40974 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 147 / Thursday, July 31, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Species

Historic range Family Status When listed Critical

habitat

Special

rules Scientific name Common name

* * * * * * *

Malacothamnus

fasciculatus ssp.

nesioticus.

Santa Cruz Island

bush-mallow.

U.S.A. (CA) ............. Malvaceae—Mallow E 623 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Malacothrix indecora Santa Cruz Island

malacothrix.

U.S.A. (CA) ............. Asteraceae—Aster .. E 623 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Malacothrix squalida Island malacothrix ... U.S.A. (CA) ............. Asteraceae—Aster .. E 623 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Phacelia insularis

ssp. insularis.

Island phacelia ........ U.S.A. (CA) ............. Hydrophylla- ............

ceae—Waterleaf .....

E 623 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Thysanocarpus

conchuliferus.

Santa Cruz Island

lacepod.

U.S.A. (CA) ............. Brassicaceae—Mustard.E 623 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Dated: July 24, 1997

John G. Rogers,

Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20133 Filed 7–30–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7012–02; I.D.

072597A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Species in the Rock

Sole/Flathead Sole/‘‘Other Flatfish’’

Fishery Category by Vessels Using

Trawl Gear in Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing directed

fishing for species in the rock sole/

flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery

category by vessels using trawl gear in

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to prevent exceeding the 1997

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl rock sole/flathead

sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery category.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), July 25, 1997, until 2400

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

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. Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed

by regulations implementing the FMP at

subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50

CFR part 679.

The 1997 halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the BSAI trawl rock sole/

flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery

category, which is defined at

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(B)(2), was established

by the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications

for Groundfish of the BSAI (62 FR 7168,

February 18, 1997) as 795 metric tons.

In accordance with § 679.21(e)(7)(iv),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS, has determined that the 1997

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl rock sole/flathead

sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery in the BSAI

has been caught. Consequently, NMFS

is closing directed fishing for species in

the rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other

flatfish’’ fishery category by vessels

using trawl gear in the BSAI.

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 1997 Pacific halibut

bycatch allowance specified for the

trawl rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other

flatfish’’ fishery in the BSAI. Providing

prior notice and an opportunity for

public comment on this action is

impracticable and contrary to public

interest. The fleet will soon take the

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl rock sole/flathead

sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery in the BSAI.

Further delay would only result in

overharvest and disrupt the FMP’s

objective of allowing incidental catch to

be retained throughout the year. NMFS

finds for good cause that the

implementation of this action cannot 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 50 CFR

679.21 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: July 25, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20097 Filed 7-25-97; 4:44 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F