8188 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 36 / Monday, February 24, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7012–02; I.D.

021897C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Inshore Component

Pollock in the Bering Sea Subarea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for pollock by vessels catching

pollock for processing by the inshore

component in the Bering Sea subarea

(BS) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands management area (BSAI). This

action is necessary to prevent exceeding

the first seasonal allowance of the

pollock total allowable catch (TAC)

apportioned to vessels harvesting

pollock for processing by the inshore

component in the BS.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 19, 1997, until

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Ham, 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 CFR

part 679.

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

the first seasonal allowance of pollock

for vessels catching pollock for

processing by the inshore component in

the BS was established by the Final

1997 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish as 164,627 metric tons (mt).

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 seasonal

allowance of pollock TAC specified for

vessels catching pollock for processing

by the inshore component in the BS

soon will be reached. Therefore, the

Regional Administrator is establishing a

directed fishing allowance of 150,127

mt, and is setting aside the remaining

14,500 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 soon will be

reached. Consequently, NMFS is

prohibiting directed fishing for pollock

by vessels catching pollock for

processing by the inshore component in

the BS. This closure is effective from

1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 19, 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. 97–4458 Filed 2–19–97; 2:14 pm]

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