9994 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 43 / Wednesday, March 5, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

(a) West of Monhegan Island in the

area located north of the line

43.5°42’08’’ N. lat., 69.5°34’18’’ W.

long., and 43.5°42’15’’ N. lat.,

69.5°19’18’’ W. long.

(b) East of Monhegan Island in the

area located west of the line 43.5°44’00’’

N. lat., 69.5°15’05’’ W. long., and

43.5°48’10’’ N. lat., 69.5°08’01’’ W. long.

(c) South of Vinalhaven in the area

located west of the line 43.5°52’21’’ N.

lat., 68.5°39’54’’ W. long., and

43.5°48’10’’ N. lat., 67.5°40’33’’ W. long.

(d) South of Boris Bubert Island in the

area located north of the line

44.5°19’15’’ N. lat, 67.5°49’30’’ W. long.

and 44.5°23’45’’ N. lat., 67.5°40’33’’ W.

long.

[FR Doc. 97–5440 Filed 2–28–97; 4:43 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961126334–7025–02; I.D.

022897A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska, Pollock in the Eastern

Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing directed

fishing for pollock by vessels catching

pollock for processing by the inshore

component in the Eastern Regulatory

Area in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This

action is necessary to prevent exceeding

the allocation of the total allowable

catch (TAC) for pollock by vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

inshore component in the Eastern

Regulatory Area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), March 2, 1997, until 2400

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Pearson, 907–486–6919.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

under authority of the MagnusonStevens 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 final specification of the

allocation of pollock to vessels catching

pollock for processing by the inshore

component in the Eastern Regulatory

Area of the GOA was established by the

Final 1997 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the GOA (62 FR 8179,

February 24, 1997) as 5,580 metric tons

(mt), determined in accordance with

§ 679.20 (a)(6)(ii).

In accordance with § 679.20 (d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the allocation of the

TAC of pollock to vessels catching

pollock for processing by the inshore

component in the Eastern Regulatory

Area will soon be reached. Therefore,

the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 5,480, and is setting aside

the remaining 100 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

inshore component in the Eastern

Regulatory Area.

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 50 CFR

679.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: February 28, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–5439 Filed 2–28–97; 4:43 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F