47768 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 176 / Thursday, September 11, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961126334–7025–02; I.D.

090597A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical

Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area

610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This

action is necessary to prevent exceeding

the 1997 total allowable catch (TAC) for

pollock in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), September 7, 1997, until

2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Pearson, 907–486-6919.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

under authority of the MagnusonStevens 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 TAC for pollock in

Statistical Area 610 of the GOA was

established as 18,600 metric tons (mt)

by the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications

of Groundfish for the GOA (62 FR 8179,

February 24, 1997), determined in

accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(ii)(A).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the 1997 TAC for

pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the

GOA will soon be reached. Therefore,

the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 18,500 mt, and is setting

aside the remaining 100 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 will soon be reached.

Consequently, NMFS is closing directed

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area

610 of the GOA.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

for applicable gear types 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 TAC for pollock

in Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

Providing prior notice and an

opportunity for comment is

impracticable and contrary to public

interest. The fleet will soon take the

1997 TAC for pollock in Statistical Area

610 of the GOA. Further delay would

only result in overharvest which would

disrupt the FMP’s objective of providing

sufficient pollock as bycatch to support

other anticipated groundfish fisheries.

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

679.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: September 5, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–24017 Filed 9–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961126334–7052–02; I.D.

090597B]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the

Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of

Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting retention

of Pacific cod by vessels catching Pacific

cod for processing by the inshore

component in the Western Regulatory

Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). NMFS

is requiring that catch of Pacific cod by

vessels catching Pacific cod for

processing by the inshore component in

this area be treated in the same manner

as prohibited species and discarded at

sea with a minimum of injury. This

action is necessary because the

allocation of Pacific cod by vessels

catching Pacific cod for processing by

the inshore component in this area has

been reached.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), September 5, 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 GOA exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

under authority of the MagnusonStevens 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 allocation of Pacific cod by

vessels catching Pacific cod for

processing by the inshore component in

the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA

was established by the Final 1997

Harvest Specifications of Groundfish for

the GOA (62 FR 8179, February 24,

1997), and subsequent reserve

apportionment (62 FR 11771, March 13,

1997) as 21,803 metric tons (mt). See

§ 679.20(c)(4).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(2), the

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS,

has determined that the allocation of

Pacific cod by vessels catching Pacific

cod for processing by the inshore

component in the Western Regulatory

Area of the GOA has been reached.

Therefore, NMFS is requiring that

further catches of Pacific cod by vessels

catching Pacific cod for processing by

the inshore component in the Western

Regulatory Area of the GOA be treated

as prohibited species in accordance

with § 679.21(b)(2).

Classification

This action responds to the best

available information recently obtained

from the fishery. It must be

implemented immediately to prevent

overharvesting the allocation of Pacific

cod by vessels catching Pacific cod for

processing by the inshore component in

the Western Regulatory Area of the

GOA. Providing prior notice and an

opportunity for comment is

impracticable and contrary to public

interest. The fleet has taken the

allocation of Pacific cod by vessels

catching Pacific cod for processing by

the inshore component. Further delay

would only result in overharvest. NMFS

finds for good cause that the

implementation of this action cannot be

delayed for 30 days. Accordingly, under