65622 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

by January 1, 1998. In addition, to

ensure that the local exchange carriers

subject to price cap regulation have

actual notice of this rule immediately

following its release, we are serving

those entities by overnight mail. The

collections of information contained are

contingent upon approval by the Office

of Management and Budget.

13. It is further ordered that, for local

exchange carriers subject to price cap

regulation making tariff revisions

pursuant to this Order, prior to

December 17, 1997, to become effective

January 1, 1998, §§ 61.58 and 61.59 of

the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 61.58

and 61.59, are hereby waived. For these

purposes, affected local exchange

carriers shall cite the ‘‘FCC 97–401’’ as

the authority for making such filings.

14. It is further ordered, that 47 C.F.R.,

Part 69, is amended as set forth in the

rule changes.

15. It is further ordered, that the

Commission’s Office of Managing

Director shall send a copy of this Third

Report and Order, including the Final

Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis and

Certification, to the Chief Counsel for

Advocacy of the Small Business

Administration.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 69

Communications Common Carriers,

Tariffs.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

Rule Changes

Part 69 of title 47 of the Code of

Federal Regulations is amended as

follows:

PART 69—ACCESS CHARGES

1. The authority citation for part 69

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 47 U.S.C. §§ 154 (i) and (j), 201,

202, 203, 205, 218, 254, and 403.

§ 69.30 [Amended]

2. Section 69.307 is amended by

revising paragraph (c) and adding new

paragraph (d) to read as follows:

* * * * *

(c) For all local exchange carriers not

subject to price cap regulation and for

other carriers that acquire all of the

billing and collection services that they

provide to interexchange carriers from

unregulated affiliates through affiliate

transactions, from unaffiliated third

parties, or from both of these sources, all

other General Support Facilities

investments shall be apportioned among

the interexchange category, the billing

and collection category, and Common

Line, Local Switching, Information,

Transport, and Special Access elements

on the basis of Central Office

Equipment, Information Origination/

Termination Equipment, and Cable and

Wire Facilities, combined.

(d) For local exchange carriers subject

to price cap regulation and not covered

by Section 69.307(c), a portion of

General purpose computer investment

(Account 2124), investment in Land

(Account 2111), Buildings (Account

2121), and Office equipment (Account

2123) shall be apportioned to the billing

and collection category on the basis of

the Big Three Expense Factors allocator,

defined in Section 69.2 of this Part,

modified to exclude expenses that are

apportioned on the basis of allocators

that include General Support Facilities

investment. The remaining portion of

investment in these four accounts

together with all other General Support

Facilities investments shall be

apportioned among the interexchange

category, the billing and collection

category, and Common Line, Local

Switching, Information, Transport, and

Special Access Elements on the basis of

Central Office Equipment, Information

Origination/Termination Equipment,

and Cable and Wire Facilities,

combined.

[FR Doc. 97–32695 Filed 12–11–97; 9:59 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 971208295–7295–01; I.D.

111897A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska;

Interim 1998 Harvest Specifications

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Interim 1998 harvest

specifications for groundfish and

associated management measures.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues interim 1998

total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for

each category of groundfish and

specifications for prohibited species

bycatch allowances for the groundfish

fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The

intended effect is to conserve and

manage the groundfish resources in the

GOA.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 0001 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), January 1, 1998, until the

effective date of the final 1998 harvest

specifications for GOA groundfish,

which will be published in the Federal

Register.

ADDRESSES: The preliminary 1998 Stock

Assessment and Fishery Evaluation

(SAFE) Report, dated September 1997,

is available from the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 605 West

4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK

99501–2252, telephone 907–586–7237.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Pearson, 907–486–6919.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Groundfish fisheries in the GOA are

governed by Federal regulations at 50

CFR part 679 that implement the

Fishery Management Plan for

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP).

The FMP was prepared by the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

(Council) and approved by NMFS under

the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The FMP

is implemented by regulations at 50 CFR

part 679. General regulations that also

pertain to the U.S. fisheries appear at 50

CFR part 600.

The Council met September 22–29,

1997, to review scientific information

concerning groundfish stocks. The

Council adopted for public review the

preliminary SAFE Report for the 1998

GOA groundfish fisheries. The

preliminary SAFE Report, dated

September 1997, provides an update on

the status of stocks. Copies of the

preliminary SAFE Report are available

from the Council (see ADDRESSES). The

Council recommended a preliminary

total TAC of 309,715 metric tons (mt)

and a preliminary total acceptable

biological catch (ABC) of 532,020 mt for

the 1998 fishing year.

Under § 679.20(c)(1)(ii), NMFS is

publishing in the Proposed Rules

section of this issue of the Federal

Register for review and comment

proposed harvest specifications for

groundfish and associated management

measures in the GOA for the 1998

fishing year. That document contains a

detailed discussion of the 1998

specification process and of the

proposed 1998 ABCs and overfishing

levels, proposed establishment of the

1998 annual TAC and initial TAC

amounts and apportionments thereof

and reserves for each target species and

the ‘‘other species’’ category,

apportionments of pollock and Pacific

cod TAC, apportionments of the

sablefish TAC to vessels using hookand-line and trawl gear, and halibut

prohibited species catch (PSC) limits.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 65623

This action establishes interim

harvest specifications and

apportionments thereof for the 1998

fishing year effective on January 1, 1998,

that will remain in effect until

superseded by the final 1998 harvest

specifications. Background information

concerning the 1998 harvest

specification process upon which this

interim action is based is provided in

the above-mentioned proposed harvest

specifications document appearing in

the Proposed Rules section of this

Federal Register issue.

1. Establishment of Interim TACs

Section 679.20(c)(2) requires that

interim specifications—one-fourth of

the proposed specifications, not

including the reserves and the first

seasonal allowance of pollock, onefourth of the inshore and offshore

allocations of Pacific cod in each

regulatory area, the proposed first

seasonal allowance of pollock, and onefourth of the halibut PSC amounts—be

established effective 0001 hours, A.l.t.,

January 1, that will remain in effect

until superseded by final harvest

specifications, which will be published

in the Federal Register.

The reserves for the GOA are 20

percent of the TAC amounts for pollock,

Pacific cod, flatfish species, and the

‘‘other species’’ category. Given that the

GOA groundfish TAC amounts have

been utilized fully since 1987, and

NMFS expects the same to occur in

1998, NMFS proposes reapportioning all

the reserves to TAC, except for Pacific

cod. The interim TAC amounts

contained in Table 1 reflect the

reapportionment of reserves back to the

TAC.

2. Interim 1998 GOA Groundfish

Harvest Specifications and

Apportionments Thereof

Table 1 sets forth interim TAC

amounts, interim TAC allocations of

Pacific cod to the inshore and offshore

components, the first seasonal

allowance of pollock in the combined

Western and Central regulatory areas,

and interim sablefish TAC

apportionments to hook-and-line and

trawl gear. These interim TAC amounts

and apportionments thereof become

effective at 0001 hours, A.l.t., January 1,

1998.

TABLE 1.—INTERIM 1998 TAC AMOUNTS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE COMBINED WESTERN/CENTRAL (W/C), WESTERN

(W), CENTRAL (C), AND EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYAK), SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA (GOA) 1 2. THE FIRST SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF POLLOCK IN THE COMBINED W/C REGULATORY AREAS. INTERIM SABLEFISH TAC APPORTIONMENTS TO

HOOK-AND-LINE (H/L) AND TRAWL (TRW) GEAR

Species Area Interim TAC

(mt)

Pollock 3 4

W (610) 6,050

C (620) 10,165

C (630) 7,985

Subtotal ................................................................................................................................................. W/C 24,200

E 2,200

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 26,400

Pacific cod 5

Inshore .................................................................................................................................................. W 4,361

Offshore ................................................................................................................................................ W 484

Inshore .................................................................................................................................................. C 7,864

Offshore ................................................................................................................................................ C 874

Inshore .................................................................................................................................................. E 216

Offshore ................................................................................................................................................ E 24

Total ................................................................................................................................................... 13,823

Flatfish, Deep-water 6

W 85

C 923

E 785

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 1,793

Rex sole

W 297

C 1,373

E 618

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 2,288

Flathead sole

W 500

C 1,250

E 510

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 2,260

Flatfish, Shallow-water 7

W 1,125
65624 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

TABLE 1.—INTERIM 1998 TAC AMOUNTS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE COMBINED WESTERN/CENTRAL (W/C), WESTERN

(W), CENTRAL (C), AND EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYAK), SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA (GOA) 1 2. THE FIRST SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF POLLOCK IN THE COMBINED W/C REGULATORY AREAS. INTERIM SABLEFISH TAC APPORTIONMENTS TO

HOOK-AND-LINE (H/L) AND TRAWL (TRW) GEAR—Continued

Species Area Interim TAC

(mt)

C 3,238

E 295

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 4,658

Arrowtooth flounder

W 1,250

C 6,250

E 1,250

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 8,750

Sablefish 8 9 10

H/L ..................................................................................................................................................... W N/A(372)

TRW .................................................................................................................................................. W 93

H/L ..................................................................................................................................................... C N/A(1,282)

TRW .................................................................................................................................................. C 321

H/L ..................................................................................................................................................... Wyak N/A(573)

TRW .................................................................................................................................................. WYak 30

H/L ..................................................................................................................................................... SEO N/A(912)

TRW .................................................................................................................................................. SEO 48

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 3,631

Pacific ocean perch 11

W 368

C 1,338

E 592

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 2,298

Shortraker/rougheye 12

W 40

C 242

E 115

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 397

Rockfish, northern 13

W 210

C 1,037

E 3

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 1,250

Rockfish, other 14 15

W 5

C 162

E 375

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 542

Rockfish, pelagic shelf 16

W combined 142

C offshore 830

C nearshore 65

E combined 248

Total ...................................................................................................................................................... 1,285

Rockfish, demersal shelf SEO 17

SEO 237

Thornyhead rockfish

GW 425

Atka mackerel

GW 250
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 65625

TABLE 1.—INTERIM 1998 TAC AMOUNTS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE COMBINED WESTERN/CENTRAL (W/C), WESTERN

(W), CENTRAL (C), AND EASTERN (E) REGULATORY AREAS AND IN THE WEST YAKUTAT (WYAK), SOUTHEAST OUTSIDE (SEO), AND GULFWIDE (GW) DISTRICTS OF THE GULF OF ALASKA (GOA) 1 2. THE FIRST SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF POLLOCK IN THE COMBINED W/C REGULATORY AREAS. INTERIM SABLEFISH TAC APPORTIONMENTS TO

HOOK-AND-LINE (H/L) AND TRAWL (TRW) GEAR—Continued

Species Area Interim TAC

(mt)

Other species 18 ........................................................................................................................................... 3,687

GOA Total Interim TAC ........................................................................................................................ 73,974

(Interim TAC amounts have been rounded.)

1 Reserves have been reapportioned back to each species TAC and are reflected in the interim TAC amounts except for Pacific cod. (See

§ 679.20(a)(2))

2See § 679.2 for definitions of regulatory area and statistical area. See Figure 3b to part 679 for a description of regulatory district. 3Pollock is apportioned to three statistical areas in the combined Western/Central Regulatory Area, and is further divided into three allowances

of 25 percent, 25 percent, and 50 percent. The first allowances are in effect on an interim basis as of January 1, 1998. In the Eastern Regulatory

Area, pollock is not divided into less than annual allowances, and one-fourth of the TAC is available on an interim basis. 4The TAC apportionment for pollock in all regulatory areas and all seasonal allowances is divided into inshore and offshore components. The

inshore component is apportioned 100 percent of the pollock TAC in each regulatory area after subtraction of amounts that are determined by

the Regional Administrator, NMFS, to be necessary to support the bycatch needs of the offshore component in directed fisheries for other

groundfish species. At this time, these bycatch amounts are unknown and will be determined during the fishing year. (See § 679.20(a)(6)(ii).) 5The TAC apportionment of Pacific cod in all regulatory areas is divided into inshore and offshore components. The inshore and offshore component allocations are 90 percent and 10 percent, respectively, of the Pacific cod TAC in each regulatory area. (See § 679.20(a)(6)(iii).) 6 ‘‘Deep-water flatfish’’ means Dover sole and Greenland turbot.

7 ‘‘Shallow-water flatfish’’ means flatfish not including ‘‘deep-water flatfish,’’ flathead sole, rex sole, or arrowtooth flounder.

8Sablefish TAC amounts for each of the regulatory areas and districts are assigned to hook-and-line and trawl gear. In the Central and Western Regulatory Areas, 80 percent of the TAC is allocated to hook-and-line gear and 20 percent to trawl gear. In the Eastern Regulatory Area, 95

percent of the TAC is assigned to hook-and-line gear. Five percent is allocated to trawl gear and may only be used as bycatch to support directed fisheries for other target species. (See § 679.20(a)(4).) 9The sablefish hook-and-line (H/L) gear fishery is managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program and is subject to regulations

contained in subpart D of 50 CFR part 679. Annual IFQ amounts are based on the final TAC amount specified for the sablefish H/L gear fishery

as contained in the final specifications for groundfish. Under § 679.7(f)(3), retention of sablefish caught with H/L gear is prohibited unless the harvest is authorized under a valid IFQ permit and IFQ card. In 1998, IFQ permits and IFQ cards will not be valid prior to the effective date of the

1998 final specifications. Thus, fishing for sablefish with H/L gear will not be authorized under these interim specifications. Nonetheless, interim

amounts are shown in parentheses to reflect assignments of one-fourth of the proposed TAC amounts among gear categories and regulatory

areas in accordance with § 679.20(c)(2)(i). See § 679.40 for guidance on the annual allocation of IFQ. 10Sablefish caught in the GOA with gear other than hook-and-line or trawl gear must be treated as prohibited species and may not be retained. 11 ‘‘Pacific ocean perch’’ means Sebastes alutus. 12 ‘‘Shortraker/rougheye rockfish’’ means Sebastes borealis (shortraker) and S. aleutianus (rougheye). 13 ‘‘Northern rockfish’’ means Sebastes polyspinis. 14 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ in the Western and Central Regulatory Areas and in the West Yakutat District means slope rockfish and demersal shelf

rockfish. The category ‘‘other rockfish’’ in the Southeast Outside District means slope rockfish. 15 ‘‘Slope rockfish’’ means Sebastes aurora (aurora), S. melanostomus (blackgill), S. paucispinis (bocaccio), S. goodei (chilipepper), S. crameri

(darkblotch), S. elongatus (greenstriped), S. variegateu (harlequin), S. wilsoni (pygmy), S. proriger (redstripe), S. zacentrus (sharpchin), S. jordani

(shortbelly), S. brevispinis (silvergrey), S. diploproa (splitnose), S. saxicola (stripetail), S. miniatus (vermilion), S. babcocki (redbanded), and S.

reedi (yellowmouth). 16 ‘‘Pelagic shelf rockfish’’ includes Sebastes melanops (black), S. mystinus (blue), S. ciliatus (dusky), S. entomelas (widow), and S. flavidus

(yellowtail). ‘‘Offshore Pelagic shelf rockfish’’ includes S. ciliatus (dusky), S. entomelas (widow), and S. flavidus. ‘‘Nearshore Pelagic shelf rockfish’’ includes S. melanops (black) and S. mystinus (blue). 17 ‘‘Demersal shelf rockfish’’ means Sebastes pinniger (canary), S. nebulosus (china), S. caurinus (copper), S. maliger (quillback), S.

helvomaculatus (rosethorn), S. nigrocinctus (tiger), and S. ruberrimus (yelloweye). 18 ‘‘Other species’’ includes sculpins, sharks, skates, eulachon, smelts, capelin, squid, and octopus. The TAC for ‘‘other species’’ equals 5 percent of the TAC amounts of target species.

3. Interim Halibut PSC Mortality Limits

Under § 679.21(d), annual Pacific

halibut PSC mortality limits are

established for trawl and hook-and-line

gear and may be established for pot gear.

The Council proposed to reestablish the

1997 halibut mortality limits for 1998

because no new information was

available. As in 1997, the Council

proposes to exempt pot gear, jig gear,

and the sablefish hook-and-line fishery

from halibut PSC limits for 1998. The

interim PSC limits are effective on

January 1, 1998, and remain in effect

until superseded by the final 1998

harvest specifications, which will be

published in the Federal Register. The

interim halibut PSC limits are as

follows: (1) 500 mt to trawl gear, (2) 75

mt to hook-and-line gear for fisheries

other than demersal shelf rockfish, and

(3) 2.5 mt to hook-and-line gear for

demersal shelf rockfish fishery in the

Southeast Outside District.

Section 679.21(d)(3)(iii) authorizes

apportionments of the trawl halibut PSC

limit allowance as bycatch allowances

to a deep-water species complex,

comprised of rex sole, sablefish,

rockfish, deep-water flatfish, and

arrowtooth flounder, and a shallowwater species complex, comprised of

pollock, Pacific cod, shallow-water

flatfish, flathead sole, Atka mackerel,

and other species. The interim 1998

apportionment for the shallow-water

species complex is 417 mt and for the

deep-water species complex is 83 mt.

Prior to the beginning of the 1998

fishing year, NMFS will implement

fishery closures based on the interim

amounts of groundfish specified in

Table 1 and on determinations of the

amount of each TAC needed to support

anticipated groundfish fisheries prior to

the time that the final specifications are

effective for the 1998 GOA groundfish

fishery.

Classification

This action is authorized under 50

CFR 679.20 and is exempt from review

under E.O. 12866.

The Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries finds for good cause under 5
65626 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) that the need to

establish interim harvest specifications

for the fisheries in the GOA, effective on

January 1, 1998, makes it impracticable

and contrary to the public interest to

provide prior notice and opportunity for

public comment on this rule. Section

679.20(c)(2) requires NMFS to specify

interim harvest specifications that are

effective on January 1 and that will

remain in effect until superseded by

final specifications established by notice

and comment rulemaking in order for

the GOA groundfish fishing season to

begin on January 1 (see § 679.23).

Without interim specifications in effect

on January 1, the groundfish fisheries

would not be able to open on January

1, which would result in unnecessary

closures and disruption within the

fishing industry. Because the stock

assessment reports and other

information concerning the fisheries in

the GOA became available only

recently, NMFS is not able to provide an

opportunity for comment on the interim

specifications. It is anticipated that the

interim specifications will be in effect

for only a short period of time before

they are superseded by the final

specifications. Proposed specifications

are published as a proposed rule in this

issue of the Federal Register and

provide the opportunity for public

comment.

These interim specifications are

exempt from the requirements of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act to prepare a

regulatory flexibility analysis because

they are not required to be issued with

prior notice and opportunity for public

comment.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq. and 1801

et seq.

Dated: December 9, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–32680 Filed 12–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 971208296–7296–01; I.D.

111997A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands Area; Interim 1998

Harvest Specifications

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Interim 1998 harvest

specifications for groundfish; associated

management measures.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues interim 1998

total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for

each category of groundfish, pollock

Community Development Quota (CDQ)

amounts, and prohibited species

bycatch allowances for the groundfish

fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands management area (BSAI). The

intended effect is to conserve and

manage the groundfish resources in the

BSAI.

DATES: 0001 hours, Alaska local time

(A.l.t.), January 1, 1998, until the

effective date of the final 1998 harvest

specifications for BSAI groundfish,

which will be published in the Federal

Register.

ADDRESSES: The preliminary 1998 Stock

Assessment and Fishery Evaluation

(SAFE) Report, dated September 1997,

is available from the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 605 West

4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK

99501–2252, telephone 907–271–2809.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alan Kinsolving, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Groundfish fisheries in the BSAI are

governed by Federal regulations at 50

CFR part 679 that implement the

Fishery Management Plan for the

Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands area (FMP). The

FMP was prepared by the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council (Council)

and approved by NMFS under the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act. The

FMP is implemented by regulations at

50 CFR part 679. General regulations

that also pertain to the U.S. fisheries

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600.

The Council met September 22–29,

1997, to review scientific information

concerning groundfish stocks. The

Council adopted for public review the

preliminary SAFE Report for the 1998

BSAI groundfish fisheries. The

preliminary SAFE Report, dated

September 1997, provides an update on

the status of stocks. Copies of the SAFE

Report are available from the Council

(see ADDRESSEES). The preliminary TAC

amounts for each species are based on

the best available biological and

socioeconomic information. The

Council recommended a preliminary

total TAC of 2,000,000 metric tons (mt)

and a preliminary total acceptable

biological catch (ABC) of 2,440,430 mt

for the 1998 fishing year.

Under § 679.20(c)(1), NMFS is

publishing in the Proposed Rules

section of this issue of the Federal

Register for review and comment

proposed harvest specifications for

groundfish and associated management

measures in the BSAI for the 1998

fishing year. That document contains a

detailed discussion of the proposed

1998 annual TACs, initial TACs (ITACs)

and related apportionments, ABC

amounts and overfishing levels,

prohibited species bycatch allowances,

and associated management measures

for the BSAI groundfish fishery.

This action establishes interim

harvest specifications and

apportionments thereof for the 1998

fishing year effective January 1, 1998,

that will remain in effect until

superseded by the final 1998 harvest

specifications. Background information

concerning the 1998 groundfish harvest

specification process upon which this

interim action is based is provided in

the above mentioned proposed initial

specification document appearing in the

above mentioned 1998 proposed harvest

specifications document appearing in

this Federal Register issue.

Establishment of Interim TACs

Except for the hook-and-line and pot

gear allocation of sablefish, each

species’ TAC initially is reduced by 15

percent to establish the ITAC for each

species (§ 679.20(b)(1)(i)). The sum of

the 15-percent amounts is the reserve.

One half of the pollock TACs placed in

the reserve are designated as a CDQ

reserve for use by CDQ participants

(§ 679.31(a)(1)). The remainder of the

reserve is not designated by species or

species group, and any amount of the

reserve may be reapportioned to a target

species or the ‘‘other species’’ category

during the year, providing that such

reapportionments do not result in

overfishing of a target species or the

‘‘other species’’ category. The ITAC

amount for each species, except for the

hook-and-line and pot gear allocation

for sablefish, is the remainder of the

TAC amount after subtraction of the

reserve.

Section 679.20(c)(2)(ii) requires that

one-fourth of each proposed ITAC

amount and apportionment thereof (not

including the first seasonal allowance of

pollock), one-fourth of each prohibited

species catch (PSC) allowance

established under § 679.21, and the first

seasonal allowance of pollock TAC be

established effective 0001 hours, A.l.t.,

January 1, that will remain in effect

until superseded by the final harvest

specifications.