[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 2043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-941]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960502124-6190-02; I.D. 010997A]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Scallop 
Fishery; Registration Area E

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

ACTION: Inseason adjustment to prevent overfishing; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS has determined that the currently specified total 
allowable catch (TAC) amount for scallops in Registration Area E is 
incorrect. Therefore, NMFS is reducing the TAC and apportioning it 
between parts of Registration Area E that are east and west of 146 deg. 
W. long. NMFS also is apportioning the current C. bairdi crab bycatch 
limit (CBL) specified for Registration Area E between the area east and 
west of 146 deg. W. long. These actions are necessary to avoid 
localized overfishing of the scallop resource and achieve the optimum 
yield from the scallop fishery. They are intended to promote the goals 
and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for the Scallop Fishery 
off Alaska (FMP).

DATES: 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), January 10, 1997, until 
2400 hrs, A.l.t., June 30, 1997. Comments must be received at the 
following address no later than 1630 hrs, A.l.t., January 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries 
Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 
99802, Attn: Lori Gravel, or be delivered to the fourth floor of the 
Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Smoker, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The scallop fishery off Alaska in the 
exclusive economic zone is managed by NMFS according to the 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 50 CFR part 679. General regulations that pertain to the 
U.S. fisheries appear at 50 CFR part 600.
    The 1996-1997 TAC for scallops and the C. bairdi CBL in 
Registration Area E are established by the 1996-1997 Harvest 
Specifications (61 FR 38099, July 23, 1996) as 50,000 lbs (22,686 kg) 
of shucked scallop meat and 630 C. bairdi crab.
    The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) conducted a survey 
that assessed the scallop abundance and age structure of the scallop 
population within Registration Area E after the 1996-1997 Harvest 
Specifications were published. This information indicated that 
recruitment to the area was very low and that a harvest of the 50,000 
lbs (22,686 kg) of shucked scallop meat would risk localized 
overfishing of the scallop stock in Registration Area E.
    The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (formerly Regional 
Director), has determined, in accordance with Secs. 679.25(a)(2)(i)(A) 
and 679.63(a), that recent resource survey data collected by the ADF&G 
warrants an adjustment of the scallop TAC and C. bairdi CBL specified 
for Registration Area E to prevent overfishing of scallops.
    NMFS, therefore, is reducing the TAC specified for Registration 
Area E from 50,000 lbs (22,686 kg) to 22,300 lbs (10,115 kg) of shucked 
scallop meat. Furthermore, consistent with resource distribution 
determined by the ADF&G survey, NMFS is subdividing Registration Area E 
into parts east and west of 146 deg. W. long. and is apportioning the 
reduced TAC for Registration Area E as follows: In the part of 
Registration Area E east of 146 deg. W. long., 17,300 lbs (7,847 kg) of 
shucked scallop meat is authorized for harvest; in the area of 
Registration Area E west of 146 deg. W. long., 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) of 
shucked scallop meat is authorized for harvest. Consistent with this 
action, the CBL of C. bairdi crab is apportioned as follows: 500 C. 
bairdi crab in the area of Registration Area E east of 146 deg. W. 
long.; 130 C. bairdi crab in the area of Registration Area E west of 
146 deg. W. long. The apportionment of TAC and CBL between waters east 
and west of 146 deg. W. long. is necessary to prevent localized 
overfishing in either of these subareas within Registration Area E.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds for good 
cause that providing prior notice and public comment or delaying the 
effective date of this action is impracticable and contrary to the 
public interest. Immediate effectiveness is necessary to prevent 
overfishing scallops in Registration Area E. Under Sec. 679.25(c)(2), 
interested persons are invited to submit written comments on this 
action to the above address until January 27, 1997.

Classification

    This action is taken under Sec. 679.63 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: January 9, 1997.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-941 Filed 1-10-97; 12:29 pm]
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