9718 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 42 / Tuesday, March 4, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 950725189–6245–04; I.D.

022697B]

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of

Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coastal

Migratory Pelagic Resources of the

Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Trip

Limit Reduction

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Trip limit reduction.

SUMMARY: NMFS reduces the

commercial trip limit of king mackerel

in the Florida east coast sub-zone from

50 to 25 per day in or from the exclusive

economic zone (EEZ). This trip limit

reduction is necessary to protect the

overfished Gulf king mackerel resource.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The 25–fish commercial

trip limit is effective 12:01 a.m., local

time, March 1, 1997, through March 31,

1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark F. Godcharles, 813–570–5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

fishery for coastal migratory pelagic fish

(king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, cero,

cobia, little tunny, dolphin, and, in the

Gulf of Mexico only, bluefish) is

managed under the Fishery

Management Plan for the Coastal

Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf

of Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP).

The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of

Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery

Management Councils (Councils) and is

implemented by regulations at 50 CFR

part 622 under the authority of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

Based on the Councils’ recommended

total allowable catch and the allocation

ratios in the FMP, NMFS implemented

a commercial quota for the Gulf

migratory group of king mackerel in the

Florida east coast sub-zone of 865,000 lb

(392,357 kg). In accordance with 50 CFR

622.44(a)(2)(i)(B), from the date that 75

percent of the sub-zone’s commercial

quota has been harvested, provided that

the date occurs before March 1, until a

closure of the Florida east coast subzone has been effected, king mackerel in

or from this sub-zone in the EEZ may be

possessed on board or landed from a

permitted vessel in amounts not

exceeding 25 per day. The 25–fish trip

limit remains in effect through March

31, 1997, when the boundary of the Gulf

migratory group of king mackerel shifts

from the east coast to the west coast of

Florida, unless 100 percent of the

commercial quota is reached before

March 31, in which case the commercial

fishery for king mackerel in the Florida

east coast sub-zone is closed by

publication of a notification in the

Federal Register.

NMFS has determined that 75 percent

of the commercial quota for Gulf group

king mackerel from the Florida east

coast sub-zone was reached by February

28, 1997. Accordingly, a 25–fish trip

limit applies to king mackerel in or from

the EEZ in the Florida east coast subzone effective 12:01 a.m., local time,

March 1, 1997.

The Florida east coast sub-zone

extends from 25°20.4′ N. lat. (due east

of the Dade/Monroe County, FL,

boundary) to 29°25′ N. lat. (due east of

the Volusia/Flagler County, FL,

boundary) from November 1 through

March 31.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

622.44(a)(2)(i)(B) and is exempt from

review under E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: February 27, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–5303 Filed 2–27–97; 5:02 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7012–02; I.D.

022697D]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch

in the Eastern Aleutian District of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing directed

fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the

Eastern Aleutian District of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands management

area (BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the 1997 total

allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean

perch in this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 27, 1997, until

2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 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 50

CFR part 679.

The TAC of Pacific ocean perch for

the Eastern Aleutian District was

established by the Final 1997 Harvest

Specifications of Groundfish for the

BSAI (62 FR 7168, February 18, 1997) as

3,240 metric tons (mt). See

§ 679.20(c)(3)(iii).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the TAC for Pacific

ocean perch specified for the Eastern

Aleutian District will soon be reached.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 3,040 mt, and is setting

aside the remaining 200 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 Pacific ocean perch

in the Eastern Aleutian District.

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 27, 1997.

Gary Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–5301 Filed 2–27–97; 5:02 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7012–02; I.D.

022697C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Atka Mackerel in the

Eastern Aleutian District and Bering

Sea Subarea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and