[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 155 (Tuesday, August 12, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43126-43127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21283]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 300

[Docket No. 961217359-7050-02; I.D. 080597A]


Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Area 2A Commercial Fishery

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

ACTION: Inseason action.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Area 2A commercial harvest of Pacific 
halibut incidental to the salmon troll fishery is closed.
    The action is necessary because the non-Indian commercial halibut 
fishery quota has been taken and no halibut quota remains for an 
incidental catch during the salmon troll fisheries.

DATES: Effective August 1, 1997, through December 31, 1997. Comments 
will be accepted through August 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to William Stelle, Jr., Regional 
Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way, Seattle, WA 
98115. Information relevant to this action is available for public 
review during business hours at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Scordino, 206-526-6143.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan (Plan) for 
Pacific halibut off Washington, Oregon, and California is implemented 
in the annual management measures for the Pacific halibut fisheries 
published on March 18, 1997 (52 FR 12759). The non-Indian commercial 
halibut fishery quota of 144,235 lb (65 metric tons (mt)) is divided 
into two components: A directed fishery targeting on halibut managed by 
the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) with a subquota of 
122,600 lb (55.6 mt), and an incidental catch fishery during the salmon 
troll fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California managed by NMFS 
with a subquota of 21,635 lb (9.8 mt). In accordance with the Plan, the 
management measures for the incidental halibut catch fishery were 
implemented with the annual management measures for the ocean salmon 
fisheries published in the Federal Register on May 5, 1997 (62 FR 
24355). Paragraph C.9. of Table 1 of the annual management measures 
stipulates that, if the subquota for this incidental catch is not 
harvested during the May/June salmon troll fishery, the remaining 
subquota will be made available by the IPHC to the directed halibut 
fishery. If the overall quota for the non-Indian commercial fisheries 
has not been harvested by July 31 and the subquota for the salmon troll 
fishery was not harvested during the May/June fishery, landings of 
halibut caught incidentally during salmon troll fisheries would be 
allowed effective August 1 and would continue until the subquota for 
the troll fishery was taken or the overall non-Indian commercial 
halibut quota was estimated to have been achieved by the IPHC.
    An estimated total of 17,570 lb of halibut was harvested in the 
May/June salmon troll fishery, and the remaining 4,065 lb in the quota 
for this fishery were ``rolled-over'' to the directed commercial 
halibut fishery by the IPHC. In its July 11, 1997 News Release, the 
IPHC announced that the directed halibut commercial fishery in Area 2A 
had harvested approximately 135,000 lb and no quota remained to be 
``rolled-over'' into the incidental catch fishery.

[[Page 43127]]

The IPHC closed all Area 2A non-Indian commercial halibut fisheries, 
including the incidental catch of halibut during the salmon troll 
fisheries that opened on August 1. Notice of the closure has been 
provided on the NMFS hotline at 206-526-6667.
    Accordingly, NMFS announces that Pacific halibut caught during the 
salmon troll fisheries may not be retained, possessed or sold for the 
remainder of 1997.

Classification

    This action is authorized by Section 10 of the annual management 
measures for Pacific halibut fisheries published on March 18, 1997 (62 
FR 12759) and Paragraph C.9. of Table 1 of the annual management 
measures for the ocean salmon fisheries published in the Federal 
Register on May 5, 1997 (62 FR 24355). This action has been determined 
to be not significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
    Because of the need to implement the IPHC closure and prevent the 
commercial catch of halibut in excess of the quota, NMFS has determined 
that good cause exists for this action to be issued without affording a 
prior opportunity for public comment.

    Dated: August 6, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-21283 Filed 8-11-97; 8:45 am]
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