Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Proposed Rules 58727

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000211040-0040-01; I.D.

092100C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

Management Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed reallocation, request

for comments.

SUMMARY: Based on currently available

information, NMFS has determined that

the trawl catcher/processor sector will

not be able to harvest its entire share of

the Pacific cod total allowable catch

(TAC) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands management area (BSAI). NMFS

proposes to make the projected unused

amount of the trawl catcher/processor

sector share of the Pacific cod TAC

available to the trawl catcher vessel

sector. NMFS also is proposing to

reallocate the projected unused amount

of Pacific cod from the trawl catcher/

processor sector to vessels using hookand-line or pot gear in the BSAI. NMFS

invites public comments, particularly

from the trawl catcher vessel sector, on

NMFS’s proposal to reallocate the

unused amount of Pacific cod from the

trawl catcher/processor sector to vessels

using hook-and-line and pot gear. The

proposed action is necessary to allow

the 2000 TAC of Pacific cod to be

harvested.

DATES: Comments must be received at

the following address no later than 4:30

p.m., Alaska local time, October 12,

2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to

Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional

Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries,

Alaska Region, NMFS, 709 West 9th,

room 453, Juneau, AK 99801 or P.O. Box

21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attention:

Lori Gravel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew N. Smoker, 907-586-7210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS

manages the groundfish fishery in the

BSAI exclusive economic zone

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. Regulations governing fishing by

U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600

and 50 CFR part 679.

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

the Final 2000 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the BSAI (65 FR 8282,

February 18, 2000) established the

amount of the 2000 Pacific cod TAC as

193,000 metric tons (mt). Pursuant to §

679.20(a)(7)(i)(A), 3,571 mt was

allocated to vessels using jig gear,

91,048 mt to vessels using hook-andline or pot gear, and 83,905 mt to

vessels using trawl gear. The share of

the Pacific cod TAC allocated to trawl

gear was further allocated 50 percent to

catcher vessels and 50 percent to

catcher/processor vessels (§ 679.20

(a)(7)(i)(B)).

As of September 2, 2000, the

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS

(Regional Administrator), has

determined that 14,150 mt remain in the

trawl catcher/processor sector share and

projects that the trawl catcher/processor

sector will not harvest 9,000 mt of that

share during the remainder of 2000. The

Regional Administrator has also

determined that 864 mt remain in the

trawl catcher sector share.

Pursuant to § 679.20 (a)(7)(ii)(A),

NMFS is required to make the projected

unused amount of the trawl catcher/

processor sector share of Pacific cod

available to the trawl catcher vessel

sector before making it available to other

gear types. From the years 1997 through

1999 after September 1, the trawl

catcher vessel sector of the fishery has

taken about 200 mt or less per year in

the Pacific cod target and averaged

about 800 mt of catch of Pacific cod in

all targets. Current inseason data

supports a projection of 800 mt for the

catcher vessel sector. At the time of this

proposal no evidence exists that trawl

catcher vessel effort in the Pacific cod

fishery will increase beyond what has

occurred on the average during the last

3 years.

In accordance with § 679.20

(a)(7)(ii)(C), NMFS proposes to

reallocate the projected unused amount

(9,000 mt) of Pacific cod from the trawl

catcher/processor sector to vessels using

hook-and-line or pot gear.

NMFS invites public comments,

particularly from the trawl catcher

vessel sector, on (1) NMFS’

determination that the trawl catcher/

processor sector will not be able to

harvest its share of the Pacific cod TAC,

on (2) whether the catcher vessel sector

would be able to harvest the projected

unused catcher/processor sector share,

and (3) NMFS’ proposal to reallocate the

unused amount of Pacific cod from the

trawl catcher/processor sector to hookand-line and pot gear sectors.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

679.20 and is exempt from Office of

Management and Budget review under

Executive Order 12866.

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

Dated: September 26, 2000.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–25170 Filed 9–27–00; 3:47 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000627195-0195-01; I.D.

060500C]

RIN 0648-AN94

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Seasonal Adjustment

of Closure Areas to Trawl Gear in the

Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of

Alaska; Withdrawal of Proposed Rule

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.

SUMMARY: NMFS withdraws the July 3,

2000, proposed regulatory amendment

that would implement a seasonal

closure of a portion of the Central

Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska

(GOA) to vessels using trawl gear and

that would implement an inseason

action to open directed fishing for

pollock within 10 nautical miles of the

Steller sea lion haulouts located at Gull

Point and Cape Barnabas for research

purposes. The proposed rule is

withdrawn because of current litigation

on the existing Steller sea lion

protection measures.

DATES: This proposed rule is withdrawn

on October 2, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Pearson (907) 481-1780, fax

(907) 481-1781.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposed rule was published on July 3,

2000 (65 FR 41044), that would impose

a ban on all trawl fishing in the Chiniak

Gully region on the east side of Kodiak

Island and would authorize a temporary

reopening of the 10-nm zones around

Gull Point and Cape Barnabas to