48498 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 179 / Tuesday, September 16, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

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 630 of the GOA was

established as 24,550 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 630 will soon

be reached. Therefore, the Regional

Administrator is establishing a directed

fishing allowance of 24,050 mt, and is

setting aside the remaining 500 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

630 of the GOA.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

for applicable gear types may be found

in the regulations at § 679.20(e) and (f).

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 630 of the GOA.

Providing prior notice and an

opportunity for public comment is

impracticable and contrary to public

interest. The fleet will soon take the

directed fishing allowance for pollock in

Statistical Area 630 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.

Classification

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 10, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–24519 Filed 9–11–97; 2:54 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7021–02; I.D.

091097C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock by Trawl

Vessels Using Nonpelagic 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 pollock by trawl vessels

using nonpelagic 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 pollock/Atka

mackerel/‘‘other species’’ fishery

category.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), September 11, 1997, 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 Pacific halibut bycatch

allowance specified for the BSAI

pollock/Atka mackerel/‘‘other species’’

fishery category, which is defined at

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(F), was established by

the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the BSAI (62 FR 7168,

February 18, 1997) as 350 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 pollock/Atka

mackerel/‘‘other species’’ fishery in the

BSAI has been caught. Consequently,

NMFS is closing directed fishing for

pollock by trawl vessels using

nonpelagic 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 pollock/Atka mackerel/‘‘other

species’’ fishery category in the BSAI.

Providing prior notice and an

opportunity for public comment for this

action is impracticable and contrary to

public interest. The fleet has taken the

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl pollock/Atka

mackerel/‘‘other species’’ fishery

category 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: September 10, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–24518 Filed 9–11–97; 2:55 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F