34992 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 106 / Thursday, June 1, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

prohibiting directed fishing for species

included in the shallow-water species

fishery by vessels using trawl gear in the

GOA, except for vessels fishing for

pollock using pelagic trawl gear in those

portions of the GOA open to directed

fishing for pollock. The species and

species groups that comprise the

shallow-water species fishery are:

pollock, Pacific cod, shallow-water

flatfish, flathead sole, Atka mackerel,

and ‘‘other species.’’

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 shallow-water

species fishery in the GOA. A delay in

the effective date is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. The fleet

has already taken the second seasonal

bycatch allowance of Pacific halibut.

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 26, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–13684 Filed 5–26–00; 2:35 pm]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000211040–0040–01; I.D.

052600C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Greenland Turbot in

the Bering Sea Subarea of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands Management

Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for Greenland turbot in the

Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands management area

(BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the 2000 total

allowable catch (TAC) of Greenland

turbot in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), May 28, 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 exclusive economic zone

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 CFR part 679.

The 2000 TAC of Greenland turbot in

the Bering Sea subarea was established

by Final 2000 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the BSAI (65 FR 8282,

February 18, 2000) as 5,764 metric tons

(mt). See § 679.20(c)(3)(iii).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the TAC for Greenland

turbot in the Bering Sea subarea will be

reached. Therefore, the Regional

Administrator is establishing a directed

fishing allowance of 4,564 mt, and is

setting aside the remaining 1,200 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 has been reached.

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting

directed fishing for Greenland turbot in

the Bering Sea subarea.

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 to prevent

overharvesting the 2000 TAC of

Greenland turbot for the Bering Sea

subarea of the BSAI. A delay in the

effective date is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. Further

delay would only result in overharvest.

NMFS finds for good cause that the

implementation of this action should

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: May 26, 2000

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–13683 Filed 5–26–00; 2:35 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F