19850 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 77 /Wednesday, April 22, 1998 /Rules and Regulations

Dated: March 4, 1998.

Jamie Rappaport Clark,

Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 98–10662 Filed 4–21–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 980318066-8066-01; I.D.

022698A]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United

States; Northeast Multispecies

Fishery; Framework Adjustment 25;

Correction

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

SUMMARY: This document corrects two

portions of the regulatory text in the

final rule for Framework Adjustment 25

to the Fishery Management Plan for the

Northeast Multispecies Fishery (FMP)

published Tuesday, March 31, 1998.

DATES: Effective May 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Tokarcik, 978-281-9326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The interim final rule for the Atlantic

sea scallop fishery and the final rule to

implement measures contained in

Framework Adjustment 25 to the FMP

were published on Tuesday, March 31,

1998 (63 FR 15324 and 63 FR 15326,

respectively). Both rules added a

provision to the same paragraph

designation of the prohibitions section

of 50 CFR part 648. Because the Atlantic

Sea scallop interim final rule became

effective on April 3, 1998, and

Framework Adjustment 25 to the FMP

is not effective until May 1, 1998, this

document is correcting Framework

Adjustment 25 by changing its

paragraph designation of (a)(110) to

paragraph (a)(112) for its addition to

§ 648.14. The regulatory text as

published for the Atlantic sea scallop

interim final rule remains unchanged.

Also, Framework Adjustment 25

inadvertently included the time frame

May 10 through May 30 as a period of

time in which gillnet vessels would be

prohibited from fishing in the Mid-coast

Closure Area. This document is

correcting § 648.87(a)(1)(i) by removing

the reference to May 10 through May 30.

Correction

Accordingly, the publication on

March 31, 1998, of the final regulations

to implement Framework Adjustment

25 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP

(I.D. 022698A), which was the subject of

FR Doc. 98-8288, is corrected as follows:

1. On page 15330, in the first column,

amendatory instruction 3, line 5, correct

‘‘(a)(110)’’ to read ‘‘(a)(112)’’, and in line

15 to the regulatory text to § 648.14,

correct ‘‘(110)’’ to read ‘‘(112)’’.

2. On page 15333, in the second

column, in line 2 to the regulatory text

to § 648.87(a)(1)(i), remove ‘‘May 10

through May 30’’.

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

Dated: April 15, 1998.

Rolland A. Schmitten,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–10731 Filed 4–21–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 971208297-8054-02; I.D.

041498A]

Fisheries of the Economic Exclusive

Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fisheries

by Vessels Using Hook-and-Line Gear

in the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for groundfish by vessels using

hook-and-line gear in the Gulf of Alaska

(GOA), except for sablefish or demersal

shelf rockfish. This action is necessary

because the first seasonal bycatch

allowance of Pacific halibut apportioned

to hook-and-line gear targeting

groundfish other than sablefish or

demersal shelf rockfish in the GOA has

been caught.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), April 18, 1998, through

1200 hrs, A.l.t., May 18, 1998.

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 prohibited species bycatch

mortality allowance of Pacific halibut

for groundfish other than demersal shelf

rockfish, which is defined at

§ 679.21(d)(4)(iii)(C), was established by

the Final 1998 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the GOA (63 FR 12027,

March 12, 1998) for the first season, the

period January 1, 1998, through May 17,

1998, as 250 mt.

In accordance with § 679.21(d)(7)(ii),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the first seasonal

apportionment of the 1998 Pacific

halibut bycatch mortality allowance

specified for the hook-and-line

groundfish fisheries other than sablefish

or demersal shelf rockfish in the GOA

has been caught. Consequently, NMFS

is prohibiting directed fishing for

groundfish other than sablefish or

demersal shelf rockfish by vessels using

hook-and-line gear in the GOA.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

may be found at § 679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

This action responds to the best

available information recently obtained

from the fishery. It must be

implemented immediately in order to

prevent overharvesting the first seasonal

apportionment of the 1998 Pacific

halibut bycatch mortality allowance

specified for the groundfish fisheries

other than sablefish or demersal shelf

rockfish by vessels using hook-and- line

gear in the GOA. A delay in the effective

date is impracticable and contrary to the

public interest. The first seasonal

bycatch allowance of Pacific halibut

apportioned to hook-and-line gear

targeting groundfish other than sablefish

or demersal shelf rockfish in the GOA

has been caught. Further delay would

only result in overharvest which would

disrupt the FMP’s objective of

apportioning Pacific halibut bycatch

allowances throughout the year. NMFS

finds for good cause that the

implementation of this action can not be

delayed for 30 days. Accordingly, under

5 U.S.C. 553(d), a delay in the effective

date is hereby waived.

This action is required by § 679.21

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 77 /Wednesday, April 22, 1998 /Rules and Regulations 19851

Dated: April 16, 1998.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–10725 Filed 4–17–98; 3:03 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F