23182 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 010413094–1094–01; I.D.

032101A]

RIN 0648–AP10

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act

Provisions; Fisheries of the

Northeastern United States; Atlantic

Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Emergency interim rule; request

for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues this emergency

interim rule to govern fishing in the

Atlantic deep-sea red crab (Chaceon

quinquedens) (red crab) fishery. This

rule implements a total allowable catch

(TAC) of 2.5 million lb (1,134 mt) of red

crab; a possession limit of 65,000 lb

(29.5 mt) of whole red crab or its

equivalent; a trap/pot limit of 600 pots;

and an incidental catch of 100 lb (45.4

kg) of whole red crab per fishing trip.

This rule also establishes the

requirements for a letter of authorization

(LOA), for vessel reporting via an

interactive voice response (IVR) system,

and for submission of vessel trip reports

(VTR) for the red crab fishery. The

intended effect of this rule is to prevent

or eliminate overfishing and provide

immediate protection of the red crab

stock in the previously unregulated

Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery in the

Northeast region until a Federal fishery

management plan (FMP) is

implemented.

DATES: This emergency interim rule is

effective from May 18, 2001, through

November 14, 2001.

Written comments must be received

no later than 5 p.m. local time on June

7, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be sent to, and copies of the

Environmental Assessment/Regulatory

Impact Review supporting this action

may be obtained from, Patricia A.

Kurkul, Regional Administrator,

National Marine Fisheries Service, One

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Comments regarding the collection-ofinformation requirements contained in

this emergency interim rule should be

sent to the Regional Administrator and

to the Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget (OMB),

Washington, DC 20503 (Attn: NOAA

Desk Officer).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E.

Martin Jaffe, Fishery Policy Analyst,

978–281–9272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Deep-sea red crabs are typically slow

growing, and major recruitment events

are believed to occur rarely, leaving this

resource particularly vulnerable to

overfishing. Prior to March 1, 2000 (the

‘‘control date’’ that may be used for

establishing eligibility criteria for

determining levels of access to the red

crab fishery, should access be regulated

in the future), the largest reported vessel

in the red crab fishery was 120 ft (36.6

m) in length overall and the average

hold capacity of vessels in the fleet was

between 60,000 and 65,000 lb (27.2 mt

and 29.5 mt) of whole crab product. As

of the control date, no vessel reportedly

fished more than 600 pots, and none

had the ability to process completely

crabs on board. (‘‘Process completely’’

means that the harvested crabs are

picked, cleaned, cooked, and frozen.)

All but one of the five vessels in the

fishery prior to the control date land

their crabs whole and alive. The

remaining vessel reportedly butchers

the crabs on board, which means the

crab is cut in half and the carapace

removed (with a recovery rate of about

58 percent, by weight, of the whole

crab). The principal method of fishing

for these vessels is to steam to the

fishing grounds, set and haul baited

traps, and return to port quickly in order

to ensure fresh product. Trips are

limited in length primarily by the hold

capacity of the vessel and by the need

to keep the product fresh and, for most

vessels, alive.

In late 2000, two additional vessels

reportedly entered the red crab fishery.

Both of these vessels are larger than the

rest of the fleet, reportedly on the order

of 150 ft (45.7 m) in length overall, and

are catcher-processor vessels with the

capability of extensive processing

(picking, cleaning, cooking and freezing)

of crab product on board while at sea.

The hold capacity of these vessels is

also larger than that of the other vessels

in the fleet--one vessel reportedly has a

hold capacity of up to 300,000 lb (136.1

mt) and the other up to 185,000 lb (84

mt). Each of these vessels is reported to

be fishing similar numbers of traps/pots

as the other vessels in the fleet. Further,

in early 2001, a third new vessel

reportedly entered the red crab fishery,

and more vessels may be considering

entering this fishery.

The most recent information available

on deep-sea red crabs and the red crab

fishery, which is based on a 1977

assessment, indicates that there is a

maximum sustainable yield (MSY) of

approximately 5.5 million lb (2,495 mt)

and that four to six vessels fishing at

historical levels of capacity represent

the maximum amount of harvesting

effort that can be sustained by the

resource in order not to exceed the

MSY. The addition of up to three new

vessels, with a potential for more,

threatens not only the resource but also

the viability of the existing fishery

unless restrictive measures are put into

place. While the non-processor vessels

fill their holds with whole and, in most

cases, live crabs, the catcher-processor

vessels have the capability to fill their

holds with processed frozen crab meat

and thus land an equivalent live weight

product of 5 to 30 times higher than the

non-processor vessels (depending on

hold capacity and processing recovery

rate).

Since there were only five vessels in

the fishery at the time of the control

date, and given the evidence that

harvesting capacity on that date was

sufficient to utilize fully the available

resource, additional harvesting capacity

after the control date threatens the

fishery. Concerns for overharvesting are

increased if vessels entering the fishery

after the control date are significantly

larger in hold capacity and/or are

capable of processing red crab at sea.

Given an MSY for the Northeast

region of 5.5 million lb (2,495 mt) and

a hold capacity of approximately 65,000

lb (29.5 mt) of whole crab, each of the

five vessels fishing in the red crab

fishery prior to the March 1, 2000,

control date could take a maximum of

1.3 percent of the MSY per trip. A

catcher-processor vessel, with a hold

capacity of 300,000 lb (136.1 mt) of

finished product, could take

approximately 16 to 30 percent of the

MSY per trip (depending on processing

recovery rate). Given the recent red crab

landings by vessels that fished for red

crab prior to the control date,

incremental effort by those vessels and

effort by new vessels could result in

overfishing.

In fact, even without new entrants,

overfishing may be occurring.

Preliminary reports from the industry

suggest that existing vessels harvested

approximately 7 million lb (3,175.2 mt)

of red crab in 2000, roughly 125 percent

of the MSY estimate.

At its January 23, 2001, meeting, the

New England Fishery Management

Council (Council) approved a motion to

request that the Secretary of Commerce

(Secretary) use his authority under

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Rules and Regulations 23183

section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) to

promulgate emergency regulations to

address the potential for a rapid

increase in the harvesting of red crab

and to halt or prevent overfishing, while

providing immediate protection to the

red crab resource as the Council

develops an FMP for red crab.

Section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act authorizes the Secretary to

implement emergency regulations or

interim measures, if necessary, to

address an emergency or overfishing,

regardless of whether an FMP exists for

such fishery. These emergency

regulations may remain in effect for no

more than 180 calendar days after the

date of publication in the Federal

Register, with a possible 180-day

extension, provided the public has an

opportunity to comment on the

measures. In the case where emergency

regulations are implemented at the

request of the Council, an extension is

justified only if the Council is actively

preparing an FMP (or an FMP

amendment or other regulations) to

address the emergency or overfishing on

a permanent basis.

For the reasons stated above, NMFS

concurs with the Council’s

determination that the current

exploitation of the red crab resource,

combined with the likelihood of

immediate, significant increases in total

exploitation, constitutes an emergency

situation that presents significant

conservation problems. Although the

precise level of harvest is unknown,

recently reported landings have been at

or in excess of the historical MSY. With

the arrival of new harvesting capacity

and the probability that total capacity

could increase several-fold in the next

few months, there is strong justification

for the Secretary’s intervention in

preventing overfishing.

This emergency rule contains

measures that, NMFS believes, will

prevent or eliminate overfishing of the

red crab stock in the short term in the

EEZ from Cape Hatteras Light, NC,

northward to the U.S.-Canada border.

This area was chosen for regulation

because it encompasses, based on

available information, the portions of

the red crab stock currently being

harvested. The measures include a TAC

of 2.5 million lb (1,134 mt) of red crab

for the 180-day period of effectiveness

for this emergency rule, which is based

on an annual TAC of 5.0 million lb

(2,268 mt); a possession limit of 65,000

lb (29.5 mt) of whole red crab or its

equivalent; a trap/pot limit of 600 pots;

and an incidental catch of 100 lb (45.4

kg) of whole red crab per trip. This rule

also establishes the requirements for a

LOA, for vessel reporting via an IVR

system, and for submission of VTRs for

the red crab fishery.

As mentioned previously, a regionwide MSY estimate of red crab is

approximately 5.5 million lb (2,495 mt).

The 1977 red crab assessment, which

was based on a 1974 survey conducted

prior to the establishment of the Hague

Line, included portions of Georges Bank

that are now in Canadian waters. Since

92.4 percent of the total exploitable

biomass abundance was in U.S. waters,

an appropriate annual TAC for the area

chosen for regulation is approximately 5

million lb (2,268 mt).

The establishment of a 2.5-million lb

(1,134-mt) TAC sets an upper limit on

the amount of red crab available to be

harvested during the 180-day

effectiveness period of these emergency

regulations. When NMFS determines

that total landings of red crab are

projected to have reached the TAC, the

directed red crab fishery will be closed

and fishing for, and landings of, red crab

in amounts greater than the incidental

catch limit will be prohibited. NMFS

has set the TAC at a level that will

ensure, to the extent possible, that

overfishing does not occur.

This action establishes a 65,000-lb

(29.5-mt) possession limit, which is the

average hold capacity of the nonprocessing red crab vessels that fished

historically, at least 1 year prior to and

including the control date of March 1,

2000. The possession limit applies to

landings of whole or processed red

crabs equivalent to 65,000 lb (29.5 mt)

of whole crabs. The ratio of whole crab

weight to finished product weight for

crab parts, other than whole crabs or

meat only, is 1.72 to 1. The ratio of

whole crab weight to finished product

weight for crabs that have been picked,

cleaned, cooked, and frozen (that is,

meat only) is 4 to 1. Vessels that land

whole crabs and that have hold

capacities of approximately 65,000 lb

(29.5 mt) should be able to continue

fishing at or near their historical levels.

Vessels with significantly larger hold

capacities than 65,000 lb (29.5 mt) will

be able to participate in the fishery but

will likely be constrained in their ability

to fish efficiently for red crab. Setting

the trip limit at 65,000 lb (29.5 mt) is

intended to help prevent a derby-type

fishery and is intended to allow the

greatest number of vessels with a recent

history in the fishery to continue to fish

in a safer, more economical manner,

while not expressly precluding red crab

fishing by any vessel that chooses to fish

under the emergency provisions. The

transferring of red crab at sea, either

whole or processed, is prohibited

pursuant to § 648.265(b). Purchasing,

possessing or receiving for a commercial

purpose, more than 100 lb (45.4 kg) of

whole red crab, or its equivalent as

specified at § 648.265(a), caught by a

vessel in the EEZ that has not been

issued a valid LOA under this subpart,

is also prohibited pursuant to

§ 648.265(c).

This action also establishes a trap/pot

limit of 600 pots. No vessel reportedly

fished more than 600 pots as of the

control date and this pot limit is not

expected to be a restriction for vessels

currently fishing for red crab, including

the newly entered vessels. This pot limit

could, however, serve to prevent any

vessel from increasing the number of

pots it fishes, in the face of trip limits.

Therefore, with a vessel spreading its

effort out and catching its trip limit over

several days, rather than sooner, the

fishery is prevented from being

converted into a derby-type fishery.

For non-red crab directed trips, data

from 1998 and 1999 show that the

median catch was 115 lb (52.2 kg) per

trip. An incidental catch limit of 100 lb

(45.4 kg) of whole red crab per fishing

trip, or its equivalent as discussed

above, is established by this emergency

action for vessels fishing without a LOA

in order to allow historical incidental

catches to continue. While NMFS’

databases show a total incidental catch

of red crab of 13,594 lb (6,166 kg) in

1998 and of 10,852 lb (4,922.5 kg) in

1999, this is very likely to be an

underestimate, given the uncertainty in

the data. Nevertheless, the total allowed

incidental catch, which is not counted

against the TAC, is expected to be

insignificant and should not undermine

the benefits of having a TAC.

In conjunction with the

aforementioned measures, vessels

intending to fish for or land more than

the allowed incidental catch limit for

red crab are required to obtain an LOA

issued by the Administrator, Northeast

Region, NMFS, by requesting one, in

writing, from the Northeast Region

Permit Office (see ADDRESSES) or by

calling the Permit Office at 978–281–

9370.

To allow for monitoring of the TAC,

vessels that obtain an LOA are required

to report their red crab catch landings

via an IVR system (the IVR reporting

system used to monitor harvest levels

for certain species in the fisheries of the

Northeast) upon returning to port for

each trip until the expiration of these

emergency regulations or until such

time that the TAC has been reached and

the fishery closed, whichever comes

first.

To enable the gathering of data for the

fishery that are necessary for the

23184 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

development of a Red Crab FMP, vessels

that obtain an LOA are required to file

a VTR, consistent with these emergency

regulations, for the duration of these

emergency regulations or until such

time that the TAC has been reached and

the fishery closed, whichever comes

first.

The red crab fishery falls under the

Marine Mammal Protection Act

Category I Lobster Trap/Pot fishery.

Therefore, vessels in this fishery are

required to comply with the applicable

gear restrictions for that fishery,

including a required weak link at the

buoy that breaks away knotless at 3,780

lb (1,714.6 kg) and a requirement for

marking of gear as specified at § 229.32.

Also, red crab fishing gear, fished in 200

fathoms (365.8 m) or less by a vessel

issued a limited access lobster permit

under § 697.4(a), must comply with the

trap tagging requirements specified at

§ 697.19.

Classification

The AA finds that the need to provide

immediate protection to the Atlantic

deep-sea red crab stock to protect it

from overfishing constitutes good cause

to waive the requirement to provide

notice and the opportunity for public

comment, pursuant to authority set forth

at 5 U.S.C. 553 (b)(B), as such

procedures would be contrary to the

public interest. Similarly, the need to

implement these measures in a timely

manner to protect the stock from

overfishing constitutes good cause,

under authority contained in 5 U.S.C.

553(d)(3), to partially waive the 30-day

delay in effective date otherwise

required by 5 U.S.C. 553(d). The reason

for the partial waiver is to allow vessel

owners 10 days to obtain the necessary

vessel LOA and fishing logs.

This emergency rule has been

determined to be not significant for the

purposes of E.O. 12866.

This rule is exempt from the

analytical requirements of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act because no

public comments are required under 5

U.S.C. 553 et seq. and no other law

mandates the application of such

requirements.

Notwithstanding any other provision

of law, no person is required to respond

to nor shall any person be subject to a

penalty for failure to comply with a

collection of information subject to the

requirements of the Paperwork

Reduction Act (PRA) unless that

collection-of-information displays a

currently valid OMB control number.

This rule contains four collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the

PRA. The collection of this information

has been approved by OMB, and the

OMB control numbers and the estimated

time for a response are as follows:

Letters of authorization, OMB control

number 0648–0202 (5 minutes/

response).

Observer deployment, OMB control

number 0648–0202 (2 minutes/

response).

Vessel trip reports, OMB control

number 0648–0212 (5 minutes/

response).

IVR system reports, OMB control

number 0648–0212 (4 minutes/

response).

The aforementioned response

estimates include the time for reviewing

instructions, searching existing data

sources, gathering and maintaining the

data needed, and completing and

reviewing the collection of information.

Send comments regarding these burden

estimates, or any other aspect of the data

requirements, including suggestions for

reducing the burden, to NMFS and OMB

(see ADDRESSES).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 648

Fishing, Fisheries, Vessel permits,

Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements.

Dated: May 2, 2001.

John Oliver,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

For the reasons set out in the

preamble, 50 CFR part 648 is amended

as follows:

PART 648—FISHERIES OF THE

NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

1. The authority citation for part 648

continues to read as follows:

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

2. Subpart M is added to read as

follows:

Subpart M—Emergency Measures for

the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab

Fishery

Sec.

648.260 Purpose and scope.

648.261 Definitions.

648.262 Vessel letters of authorization

(LOA).

648.263 Recordkeeping and reporting

requirements.

648.264 Closure.

648.265 Possession and landing limits.

648.266 Trap/pot limits.

648.267 Incidental catch.

648.268 Prohibitions.

Subpart M—Emergency Measures for

the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab

Fishery

§ 648.260 Purpose and scope.

These regulations implement

emergency measures, under the

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,

to manage the red crab fishery in the

EEZ in U.S. waters of the western

Atlantic Ocean from 35°15.3′ N. Lat., the

latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC,

northward to the U.S.-Canada border.

§ 648.261 Definitions.

In addition to the definitions in the

Magnuson-Stevens Act, 50 CFR part

600, and in § 648.2, the terms in this

subpart have the following meaning:

Red crab means Chaceon

quinquedens.

Trap/pot means any structure or

other device, other than a net, that is

placed, or designed to be placed, on the

ocean bottom and is designed for, or is

capable of, catching red crabs.

§ 648.262 Vessel letters of authorization

(LOA).

(a) Any vessel of the United States

must have been issued and have on

board a valid LOA from the Northeast

Regional Administrator to fish for,

catch, possess, transport, land, sell,

trade, barter, or process at sea more than

100 lb (45.4 kg) of red crab, or its

equivalent as specified at § 648.265(a),

per fishing trip in or from the EEZ from

35°15.3′ N. Lat., the latitude of Cape

Hatteras Light, NC, northward to the

U.S.-Canada border.

(b) An LOA, once issued, shall be

effective until the TAC has been reached

and the fishery has been closed as

specified under § 648.264.

(c) An LOA, for the purposes of this

subpart, may be obtained by telephone

or written request to the Northeast

Region Permit Office.

§ 648.263 Recordkeeping and reporting

requirements.

(a) The owner or operator of a vessel

issued a valid LOA under this subpart

must comply with the recordkeeping

and reporting requirements prescribed

in this subpart, unless the TAC has been

reached and the fishery has been closed

as specified in § 648.264. The owner or

operator of a vessel that has been issued

a valid LOA under this subpart must

report red crab landings per fishing trip

via an IVR system within 24 hours after

returning to port and offloading. The

IVR report does not exempt the owner

or operator from any other applicable

reporting requirements of this part and

shall include at least the following

information, and any other information

required by the Regional Administrator:

Vessel identification, pounds of red crab

landed, and pounds of red crab

discarded at sea, in accordance with the

conversion factor specified in

§ 648.265(a), if applicable.

(b) The owner or operator of a vessel

issued a valid LOA under this subpart

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Rules and Regulations 23185

must maintain on board the vessel, and

submit to the Northeast Regional

Administrator, an accurate fishing log

report for each fishing trip, on forms

supplied by or approved by the

Northeast Regional Administrator. Log

reports must be filled out before landing

any red crab or its equivalent.

Information in log reports must be

provided in accordance with

§ 648.7(b)(1)(i). Fishing vessel log

reports, including negative fishing

reports, must be postmarked or received

by the Northeast Regional Administrator

within 15 days after the end of the

reporting month. Each vessel owner will

be sent forms and instructions,

including the address to which reports

are to be submitted, along with the LOA

issued under this subpart. This log

report does not exempt the owner or

operator from other applicable reporting

requirements of this part.

§ 648.264 Closure.

NMFS shall prohibit any further

fishing for, catching, landing, or

processing at sea of red crab, in a fishing

period for which NMFS has established

a TAC, other than incidental catch as

specified at § 648.267, as of the date

NMFS determines that the total landings

of red crab will reach or exceed that

TAC. NMFS shall publish notification of

this prohibition in the Federal Register,

without further opportunity for public

comment.

§ 648.265 Possession and landing limits.

(a) A vessel or operator of a vessel that

has been issued a valid LOA under this

subpart may fish for, catch, possess,

transport, land, sell, trade, barter, or

process at sea up to 65,000 lb (29.5 mt)

of whole red crab (including culls) or its

equivalent, per fishing trip. For red crab

meat-only, the equivalent weight of

whole red crab is the weight of red crab

meat multiplied by 4. For red crab parts

other than whole or meat-only, the

equivalent weight of whole red crab is

the weight of red crab parts multiplied

by 1.72.

(b) A vessel may not transfer at sea,

either directly or indirectly, or attempt

to transfer at sea to any vessel, any red

crab, or its equivalent, taken in or from

the EEZ.

(c) No person may purchase, possess,

or receive for a commercial purpose,

more than 100 lb (45.4 kg) of whole red

crab, or its equivalent as specified at

§ 648.265(a), caught in the EEZ by a

vessel that has not been issued a valid

LOA under this subpart.

§ 648.266 Trap/pot limits.

A vessel or operator of a vessel may

possess, haul, harvest red crab from, or

carry on board a vessel, up to a total of

600 traps/pots when fishing for,

catching, or landing red crab.

§ 648.267 Incidental catch.

Any vessel or operator of a vessel that

has not been issued a valid LOA under

this subpart, or a vessel or operator of

a vessel that has been issued a valid

LOA under this subpart and the

prohibition specified at § 648.264 takes

effect, is authorized to possess and land

no more than 100 lb (45.4 kg) of whole

red crab, or its equivalent, per trip.

§ 648.268 Prohibitions.

(a) In addition to the general

prohibitions specified in § 600.725 of

this chapter and in § 648.14, it is

unlawful for any person to do any of the

following:

(1) Fish for, catch, possess, transport,

land, sell, trade, barter or process at sea

more than 100 lb (45.4 kg) of whole red

crab, or its equivalent as specified at

§ 648.265(a), per fishing trip, in or from

the EEZ from 35°15.3′ N. Lat., the

latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC,

northward to the U.S.-Canada border,

unless in possession of a valid LOA

issued by the Northeast Regional

Administrator under this subpart.

(2) Fail to comply with the

recordkeeping and reporting

requirements of § 648.263.

(3) Fish for, catch, possess, transport,

land, sell, trade, barter or process at sea

red crab in excess of a landing limit

specified in § 648.265.

(4) Possess, haul, harvest red crab

from, or carry on board a vessel, more

than a total of 600 traps/pots when

fishing for, catching, or landing red crab

as specified at § 648.266.

(5) Transfer at sea, either directly or

indirectly, or attempt to transfer at sea

to any vessel, any red crab, or its

equivalent as specified at § 648.265(a),

taken in or from the EEZ.

(6) Purchase, possess, or receive for a

commercial purpose, more than the

incidental catch level specified in

§ 648.267 of red crab caught in the EEZ

from 35°15.3′ N. Lat., the latitude of

Cape Hatteras Light, NC, northward to

the U.S.-Canada border by a vessel that

has not been issued a valid LOA under

this subpart.

(b) [Reserved]

[FR Doc. 01–11460 Filed 5–2–01; 4:57 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[Docket No. 010502110–1110–01; I.D.

042401D]

RIN 0648–AO49

Fisheries Off West Coast States and in

the Western Pacific; West Coast

Salmon Fisheries; 2001 Management

Measures

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Annual management measures

for the ocean salmon fishery; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS establishes fishery

management measures for the 2001

ocean salmon fisheries off Washington,

Oregon, and California and the 2002

salmon seasons opening earlier than

May 1, 2002. Specific fishery

management measures vary by fishery

and by area. The measures establish

fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear,

recreational fishing days and catch

limits, possession and landing

restrictions, and minimum lengths for

salmon taken in the U.S. exclusive

economic zone (EEZ) (3-200 nm) off

Washington, Oregon, and California.

The management measures are intended

to prevent overfishing and to apportion

the ocean harvest equitably among

treaty Indian and non-treaty commercial

and recreational fisheries. The measures

are also intended to allow a portion of

the salmon runs to escape the ocean

fisheries in order to provide for

spawning escapement and for inside

fisheries (fisheries occurring in state

internal waters).

DATES: Effective from 0001 hours Pacific

Daylight Time, May 2, 2001, until the

effective date of the 2002 management

measures, as published in the Federal

Register. Comments must be received by

May 23, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the

management measures and the related

environmental assessment (EA) may be

sent to Donna Darm, Acting Regional

Administrator, Northwest Region,

NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E.,

Seattle, WA 98115–0070, fax: 206–526–

6376; or to Rebecca Lent, Regional

Administrator, Southwest Region,

NMFS, 501 West Ocean Boulevard,

Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802–

4213, fax: 562–980–4018. Comments