38342 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 136 /Thursday, July 16, 1998 /Rules and Regulations

NMFS has determined that as of July

9, 1998, 1,400 mt remain in the directed

fishing allowance. Therefore, NMFS is

terminating the previous closure and is

opening directed fishing for ‘‘other

rockfish’’ in the Eastern Regulatory Area

of the GOA.

All other closures remain in full force

and effect. This action responds to the

best available information recently

obtained from the fishery. It must be

implemented immediately in order to

allow full utilization of the ‘‘other

rockfish’’ TAC. Providing prior notice

and opportunity for public comment for

this action is impracticable and contrary

to the public interest. Further delay

would only disrupt the FMP objective of

providing the ‘‘other rockfish’’ TAC for

harvest. NMFS finds for good cause that

the implementation of this action

cannot be delayed for 30 days.

Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a

delay in the effective date is hereby

waived. 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: July 10, 1998.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–18891 Filed 7–10–98; 4:48 pm]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 971208298–8055–02; I.D.

071098B]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch

in the Central 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 prohibiting directed

fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the

Central Aleutian District of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands management

area (BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the 1998 total

allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific ocean

perch in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), July 11, 1998, until 2400

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 1998.

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 CFR

part 679.

The 1998 TAC of Pacific ocean perch

for the Central Aleutian District was

established by Final 1998 Harvest

Specifications of Groundfish for the

BSAI (63 FR 12689, March 16, 1998) as

3,192 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 1998 TAC for

Pacific ocean perch in the Central

Aleutian District will be reached.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 2,192 mt, and is setting

aside the remaining 1,000 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 has been reached.

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting

directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch

in the Central Aleutian District.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

may be found in the regulations 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 to prevent

overharvesting the 1998 TAC of Pacific

ocean perch for the Central Aleutian

District of the BSAI. A delay in the

effective date is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. Further

delay would only result in overharvest.

NMFS finds for good cause that the

implementation of this action should

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 § 679.20

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: July 10, 1998.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–18890 Filed 7–10–98; 4:48 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F