Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 37 / Tuesday, February 25, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 8407

In accordance with § 679.20(c)(3)(iii),

the first seasonal allowance of pollock

for vessels catching pollock for

processing by the offshore component in

the BS was established by the Final

1997 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish. The Final 1997

Specifications were published in the

Federal Register on February 18, 1997

(62 FR 7168).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the first allowance of

pollock TAC for vessels catching

pollock for processing by the offshore

component in the BS soon will be

reached. Therefore, the Regional

Administrator is establishing a directed

fishing allowance of 278,736 mt, and is

setting aside the remaining 27,000 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 prohibiting

directed fishing for pollock by vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

offshore component in the BS. This

closure is effective from February 20,

1997, through 1200 hrs, A.l.t., April 15,

1997. Under § 679.20(a)(5)(i), the second

seasonal allowance of pollock TAC will

become available for directed fishing at

1200 hrs, A.l.t., September 1. Maximum

retainable bycatch amounts for

applicable gear types may be found in

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

Classification

This action is required by § 679.20,

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: February 19, 1997.

Gary Matlock

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–4589 Filed 2–20–97; 2:27 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7021–02; I.D.

021997C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Species in the Rock

Sole/Flathead Sole/‘‘Other Flatfish’’

Fishery Category by Vessels Using

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 species in the rock sole/

flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery

category by vessels using trawl gear in

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to prevent exceeding the first

seasonal apportionment of the 1997

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance of

halibut specified for the trawl rock sole/

flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery

category.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 20, 1997, until

1200 hrs, A.l.t., April 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew Smoker, 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 first seasonal apportionment of

the prohibited species bycatch mortality

allowance of halibut for the BSAI trawl

rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’

fishery category, which is defined at

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(B)(2), was established

by the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications

of Groundfish (62 FR 7168, February 18,

1997) as 485 mt.

In accordance with § 679.21(e)(7)(iv),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the first seasonal

apportionment of the 1997 halibut

bycatch allowance specified for the

trawl rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other

flatfish’’ fishery in the BSAI has been

caught. Consequently, NMFS is closing

directed fishing for species in the rock

sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’

fishery category by vessels using trawl

gear in the BSAI.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

may be found in the regulations at

§ 679.20(e).

Classification

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: February 19, 1997.

Gary Matlock

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Serivce.

[FR Doc. 97–4588 Filed 2–20–97; 2:28 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F