[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 203 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62692-62693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26936]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 001012284-0284-01; I.D. 092100B]
RIN 0648-AO50


Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; 
Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; American Samoa; Control Date

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that persons who enter the pelagic longline 
fishery in the exclusive economic zone around American Samoa after July 
15, 2000 (``control date'') are not guaranteed future participation in 
the fishery if the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
prepares and NMFS approves a program limiting entry or effort. This 
action does not commit the Council or NMFS to limit effort or to 
prevent any other date from being selected for eligibility to 
participate in the American Samoa pelagic fishery. The Council or NMFS 
also may use other criteria to limit fishing effort or participation in 
a limited entry program if one is developed in the future.

DATES: Comments must be submitted in writing by November 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Dr. Charles Karnella, 
Administrator, NMFS, Pacific Islands Area Office (PIAO), 1601 Kapiolani 
Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; or faxed to 808-973-2941. 
Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alvin Katekaru, Fishery Management 
Specialist, PIAO, 808-973-2937.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since 1996, the pelagic fishery around 
American Samoa has undergone a change from essentially a troll fishery 
to a commercial, small-scale longline fishery. Currently, the pelagic 
longline fishery consists mostly of ``alias'' (small catamarans), about 
30 ft (9.1 m) long

[[Page 62693]]

and powered by gasoline outboard engines, that use monofilament 
longline gear to target albacore tuna. In 1996, 13 alias landed 232,721 
lbs (105.56 mt) of albacore. At present about 25 alias are actively 
engaged in the fishery; however, 63 alias are registered with longline 
general permits. As for large fishing vessels, in 1997 the fishery 
consisted of four longliners ranging in length from 65 to 109 ft (19.8 
to 33.2 m); today there are 15 large longline vessels in the American 
Samoa pelagic fishery.
    In response to the influx of large longliners into American Samoa's 
pelagic fishery and the potential for conflict between the large 
vessels and small alias, the Council established November 13, 1997, as 
a control date to further restrict the participation of large fishing 
vessels in the fishery, if the Council decided to limit entry or 
effort, by establishing area closures to large fishing vessels (63 FR 
3532, January 23, 1998). At its meeting in June 2000, the Council voted 
to: (1) establish 50-nm fishing area closures around the islands of 
American Samoa to commercial fishing vessels larger than 50 ft (15.2 m) 
in length targeting pelagic management unit species, (2) allow vessels 
registered for use with a Federal general longline permit and a 
documented landing of pelagic management unit species, prior to the 
control date of November 13, 1997, to use longline gear within a 
50-nm area closure around American Samoa, and (3) establish a new 
control date of July 15, 2000, for permit eligibility, which supersedes 
the control date of November 13, 1997, if the Council decides to 
develop a limited entry program for the American Samoa longline 
fishery.
    The Council believes that there is a risk of speculative entry into 
the longline fishery while the Council further evaluates the potential 
benefits and costs of limited entry alternatives. The control date is 
designed to discourage speculative entry during this period of 
analysis. The control date does not commit the Council or NMFS to any 
particular management regime or criteria for entry into the American 
Samoa longline fishery. Fishermen are not guaranteed future 
participation in this fishery, regardless of their level of 
participation before or after the control date. The Council may choose 
a different control date or it may choose a management regime that does 
not involve a control date. Other criteria, such as documentation of 
commercial landings and sales, may be used to determine eligibility for 
participation in the fishery. The Council also may choose to take no 
further action to control entry or access to the fishery, in which case 
the control date may be rescinded.

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

    Dated: October 13, 2000.
Penelope D. Dalton,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-26936 Filed 10-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S