Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 140 /Wednesday, July 22, 1998 /Rules and Regulations 39241

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: July 17, 1998.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–19504 Filed 7–17–98; 2:15 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 971208297–8054–02; I.D.

071698G]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch

in the Western Regulatory Area of 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 Pacific ocean perch in the

Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of

Alaska (GOA). 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 17, 1998, until 2400

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS

manages the groundfish fishery in the

GOA exclusive economic zone

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. Regulations governing

fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance

with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.

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

the Final 1998 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the GOA (63 FR 12027,

March 12, 1998) established the amount

of the 1998 TAC of Pacific ocean perch

in the Western Regulatory Area of the

Gulf of Alaska as 1,810 metric tons (mt).

The directed fishery for Pacific ocean

perch in the Western Regulatory Area

was closed under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on

July 3, 1998, (63 FR 36863, July 8, 1998)

and reopened on July 15, 1998, (to be

published July 21, 1998).

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 will be reached.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 1,610 mt, and is setting

aside the remaining 200 mt 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 Western Regulatory Area of the

GOA.

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 Western Regulatory

Area of the GOA. 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 50 CFR

679.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: July 17, 1998.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–19505 Filed 7–17–98; 2:14 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 971208297–8054–02; I.D.

071698H]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Pelagic Shelf

Rockfish in the Central Regulatory

Area of 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 pelagic shelf rockfish in the

Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of

Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary

to prevent exceeding the 1998 total

allowable catch (TAC) of pelagic shelf

rockfish in this area.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), July 19, 1998, through 2400

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Pearson, 907–486-6919.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS

manages the groundfish fishery in the

GOA exclusive economic zone

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. Regulations that

govern fishing by U.S. vessels pursuant

to the FMP appear at subpart H of 50

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.

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

the Final 1998 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the GOA (63 FR 12027,

March 12, 1998) established the amount

of the 1998 TAC of pelagic shelf

rockfish in the Central Regulatory Area

of the GOA as 3,260 metric tons (mt).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the 1998 TAC for

pelagic shelf rockfish will be reached.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 3,010 mt, and is setting

aside the remaining 250 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 pelagic shelf

rockfish in the Central Regulatory Area

of the GOA.

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 pelagic

shelf rockfish for the Central Regulatory

Area of the GOA. A delay in the

effective date is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. Further