31288 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 17, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

Dated: May 11, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12425 Filed 5–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–C

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000211039–0039–01; I.D.

051200B]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Deep-Water Species

Fishery by Vessels Using Trawl Gear in

the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for species that comprise the

deep-water species fishery by vessels

using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska

(GOA). This action is necessary because

the second seasonal apportionment of

the 2000 Pacific halibut bycatch

allowance specified for the deep-water

species fishery in the GOA has been

caught.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), May 13, 2000, until 1200

hrs, A.l.t., July 4, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS

manages the groundfish fishery in the

GOA exclusive economic zone

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

under authority of the MagnusonStevens 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 Pacific halibut bycatch allowance

for the GOA trawl deep-water species

fishery, which is defined at

§ 679.21(d)(3)(iii)(B), was established by

the Final 2000 Harvest Specifications

for Groundfish for the GOA (65 FR 8298,

February 18, 2000) for the second

season, the period April 1, 2000,

through July 3, 2000, as 300 metric tons.

In accordance with § 679.21(d)(7)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS, has determined that the second

seasonal apportionment of the 2000

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl deep-water

species fishery in the GOA has been

caught. Consequently, NMFS is

prohibiting directed fishing for the

deep-water species fishery by vessels

using trawl gear in the GOA. The

species and species groups that

comprise the deep-water species fishery

are: all rockfish of the genera Sebastes

and Sebastolobus, deep water flatfish,

rex sole, arrowtooth flounder, and

sablefish.

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 second

seasonal apportionment of the 2000

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl deep-water

species fishery in the GOA. A delay in

the effective date is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. The

second seasonal apportionment of the

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance has

been caught. 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 § 679.21

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: May 12, 2000.

George H. Darcy,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12370 Filed 5–12–00; 4:44 pm]

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