[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 27, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 39584-39585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16225]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 061500E]
RIN 0648-AL51


Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Amendment 14

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of amendment to fishery management plan; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted Amendment 14 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan 
for Secretarial review. Amendment 14 has multiple parts. The major 
parts of the amendment include revising the Salmon FMP to bring it into 
compliance with the 1996 amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), including 
designation of essential fish habitat (EFH) and new requirements to 
reduce bycatch, prevent overfishing, and rebuild stocks that are 
overfished; establishing a new recreational allocation for the Port of 
La Push, Washington and adding flexibility to deviate from specified 
recreational Port allocations based on the agreement of representatives 
from the affected Ports; and establishing preseason flexibility to 
deviate from commercial and recreational gear allocations and 
recreational port allocations North of Cape Falcon, OR in order to 
access marked hatchery salmon in selective fisheries. The majority of 
Amendment 14 changes are to the Salmon FMP, while only some of the 
changes will be codified in the regulations and are contained in the 
proposed rule. Specifically, the proposed rule makes minor changes to 
language regarding escapement and management goals, implements a new 
recreational allocation to the Port of La Push and adjusts the Neah Bay 
allocation relative to La Push, adds preseason flexibility for 
recreational port allocations North of Cape Falcon, and implements 
preseason flexibility in setting recreational port allocation or 
recreational and commercial allocations North of Cape Falcon to take 
advantage of selective fishing opportunities.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 14 must be received at the appropriate 
address or fax number, (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m., Pacific 
daylight time August 28, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to William Stelle, Jr., 
Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way 
NE., Seattle, WA 98115-0070, or sent via facsimile (fax) to: 206-526-
6376; or to Rodney R. McInnis, Acting Regional Administrator, Southwest 
Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 
90802-4213, or sent via facsimile (fax) to: 562-980-4018. Comments will 
not be accepted if submitted via email or Internet.
    Copies of Amendment 14 and the Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement/Regulatory Impact Review (RIR)/Initial Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis are available from Dr. Donald O. McIsaac, Executive Director, 
Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 224, 
Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher L. Wright at 206-526-6140, 
Svein Fougner at 562-980-4005, or the Pacific Fishery Management 
Council at 503-326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that each 
Regional Fishery Management Council submit any new fishery management 
plan (FMP) or plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for review and 
approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act 
also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, 
immediately publish a notification in the Federal Register that the FMP 
or amendment is available for public review and comment. NMFS will 
consider the public comments received during the comment period in 
determining whether to approve the FMP or amendment.
    The major provisions of Amendment 14 that will bring the Salmon FMP 
into compliance with the 1996 amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
include: An identification and description of EFH, including a 
discussion of threats to EFH and recommended measures to conserve and 
enhance EFH; a new definition of optimum yield; a definition and new 
requirements for bycatch; and new requirements for prevention of 
overfishing and rebuilding of stocks that are overfished. A new section 
has been added to the Salmon FMP in Chapter 1, entitled ``What the Plan 
Covers,'' that provides a clear description of what the Salmon FMP 
covers, and places information on fishery impacts to salmon stocks in 
the chapter on harvest. In addition, the amendment updates the fishery 
description to reference new appendices to the Salmon FMP.
    Amendment 14 also implements a new recreational allocation to the 
Port of La Push and adjusts the Neah Bay allocation relative to La 
Push, adds preseason flexibility for recreational port allocations 
North of Cape Falcon, and implements preseason flexibility in setting 
recreational port allocations or recreational and commercial 
allocations North of Cape Falcon to take advantage of selective fishing 
opportunities.
    The EFH provisions of Amendment 14 identify and describe EFH in 
aquatic areas including the exclusive economic zone, nearshore waters, 
and rivers. The EFH provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act require 
Federal agencies that authorize, fund, or undertake actions that may 
adversely affect EFH to consult with NMFS, and require NMFS to provide 
non-binding conservation recommendations to Federal and state agencies 
regarding actions that would adversely affect EFH. In most cases EFH 
consultations can be combined with other environmental reviews that are 
required under other laws.
    The overfishing provisions of Amendment 14 are guided by the 
conservation needs of the species covered by the Salmon FMP. The 
management goals of the Salmon FMP, referred to as ``conservation 
objectives,'' are generally defined in terms of stock-

[[Page 39585]]

specific spawning escapement goals. The target control rules for 
individual stocks are defined by the conservation objectives and 
generally correspond to Maximum Sustained Yield or Maximum Sustained 
Production objectives.
    Appendix B of Amendment 14 describes the social and economic 
characteristics of the ocean salmon fishery off the west coast and 
identifies those fishing communities with annual salmon landings in 
excess of $10,000 ex-vessel value. A major purpose of the Salmon FMP's 
allocation objectives is to preserve the economic viability of local 
ports and/or specific coastal communities.
    Public comments on Amendment 14 must be received by August 28, 
2000, to be considered by NMFS in the decision to approve Amendment 14. 
A proposed rule to implement Amendment 14 has been submitted for 
Secretarial review and approval. NMFS expects to publish and request 
public comment on the proposed regulations to implement Amendment 14 in 
the near future.

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

    Dated: June 21, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-16225 Filed 6-26-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F