60682 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 218 / Wednesday, November 12, 1997 / Proposed Rules

the following information: Vessel name

and permit number, owner and caller

name, DAS confirmation number, phone

number, and the hail weight of cod on

board and the amount of cod to be

offloaded, if any. A vessel that has not

exceeded the landing limit and is

offloading and ending its trip by calling

out of the multispecies DAS program

does not have to report under this callin system.

* * * * *

(2) Exemption. A vessel fishing under

a NE multispecies DAS is exempt from

the landing limit described in paragraph

(b)(1) when fishing south of a line

beginning at the Cape Cod, MA

coastline at 42°00’ N. lat. and running

eastward along 42°00’ N. lat. until it

intersects with 69°30’ W. long., then

northward along 69°30’ W. long. until it

intersects with 42°20’ N. lat., then

eastward along 42°20’ N. lat. until it

intersects with 67°20’ W. long., then

northward along 67°20’ W. long. until it

intersects with the U.S.-Canada

maritime boundary, provided that it

does not fish north of this exemption

area for a minimum of 30 consecutive

days (when fishing under the

multispecies DAS program), and has on

board an authorization letter issued by

the Regional Administrator. Vessels

exempt from the landing limit

requirement may transit the GOM/GB

Regulated Mesh Area north of this

exemption area, provided that their gear

is stowed in accordance with one of the

provisions of § 648.81(e).

(3) Transiting. A vessel that has

exceeded the cod trip limit as specified

in paragraph (b)(1) of this section and is,

therefore, subject to remain in port for

the period of time described in

paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section,

may transit to another port during this

time, provided that the vessel operator

notifies the Regional Administrator (see

Table 1 to § 600.502 for the Regional

Administrator’s address) either at the

time the vessel reports its hailed weight

of cod or at a later time prior to

transiting, and provides the following

information: Vessel name and permit

number, destination port, time of

departure, and estimated time of arrival.

A vessel transiting under this provision

must stow its gear in accordance with

one of the methods specified in

§ 648.81(e), and may not have any fish

on board the vessel.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 97–29706 Filed 11–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 110597A]

RIN: 0648-AH67

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Forage Fish Species

Category

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of

amendments to fishery management

plans; request for comments.

SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) has

submitted Amendment 36 to the Fishery

Management Plan for the Groundfish

Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands Area and Amendment 39 to the

Fishery Management Plan for

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMPs)

for Secretarial review. Amendments 36

and 39 would define a forage fish

species category in both FMPs and

implement associated management

measures. The intended effect of the

amendments is to prevent the

development of an unrestricted fishery

for forage fish, which are a critical food

source for many marine mammal,

seabird, and fish species.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 36

and 39 must be received by January 12,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendments

36 and 39 should be submitted to the

Assistant Regional Administrator,

Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska

Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau,

AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel, or

delivered to the Federal Building, 709

West 9th Street, Juneau, AK. Copies of

the amendments and the Environmental

Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review

prepared for the amendments are

available from NMFS at the above

address, or by calling the Alaska Region,

NMFS, at 907–586–7228.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent

Lind, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The intent

of the Council is to implement a

program that would establish a forage

fish species category and would allow

for the management of these species in

a manner that prevents the development

of a commercial directed fishery for

forage fish, which are a critical food

source for many marine mammal,

seabird and fish species. Management

measures for this species category will

be specified in regulations and may

include such measures as prohibitions

on directed fishing, limitations on

allowable bycatch retention amounts, or

limitations on the sale, barter, trade or

any other commercial exchange, as well

as the processing of forage fish in a

commercial processing facility.

A proposed rule to implement

Amendments 36 and 39 has been

received from the Council. In

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens

Act, NMFS is evaluating the proposed

rule to determine whether it is

consistent with the amendments, the

Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other

applicable law. If that determination is

affirmative, NMFS will publish it in the

Federal Register for public review and

comment.

Comments received by January 12,

1998, whether specifically directed to

the amendment or the proposed rule,

will be considered by NMFS in its

decision to approve, disapprove, or

partially approve Amendments 36 and

39. Comments received after that date

will not be considered by NMFS in this

decision. All comments received by

NMFS on these amendments or on the

proposed rule during their respective

comment periods will be addressed in

the final rule.

Dated: November 5, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–29769 Filed 11–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F