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[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 10, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 24800-24802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11429]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

[Docket No. 95031062-5121-02; I.D. 021695C]
RIN 0648-AH40

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Groundfish Fishery of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Revised Product Recovery Rate

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces approval of a regulatory amendment to revise 
the standard product recovery rate for pollock, deep skin fillets, and 
product code 24. The revision is necessary to respond to new 
information on the current recovery rate achieved by the groundfish 
processing industry for this product type. This action is intended to 
further the objectives of the fishery management plans (FMPs) for the 
groundfish fisheries off Alaska.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 9, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessment/regulatory impact 
review (EA/RIR) may be obtained from the Alaska Region, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori Gravel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald J. Berg, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Fishing for groundfish by U.S. vessels in the exclusive economic 
zone of the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 
management area is managed by NMFS according to the FMP for Groundfish 
of the Gulf of Alaska and the FMP for the Groundfish Fishery of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area. The FMPs were prepared 
[[Page 24801]] by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council under 
the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act and are 
implemented by regulations governing the U.S. groundfish fisheries at 
50 CFR parts 672 and 675. General regulations that also pertain to U.S. 
fisheries appear at 50 CFR part 620.
    Regulations at Secs. 672.20(j) and 675.20(k) establish standard 
product types and standard product recovery rates (PRRs) for groundfish 
harvested and processed off Alaska. This rule revises the pollock deep 
skin fillet PRR from the current standard of 0.13 to a new standard of 
0.16. An explanation of, and reasons for, this amendment are contained 
in a notice of proposed rulemaking (60 FR 13106, March 10, 1995). That 
document invited comments through April 10, 1995. One letter of comment 
was received. It is summarized and responded to in the Comments 
Received section, below.

Changes in the Final Rule From the Proposed Rule

    None.

Comments Received

    NMFS received one letter of comment on the proposed rule. This 
comment supported the proposed action.
    Comment 1. The standard product recovery rate for pollock deep skin 
fillets should be revised from 0.13 to 0.16.
    Response. NMFS concurs in this comment.
Classification
    The Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation of the 
Department of Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
the Small Business Administration that this rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The following is a summary of information, on which this certification 
was based:

    A Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) was prepared for 
rulemaking that implemented standard product recovery rates for 
groundfish products produced off Alaska. Based on the FRFA, it was 
determined that the standard product recovery rates would have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. Nonetheless, although this particular regulatory amendment 
would affect a substantial number of harvesting vessels, which are 
considered small entities, the effects on those vessels would not 
result in a reduction in annual gross revenues by more than 5 
percent, annual compliance costs of more than 5 percent, or 
compliance costs of least 10 percent higher as a percent of sales 
for large entities.

    A copy of the EA/RIR/FRFA prepared for the final rule that 
implemented standard product recovery rates for groundfish products 
produced off Alaska may be obtained from the Director, Alaska Region, 
NMFS (see ADDRESSES).
    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of E.O. 12866.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

    Fisheries, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: May 3, 1995.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR parts 672 and 
675 are amended as follows:

PART 672--GROUNDFISH FISHERY OF THE GULF OF ALASKA

    1. The authority citation for part 672 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. In Sec. 672.20, paragraph (i)(3) table, entry 24 is revised, and 
in Table 1 to Sec. 672.20 Product Codes 15 through 32 are amended by 
revising the entry for pollock to read as follows:

Sec. 672.20  General limitations.

* * * * *
    (i) * * *
    (3) * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Standard
 Product                                                         product
  code                     Product description                  recovery
                                                                  rate  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        
                  *        *        *        *        *                 
24......  Deep skin fillets...................................      0.16
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *

   Table 1 to Sec. 672.20 (continued).--Target Species Categories, Product Codes and Descriptions, and Standard Product Recovery Rates for Groundfish   
                                              Species Referenced in 50 CFR 672.20(a)(1) and/or 675.20(a)(1)                                             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                Product code                                                            
                   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              20                  22                                                    
    FMP species                 15                                         Fillets:     21     Fillets:      23        24                               
                    Species  Pectoral     16       17       18       19      With    Fillets:    With     Fillets:  Fillets:     30        31    32 Meal
                      code    girdle    Heads    Cheeks   Chins    Belly   skin and   Skin on   ribs on  Skinless/    Deep     Surimi    Mince          
                                                                             ribs     no ribs   no skin  bonesless    skin                              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                                        
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  
Pollock...........      270               0.15                                 0.35      0.30      0.30      0.21       0.16   /1/0.16     0.22     0.17
                                                                                                                               /2/0.17                  
                                                                                                                                                        
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Standard pollock surimi rate during January through June.                                                                                            
\2\Standard pollock surimi rate during July through September.                                                                                          

[[Page 24802]]

PART 675--GROUNDFISH FISHERY OF THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS 
AREA

    3. The authority citation for part 675 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    4. In Sec. 675.20, paragraph (j)(3) table, entry 24 is revised to 
read as follows:

Sec. 675.20  General limitations.

* * * * *
    (j) * * *
    (3) * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Standard
 Product                                                         product
  code                     Product description                  recovery
                                                                  rate  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                * * * * *                               
24......  Deep skin fillets...................................      0.16
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
[FR Doc. 95-11429 Filed 5-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W
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