

revised. However, the intent was to

revise only the introductory text of

§ 648.23(b)(4). This document corrects

the amendatory instruction.

Also, we added a new paragraph (e)

to § 648.89. However, the subparagraphs

of new paragraph (e)(3) were incorrectly

designated. This document corrects that

error.

1. On page 21661, in the first column

under ‘‘Haddock Measures’’, in the first

sentence, in the eighth line of this

paragraph, remove ‘‘period to 3,000 lb/

DAS (1,360.7 kg/’’ and add, in its place,

‘‘period to 3,000 lb/DAS (1,360.8 kg/’’.

2. On page 21663, in the third

column, first full paragraph, in the

fourth sentence, in the 24th through

26th lines, remove ‘‘limit to 3,000 lbs/

DAS (2,268 kg/DAS), with a maximum

possession limit of 30,000 lb (13,680 kg)

per trip.’’ and add, in its place, ‘‘limit

to 3,000 lb/DAS (1,360.8 kg/DAS), with

a maximum possession limit of 30,000

lb (13,608 kg) per trip.’’

§ 648.23 [Corrected]

3. On page 21665, in column one,

amendatory instruction no. 4 is

corrected to read as follows:

‘‘4. In § 648.23, paragraph (b)(4)

introductory text is revised to read as

follows:’’

§ 648.86 [Corrected]

4. On page 21666, in § 648.86(a)(1)(i),

in the first sentence, remove ‘‘August

31,’’ and add, in its place, ‘‘September

30,’’.

5. On page 21666, in § 648.86(a)(1)(ii),

in the first sentence, remove

‘‘September 1’’ and add, in its place,

‘‘October 1’’.

§ 648.89 [Corrected]

6. On page 21667, in § 648.89(e)(3), in

the second and third columns, the

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 93 / Friday, May 12, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 30549

paragraphs designated as (A), (B), and

(C), and (D) are correctly designated as

(i), (ii), (iii), and (iv).

Dated: May 8, 2000.

Penelope D. Dalton,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12030 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 970703166–8209–04; I.D.

060997A]

RIN 0648–AH65

Fisheries of the Exclusive Zone

Economic Zone Off Alaska; License

Limitation Program; Correction

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Correcting amendments.

SUMMARY: NMFS is correcting a final

rule implementing the License

Limitation Program (LLP) established

for the groundfish fisheries in the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands area (BSAI),

the groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of

Alaska (GOA), and the crab fisheries in

the BSAI, which was published in the

Federal Register of Thursday, October

1, 1998.

DATES: Effective January 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay

Ginter, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The LLP is a limited access system

authorized under section 303(d) of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act. The

LLP is designed to limit the number,

size and operation of vessels that may

be used in the affected groundfish and

crab fisheries. The North Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) adopted

the LLP in June 1995. The Council

officially submitted the LLP to NMFS in

June 1997. A proposed rule to

implement the LLP was published on

August 15, 1997 (62 FR 43865). The LLP

was approved by NMFS on September

12, 1997. A final rule to implement the

LLP was published on October 1, 1998

(63 FR 52642). Additional rules to

implement an application process and a

transfer process for LLP licenses were

proposed on April 19, 1999 (64 FR

19113) and published as final on August

6, 1999 (64 FR 42826).

One of the licensing requirements

adopted by the Council for vessels

greater than or equal to 125 feet (38.1 m)

length overall (LOA) to participate in

the groundfish fisheries in the Western

GOA was to have made at least one

landing in the Western GOA in any 2 of

the 4 calendar years 1992, 1993, 1994,

or 1995, through June 17, 1995. The LLP

proposed rule discussed this

requirement in the preamble (at 62 FR

43869) and in the proposed rule text at

§ 679.4(i)(4)(ii)(E). Vessels that are equal

to or greater than 125 feet (38.1 m) LOA

were defined as ‘‘category ‘A’ ’’ vessels.

The proposed rule text described this

particular licensing requirement as

follows:

‘‘A vessel assigned to vessel category ‘A’

must have made at least one legal landing of

any amount of license limitation groundfish

harvested in each of any 2 calendar years

from January 1, 1992, through June 17, 1995,

in the Western Area of the Gulf of Alaska or

in State waters shoreward of that area for a

Western Gulf area endorsement.’’

NMFS’ approval of the Council’s LLP

recommendation included approval of

this particular licensing requirement as

an integral part of the overall LLP. The

final rule implementing the LLP also

discussed this licensing requirement in

the preamble (at 63 FR 52645) as a

documented harvest ‘‘ * * * in each of

any 2 calendar years from January 1992

through June 17, 1995 * * *.’’ However,

the final rule text (63 FR 52655,

§ 679.4(i)(4)(ii)(C)) erroneously omitted

the phrase, ‘‘in each of any 2 calendar

years,’’ and wrongly indicates that only

one documented harvest of groundfish

needs to be made by category ‘‘A’’

vessels during the period January 1992,

through June 17, 1995, to satisfy the

license endorsement criteria for the

Western GOA area.

Paragraph (i) was redesignated as

paragraph (k) on October 13, 1998 (63

FR 54753).

Need for Correction

As published, the final regulations

contain errors, which may prove to be

misleading and need to be clarified.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 679

Alaska, Fisheries, Reporting and

Recordkeeping requirements.

Accordingly, 50 CFR part 679 is

corrected by making the following

correcting amendments:

PART 679–FISHERIES OF THE

EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OFF

ALASKA

1. The authority citation for part 679

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., 1801 et

seq., and 3631 et seq.

2. In § 679.4(k)(4)(ii)(C)(1) is revised

to read as follows:

§ 679.4 Permits.

* * * * *

(k) * * *

(4) * * *

(ii) * * *

(C) Western Gulf Area Endorsement.

(1) Vessel length category ‘‘A.’’ For a

license to be assigned a Western Gulf

area endorsement based on the

participation from a vessel in vessel

length category ‘‘A,’’ at least one

documented harvest of any amount of

license limitation groundfish must have

been made from that vessel in each of

any 2 calendar years from January 1,

1992, through June 17, 1995, in the

Western Area of the Gulf of Alaska or

in State waters shoreward of that area.

* * * * *

Dated: May 8, 2000.

Penelope D. Dalton,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12028 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F