16112 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 65 / Friday, April 4, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

(b)(2) of this section, and is conclusively

attributed to lobster pot gear that has

been exempted under paragraph (b)(3)

of this section, the area in paragraph

(b)(2) of this section shall be closed for

the period specified in paragraph (b)(1)

of this section through notification in

the Federal Register until such time as

the Assistant Administrator revises the

requirements and conditions, or

imposes additional requirements and

conditions, or exempts specified

alternative fishing practices in

accordance with paragraph (b)(3) of this

section.

(ii) If a serious injury or mortality of

any endangered whale occurs in any

area and at any time and is conclusively

attributed to gear which is exempt

under paragraph (b)(3) of this section,

NMFS will reassess its exemption of the

gear and may close the area to all lobster

pot fishing through notification in the

Federal Register until such time as the

Assistant Administrator revises the

requirements and conditions, or

imposes additional requirements and

conditions, or exempts specified

alternative fishing practices in

accordance with paragraph (b)(3) of this

section.

[FR Doc. 97–8727 Filed 4–1–97; 4:31 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7021–02; I.D.

033197A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Yellowfin Sole by

Vessels Using Trawl Gear

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Modification of a closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed

fishing for the yellowfin sole fishery by

vessels using trawl gear in the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands management

area (BSAI). This action is necessary to

fully utilize the first seasonal bycatch

allowance of Pacific halibut apportioned

to the trawl yellowfin sole fishery

category in the BSAI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), March 31, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew N. Smoker, 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 first seasonal apportionment of

the 1997 halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the trawl yellowfin sole

fishery in the BSAI, which is defined at

§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(B)(1), was established

by the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications

of Groundfish for the BSAI (62 FR 7168,

February 18, 1997) as 210 mt. Directed

fishing for yellowfin sole by vessels

using trawl gear in the BSAI was

prohibited on March 22, 1997 (62 FR

14651, March 27, 1997) to prevent

exceeding the first seasonal bycatch

allowance of Pacific halibut apportioned

to that fishery.

The Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS, has determined that as of March

22, 1997, 14 metric tons of halibut

mortality remain in the first seasonal

bycatch allowance. Therefore, NMFS is

terminating the previous closure and is

opening directed fishing for yellowfin

sole by vessels using trawl gear in the

BSAI. The second seasonal bycatch

allowance (210 mt) of Pacific halibut

apportioned to the trawl yellowfin sole

fishery category in the BSAI becomes

available on April 1.

All other closures remain in full force

and effect.

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: March 31, 1997.

Gary Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–8565 Filed 3–31–97; 4:29 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961126334–7025–02; I.D.

032897B]

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: Prohibition of retention.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting retention

of pollock in the Eastern Regulatory

Area in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). NMFS

is requiring that catches of pollock in

this area be treated in the same manner

as prohibited species and discarded at

sea with a minimum of injury. This

action is necessary because the pollock

1997 total allowable catch (TAC) in this

area has been reached.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Effective 1200 hrs,

Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 31,

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 1997 TAC of pollock 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 (c)(3)(ii).

In accordance with § 679.20 (d)(2), the

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS

(Regional Administrator), has

determined that the 1997 TAC for

pollock in the Eastern Regulatory Area

has been reached. Therefore, the

Regional Administrator is requiring that

further catches of pollock in the Eastern

Regulatory Area be treated as prohibited

species in accordance with § 679.21 (b).

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: March 31, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–8566 Filed 3–31–97; 4:29 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F