[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8921-8922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4871]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 022197B]
RIN 0648-AI82


Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Commercial and Recreational Pacific Salmon Fishery Amendment 12; 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Amendment 10

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.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) has submitted Amendment 12 to the Fishery Management Plan for 
Commercial and Recreational Salmon Fisheries off the Coasts of 
Washington, Oregon, and California (Salmon FMP) and Amendment 10 to the 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP) for 
Secretarial review. Amendment 12 would allow retention, but not sale, 
of salmon bycatch by groundfish trawl vessels under a monitoring 
program that meets certain guidelines; would specify Endangered Species 
Act (ESA) standards as management objectives for salmon species listed 
under the ESA; and would update the Salmon FMP,

[[Page 8922]]

with no change in the FMP's management objectives. Amendment 10 would 
allow retention, but not sale, of salmon bycatch by groundfish trawl 
vessels under a monitoring program that meets certain guidelines.
DATES: Comments on Amendments 12 and 10 must be received on or before 
April 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendments 12, 10, or supporting documents 
should be sent to Mr. William Stelle, Administrator, Northwest Region, 
NMFS, Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or to Ms. 
Hilda Diaz-Soltero, Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West 
Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
    Copies of Amendments 12 and 10, the Environmental Assessment (EA)/
Regulatory Impact Review (RIR)/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 
(IRFA) are available from Larry Six, Executive Director, Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 224, Portland, OR 
97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140, 
Rodney McInnis at 310-980-4040, or the Pacific Fishery Management 
Council at 503-326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each Regional 
Fishery Management Council submit any fishery management plan (FMP) or 
plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for review and approval, 
disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also 
requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, immediately 
publish a notice that the FMP or amendment is available for public 
review and comment. NMFS will consider the public comments received 
during the comment period in determining whether to approve the FMP or 
amendment.
    Amendment 12 to the Pacific Coast Salmon FMP and Amendment 10 to 
the Groundfish FMP would authorize rulemaking to allow retention of 
salmon bycatch by groundfish trawl vessels under an appropriate 
monitoring program. Amendment 12 to the Salmon FMP would also 
incorporate NMFS ESA standards as management objectives for salmon 
species listed under the ESA, and update the Salmon FMP, without 
changing the existing FMP's management objectives.
    The portion of the amendment regarding ESA standards is necessary 
to bring the Salmon FMP into compliance with the March 1996 Biological 
Opinion issued under section 7 of the ESA regarding the impacts of the 
Pacific Coast salmon fishery on salmon stocks listed under the ESA. The 
update of the Salmon FMP merely combines into one document the 
operative language of the 1984 framework FMP and its amendments. 
Changes to management objectives to comply with the ESA and the update 
of the salmon FMP will result in minor modifications to the salmon 
regulations. A proposed rule to implement those modifications will be 
issued shortly.
    NMFS welcomes comments on the proposed FMP amendments through the 
end of the comment period. NMFS will consider the public comments 
received during the comment period in determining whether to approve 
the proposed amendments. A proposed rule to implement Amendment 12 to 
the Salmon FMP has been submitted for Secretarial review and approval. 
NMFS expects to publish and request public review and comment on this 
rule in the near future. Public comments on the proposed rule must be 
received by the end of the comment period on the amendments to be 
considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the amendments. All 
comments received by the end of the comment period for the amendments, 
whether specifically directed to the amendments or the proposed rule, 
will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the 
amendments.

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

    Dated: February 21, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-4871 Filed 2-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F