46680 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 171 / Thursday, September 4, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Council and is implemented under the

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.

Background and Need for Correction

Amendment 2 to the FMP, among

other things, requires the use of certified

BRDs in all penaeid shrimp trawls in

the exclusive economic zone in the

South Atlantic. The final rule to

implement Amendment 2 contained as

an appendix the Testing Protocol for

BRD Certification. The Statistical

Approach section of that appendix

contained errors, primarily in the

formulas for computing whether the

BRD tested achieves the minimum

required reduction rate for weakfish and

Spanish mackerel.

For clarity and ease of use, this

correction restates the entire corrected

Statistical Approach section of the

Testing Protocol for BRD Certification.

Correction of Publication

In FR Doc. 97–9816 published on

April 16, 1997 (62 FR 18536), make the

following correction. On page 18542, in

the appendix to the document, which

will not appear in the Code of Federal

Regulations, remove the text beginning

five lines from the bottom of the first

column with the heading ‘‘Statistical

Approach’’ and ending with the text on

line 11 of the third column and replace

it with the following:

Statistical Approach

You should start with the assumption that

the BRD to be tested does not achieve the

minimum required reduction rate, say R0.

This assumption will be rejected if the data

provide sufficient evidence to do so. Hence,

the hypotheses to be tested are as follows:

H0: BRD does not achieve the minimum

required reduction rate,

R R R c b

c

c b = − ≤ − ( ) − ≤ μ μ

μ

μ μ 0 0 , i.e. . 1 0

Ha: BRD does achieve the minimum required

reduction rate,

R R R c b

c

c b = − > − ( ) − > μ μ

μ

μ μ 0 0 , . i.e. 1 0

Here R denotes the actual reduction rate

(unknown), R0 denotes the minimum

required reduction rate, μc denotes the actual

mean CPUE with the control, and μb denotes

the actual mean CPUE with the BRD.

With any hypothesis testing, there are two

risks involved, known as type I error

(rejecting the true H0) and type II error

(accepting a false H0). The probabilities of

committing these errors are denoted by alpha

and beta, respectively, and those are

inversely related to each other. As alpha

increases, beta decreases, and vice versa. The

above test will be conducted with an alpha

to be specified by the RA. The above

hypotheses should be tested using a

‘‘modified’’ paired t-test.

The CPUE values for the control and BRD

nets for each successful tow should be

computed first and these will be used in the

following computations. The test statistic to

be used is given by:

t

R x y

s n d

= ( ) 1− − 0

0 / ,

Where:

x ̄ is the observed mean CPUE for the control,

y ̄ is the observed mean CPUE for the BRD,

sd0 is the standard deviation of

di={(1¥R0)xi¥yi} values, n is the number

of successful tows used in the analysis, and

i=1, 2, . . . , n.

The H0 will be rejected if t>talpha,n¥1,

where talpha,n¥1 denotes the (1¥alpha) 100th

percentile score in the t distribution with

(n¥1) degrees of freedom.

The computation of beta (for various

assumed reduction rates, R1>R0) is somewhat

involved and requires the knowledge of

unknown parameters (or at least good

estimates) of μc and σ2

d0. Note that σ2d0 is

dependent on the R0 specified (under H0) and

equals:

(1¥R0)2 σ2

xi+σ2yi¥2(1¥R0) ρ •σxi•σyi,

where ρ is the population correlation

coefficient between xi and yi values. The

computation of beta in advance (in the

absence of any preliminary data, i.e., without

good parameter estimates) is almost

impossible. More work in this direction is

still needed. However, it is clear that beta

could be reduced by increasing alpha or n or

both.

A (1¥alpha) 100% two-sided confidence

interval on R consists of all values of R0 for

which

H0: R=R0 (versus Ha: R≠R0) cannot be

rejected at the level of significance of alpha.

One-sided confidence intervals on R could

also be computed appropriately.

Dated: August 27, 1997.

David L. Evans,

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–23404 Filed 9–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 970613138–7138–01; I.D.

082897C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Scallop Fishery;

Closure in Registration Area O

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the scallop

fishery in Registration Area O (Dutch

Harbor). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the C. bairdi crab

bycatch limit (CBL) in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), August 28, 1997, until 2400

hrs, A.l.t., June 30, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew Smoker, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

scallop fishery in the exclusive

economic zone off Alaska is managed by

NMFS according to the Fishery

Management Plan for the Scallop

Fishery off Alaska (FMP) prepared by

the North Pacific Fishery Management

Council under authority of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 171 / Thursday, September 4, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 46681

Conservation and Management Act.

Fishing for scallops is governed by

regulations appearing at subpart F of 50

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.

In accordance with § 679.62(b) the

1997 C. bairdi CBL for Registration Area

O was established by the Final 1997–98

Harvest Specifications of Scallops (62

FR 34182, June 25, 1997) as 10,700

crabs.

The Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS, has determined, in accordance

with 679.62(c), that the C. bairdi CBL for

Registration Area O has been reached.

Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting the

taking and retention of scallops in

Registration Area O.

Classification

This action responds to the best

available information recently obtained

from the fishery. It must be

implemented immediately to prevent

overharvesting the 1997 C. bairdi CBL

specified for Registration Area O.

Providing prior notice and an

opportunity for public comment on this

action is impracticable and contrary to

public interest. The fleet has taken the

C. bairdi CBL for Registration Area O.

Further delay would only result in

overharvest of the CBL. 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.

Classification

This action is required by § 679.62

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: August 28, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–23408 Filed 8–29–97; 10:41 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 970613138–7138–01; I.D.

082897B]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Scallop Fishery;

Closure in Registration Area H

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the scallop

fishery in Registration Area H (Cook

Inlet). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the scallop total

allowable catch (TAC) in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), August 29, until 2400 hrs,

A.l.t., June 30, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew Smoker, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

scallop fishery in the exclusive

economic zone off Alaska is managed by

NMFS according to the Fishery

Management Plan for the Scallop

Fishery off Alaska (FMP) prepared by

the North Pacific Fishery Management

Council under authority of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

Fishing for scallops is governed by

regulations appearing at subpart F of 50

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679. In

accordance with § 679.62(b) the 1997

scallop TAC for Registration Area H

(Cook Inlet) was established by the Final

1997–98 Harvest Specifications of

Scallops (62 FR 34182, June 25, 1997) as

28,000 lb (12,701 kg) shucked meat.

The Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS, has determined, in accordance

with 679.62(c), that the scallop TAC for

Registration Area H (Cook Inlet) has

been reached. Therefore, NMFS is

prohibiting the taking and retention of

scallops in Registration Area H (Cook

Inlet).

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

Registration Area H (Cook Inlet).

Providing prior notice and an

opportunity for public comment is

impracticable and contrary to public

interest. The fleet has taken the 1997

TAC for Registration Area H (Cook

Inlet). Further delay would only result

in overharvest of the 1997 TAC. 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 § 679.62

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: August 28, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–23490 Filed 8–29–97; 3:41 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F