14352 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 58 / Wednesday, March 26, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Species Historic

range Family Status Whenlisted

Critical

habitat

Special

rules Scientific name Common name

* * * * * * *

Orcuttia pilosa ................. Hairy Orcutt grass ......... U.S.A.

(CA).

Poaceae ........................ E 611 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Orcuttia tenuis ................. Slender Orcutt grass ..... U.S.A.

(CA).

Poaceae ........................ T 611 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Orcuttia viscida ............... Sacramento Orcutt grass U.S.A.

(CA).

Poaceae ........................ E 611 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Tuctoria greenei .............. Greene’s tuctoria ........... U.S.A.

(CA).

Poaceae ........................ E 611 NA NA

* * * * * * *

Offset Folios 7 to 8 Insert Here

Dated: February 24, 1997.

John G. Rogers,

Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

[FR Doc. 97–7619 Filed 3–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 640

[Docket No. 970318058–7058–01; I.D.

022597A]

RIN 0648–XX82

Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of

Mexico and South Atlantic; Rescission

of Control Date

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of rescission of control

date.

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico and South

Atlantic Fishery Management Councils

(Councils) believe that changes in the

management of the spiny lobster fishery

makes a previously announced control

date obsolete. Therefore, on behalf of

the Councils, NMFS announces that the

date of January 15, 1986, is no longer

considered a control date for entry into

the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic

spiny lobster fishery.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 26, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Georgia Cranmore, 813–570–5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The spiny

lobster fishery is managed under the

Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny

Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico

and South Atlantic (FMP). The FMP was

prepared by the Councils and is

implemented through regulations at 50

CFR part 640, under the authority of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

A control date of January 15, 1986,

was established for the spiny lobster

fishery in anticipation of a possible

Federal limited access program for this

fishery (51 FR 5713, February 18, 1986).

The notice announcing this control date

stated that anyone entering the fishery

after January 15, 1986, was not assured

of continued participation if a limited

access system was adopted.

No limited access program was

developed by the Councils. Instead, the

Councils adopted Florida’s management

regime for the exclusive economic zone

(EEZ) off Florida. The commercial

fishery is confined primarily to Florida

waters and the EEZ off Florida.

Commercial and recreational spiny

lobster landings outside Florida are

negligible.

In 1992, NMFS adopted for the EEZ

off Florida, Florida’s spiny lobster trap

certificate, trap reduction, and trap

identification programs (57 FR 56516,

November 30, 1992).

In 1994, NMFS removed the

requirement for Federal vessel permits

in the commercial fishery in the EEZ off

Florida (59 FR 53118, October 21, 1994).

The South Atlantic Council determined

(at its November 1996 meeting) and the

Gulf Council determined (at its July

1996 meeting) that these changes in the

management of the spiny lobster fishery

make the control date obsolete.

Therefore, NMFS announces the

rescission of the January 15, 1986,

control date with respect to this fishery.

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

Dated: March 20, 1997.

C. Karnella,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–7717 Filed 3–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 961107312–7021–02; I.D.

031997A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Offshore Component

Pollock in the Aleutian Islands Subarea

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 pollock by vessels catching

pollock for processing by the offshore

component in the Aleutian Islands

subarea (AI) of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands management area

(BSAI). This action is necessary to fully

utilize the total allowable catch (TAC) of

pollock in that area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), March 20, 1997, through

1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 22, 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 Groundfish of the Bering Sea
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 58 / Wednesday, March 26, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 14353

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.

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

the allowance for the pollock TAC

apportioned for vessels catching pollock

for processing by the offshore

component in the AI was established by

the Final 1997 Harvest Specifications

for Groundfish (62 FR 7168, February

18, 1997) as 16,835 metric tons (mt).

The Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

established a directed fishing allowance

of 14,835 mt, and set aside the

remaining 2,000 mt as bycatch to

support other anticipated groundfish

fisheries. The fishery for pollock by

vessels catching pollock by vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

offshore component in the AI of the

BSAI was closed to directed fishing

under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on February 27,

1997, (62 FR 9379, March 3, 1997) and

opened March 12, 1997, through March

14, 1997, (62 FR 13351, March 20,

1997).

NMFS has determined that as of

March 18, 1997, 2,500 mt remain in the

directed fishing allowance. Therefore,

NMFS is terminating the previous

closure and is opening directed fishing

for pollock by vessels catching pollock

for processing by the offshore

component in the AI of the BSAI

effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 20,

1997.

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

the Regional Administrator finds that

this directed fishing allowance will

soon be reached. Current information

shows the catching capacity of vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

offshore component is in excess of 1,000

mt per day.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing

for pollock by vessels catching pollock

for processing by the offshore

component in the AI of the BSAI at 1200

hrs, A.l.t., March 22, 1997, through

December 31, 1997.

All other closures remain in full force

and effect.

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: March 20, 1997.

George H. Darcy,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–7539 Filed 3–20–97; 4:47 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F