37296 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 14, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

the north by 27°53’ N. lat., on the south

by 27°30’ N. lat., on the east by 79°56’

W. long., and on the west by 80°00’ W.

long. No person may fish for South

Atlantic snapper-grouper in the

experimental closed area, and no person

may retain South Atlantic snappergrouper in or from the area. In the

experimental closed area, any South

Atlantic snapper-grouper taken

incidentally by hook-and-line gear must

be released immediately by cutting the

line without removing the fish from the

water.

* * * * *

3. In § 622.48, the introductory text

and paragraphs (c), (f), (g), and (h) are

revised; and paragraphs (k) and (l) are

added to read as follows:

* * * * *

§ 622.48 Adjustment of management

measures.

In accordance with the framework

procedures of the applicable FMPs, the

RA may establish or modify the

following items:

* * * * *

(c) Coastal migratory pelagic fish. For

a species or species group: Agestructured analyses, target date for

rebuilding an overfished species, MSY

(or proxy), stock biomass achieved by

fishing at MSY (BMSY) (or proxy),

maximum fishing mortality threshold

(MFMT), minimum stock size threshold

(MSST), OY, TAC, quota (including a

quota of zero), bag limit (including a bag

limit of zero), size limits, vessel trip

limits, closed seasons or areas and

reopenings, gear restrictions (ranging

from regulation to complete

prohibition), reallocation of the

commercial/recreational allocation of

Atlantic group Spanish mackerel,

permit requirements, definitions of

essential fish habitat, and essential fish

habitat HAPCs or Coral HAPCs.

* * * * *

(f) South Atlantic snapper-grouper

and wreckfish. For species or species

groups: Biomass levels, age-structured

analyses, target dates for rebuilding

overfished species, MSY, ABC, TAC,

quotas, trip limits, bag limits, minimum

sizes, gear restrictions (ranging from

regulation to complete prohibition),

seasonal or area closures, definitions of

essential fish habitat, and essential fish

habitat HAPCs or Coral HAPCs.

(g) South Atlantic golden crab.

Biomass levels, age-structured analyses,

MSY, ABC, TAC, quotas (including

quotas equal to zero), trip limits,

minimum sizes, gear regulations and

restrictions, permit requirements,

seasonal or area closures, time frame for

recovery of golden crab if overfished,

fishing year (adjustment not to exceed 2

months), observer requirements,

authority for the RA to close the fishery

when a quota is reached or is projected

to be reached, definitions of essential

fish habitat, and essential fish habitat

HAPCs or Coral HAPCs.

(h) South Atlantic shrimp. Biomass

levels, age-structured analyses, BRD

certification criteria, BRD specifications,

BRD testing protocol, certified BRDs,

nets required to use BRDs, times and

locations when the use of BRDs is

required, definitions of essential fish

habitat, and essential fish habitat

HAPCs or Coral HAPCs.

* * * * *

(k) Atlantic coast red drum.

Definitions of essential fish habitat and

essential fish habitat HAPCs or Coral

HAPCs.

(l) South Atlantic coral, coral reefs,

and live/hard bottom habitats.

Definitions of essential fish habitat and

essential fish habitat HAPCs or Coral

HAPCs.

PART 640—SPINY LOBSTER FISHERY

OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AND

SOUTH ATLANTIC

4. The authority citation for part 640

continues to read as follows:

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

5. Section 640.25 is revised to read as

follows:

§ 640.25 Adjustment of management

measures.

In accordance with the framework

procedure of the Fishery Management

Plan for the Spiny Lobster Fishery of the

Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, the

RA may establish or modify the

following items: definitions of essential

fish habitat, Essential Fish HabitatHabitat Areas of Particular Concern,

Coral-Habitat Areas of Particular

Concern, biomass levels, age-structured

analyses, limits on the number of traps

fished by each vessel, construction

characteristics of traps, specification of

gear and vessel identification

requirements, specification of allowable

or prohibited gear in a directed fishery,

specification of bycatch levels in nondirected fisheries, changes to soak or

removal periods and requirements for

traps, recreational bag and possession

limits, changes in fishing seasons,

limitations on use, possession, and

handling of undersized lobsters, and

changes in minimum size.

[FR Doc. 00–14528 Filed 6–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 99122347–9347–01; I.D.

060500A]

Fisheries Off West Coast States and in

the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast

Groundfish Fishery; Whiting Closure

for the Mothership Sector

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces closure of

the 2000 mothership fishery for Pacific

whiting (whiting) at 4:00 p.m. local time

(l.t.) June 9, 2000, because the allocation

for the mothership sector is projected to

be reached by that time. This action is

intended to keep the harvest of whiting

at the 2000 allocation levels.

DATES: Effective from 4:00 p.m. l.t. June

9, 2000, until the start of the 2001

primary season for the mothership

sector, unless modified, superseded or

rescinded; such action will be published

in the Federal Register. Comments will

be accepted through June 29, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to

William Stelle, Jr., Administrator,

Northwest Region (Regional

Administrator), NMFS, 7600 Sand Point

Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115–0070; or

Rodney R. McInnis, Acting Regional

Administrator, Southwest Region,

NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite

4200, Long Beach, CA 90802–4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Katherine King at 206-526-6145 or

Becky Renko at 206–526–6110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

action is authorized by regulations

implementing the Pacific Coast

Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

(FMP), which governs the groundfish

fishery off Washington, Oregon, and

California. On January 4, 2000 (65 FR

221), the levels of allowable biological

catch (ABC), the optimum yield (OY)

and the commercial OY (the OY minus

the tribal allocation)for U.S. harvests of

whiting were announced in the Federal

Register. For 2000 the whiting ABC and

OY are 232,000 mt (mt) and the

commercial OY is 199,500 mt.

Regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)

divide the commercial OY into separate

allocations for the catcher/processor,

mothership, and shore-based sectors of

the whiting fishery. The 2000

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 14, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 37297

allocations, which are based on the 2000

commercial OY, are 67,830 mt (34

percent) for the catcher/processor

sector, 47,880 mt (24 percent) for the

mothership sector, and 83,790 mt (42

percent) for the shoreside sector.

When each sector’s allocation is

reached, the primary season for that

sector is ended. The catcher/processor

sector is composed of vessels that

harvest and process whiting. The

mothership sector is composed of

motherships, and catcher vessels that

harvest whiting for delivery to

motherships. Motherships are vessels

that process, but do not harvest,

whiting. The shoreside sector is

composed of vessels that harvest

whiting for delivery to shoreside

processors. The regulations at 50 CFR

600.323 (a)(3)(i) describe the primary

season for vessels delivering to

motherships as the period(s) when atsea processing is allowed and the

fishery is open for the mothership

sector.

NMFS Action

This action announces achievement of

the allocation for the mothership sector

only. The best available information on

June 8, 2000, indicated that the 47,880-

mt mothership allocation would be

reached by 4:00 p.m., June 9, 2000, at

which time the primary season for the

mothership sector ends and further atsea processing and receipt of whiting by

a mothership, or taking and retaining,

possessing, or landing of whiting by a

catcher boat in the mothership sector,

are prohibited. For the reasons stated

here, and in accordance with the

regulations at 50 CFR

660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B), NMFS herein

announces that effective at 4:00 p.m.,

June 9, 2000—(1) further receiving or atsea processing of whiting by a

mothership is prohibited. No additional

unprocessed whiting may be brought on

board after at-sea processing is

prohibited, but a mothership may

continue to process whiting that was on

board before at-sea processing was

prohibited, and (2) whiting may not be

taken and retained, possessed, or landed

by a catcher vessel participating in the

mothership sector.

Classification

This action is authorized by the

regulations implementing the FMP. The

determination to take this action is

based on the most recent data available.

The aggregate data upon which the

determination is based are available for

public inspection at the office of the

Regional Administrator (see ADDRESSES)

during business hours. This action is

taken under the authority of 50 CFR

660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B) and is exempt from

review under E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: June 9, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–14995 Filed 6–9–00; 1:38 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F