30524 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 103 / Wednesday, May 28, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 

§ 300.65 Catch sharing plan and domestic 

management measures in waters in and off 

Alaska. 

* * * * * 

(d) Charter vessels in Area 2C and 

Area 3A—(1) General requirements—(i) 

Logbook submission. Alaska Department 

of Fish and Game Saltwater Sport 

Fishing Charter Trip Logbook data 

sheets must be submitted to the 

appropriate Alaska Department of Fish 

and Game office according to the time 

schedule printed in the instructions at 

the beginning of the logbook. 

(ii) The charter vessel guide is 

responsible for complying with the 

reporting requirements of this paragraph 

(d). The employer of the charter vessel 

guide is responsible for ensuring that 

the charter vessel guide complies with 

the reporting requirements of this 

paragraph (d). 

(2) Charter vessels in Area 2C—(i) 

Daily bag limit. The number of halibut 

caught and retained by each charter 

vessel angler in Area 2C is limited to no 

more than one halibut per calendar day. 

(ii) Charter vessel guide and crew 

restriction. A charter vessel guide, a 

charter vessel operator, and any crew 

member of a charter vessel must not 

catch and retain halibut during a charter 

fishing trip. 

(iii) Line limit. The number of lines 

used to fish for halibut must not exceed 

six or the number of charter vessel 

anglers onboard the charter vessel, 

whichever is less. 

(iv) Recordkeeping and reporting 

requirements in Area 2C. Each charter 

vessel angler and charter vessel guide 

onboard a charter vessel in Area 2C 

must comply with the following 

recordkeeping and reporting 

requirements (see paragraphs 

(d)(2)(iv)(A) and (B) of this section): 

(A) Charter vessel angler signature 

requirement. At the end of a charter 

vessel fishing trip, each charter vessel 

angler who retains halibut caught in 

Area 2C must acknowledge that his or 

her information and the number of 

halibut retained (kept) are recorded 

correctly by signing the back of the 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game 

Saltwater Sport Fishing Charter Trip 

Logbook data sheet on the line number 

that corresponds to the angler’s 

information on the front of the logbook 

data sheet. 

(B) Charter vessel guide requirements. 

For each charter vessel fishing trip in 

Area 2C, the charter vessel guide 

onboard the charter vessel is required to 

record the following information (see 

paragraphs (d)(2)(iv)(B)(1) through (8) of 

this section) in the Alaska Department 

of Fish and Game Saltwater Sport 

Fishing Charter Trip Logbook: 

(1) Business owner license number. 

The sport fishing operator business 

license number issued by the Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game to the 

charter vessel guide or the charter vessel 

guide’s employer. 

(2) Guide license number. The Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game sport 

fishing guide license number held by 

charter vessel guide who certified the 

logbook data sheet. 

(3) Date. Month and day for each 

charter vessel fishing trip taken. A 

separate logbook data sheet is required 

for each charter vessel fishing trip if two 

or more trips were taken on the same 

day. A separate logbook data sheet is 

required for each calendar day that 

halibut are caught and retained during 

a multi-day trip. 

(4) Regulatory area fished. Circle the 

regulatory area (Area 2C or Area 3A) 

where halibut were caught and retained 

during each charter vessel fishing trip. 

If halibut were caught and retained in 

Area 2C and Area 3A during the same 

charter vessel fishing trip, then a 

separate logbook data sheet must be 

used to record halibut caught and 

retained for each regulatory area. 

(5) Angler sport fishing license 

number and printed name. Before a 

charter vessel fishing trip begins, record 

for each charter vessel angler the Alaska 

Sport Fishing License number for the 

current year, resident permanent license 

number, or disabled veteran license 

number, and print the name of each 

paying and nonpaying charter vessel 

angler onboard that will fish for halibut. 

Record the name of each youth angler 

under 16 years of age. 

(6) Number of halibut retained. For 

each charter vessel angler, record the 

number of halibut caught and retained 

during the charter vessel fishing trip. 

(7) Signature. At the end of a charter 

vessel fishing trip, acknowledge that the 

recorded information is correct by 

signing the logbook data sheet. 

(8) Angler signature. The charter 

vessel guide is responsible for ensuring 

that anglers comply with the signature 

requirements at paragraph (d)(2)(iv)(A) 

of this section. 

(3) Charter vessels in Area 3A. For 

each charter vessel fishing trip in Area 

3A, the charter vessel guide onboard the 

charter vessel is required to record the 

regulatory area (Area 2C or Area 3A) 

where halibut were caught and kept by 

circling the appropriate area in the 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game 

Saltwater Sport Fishing Charter Trip 

Logbook. If halibut were caught and 

retained in Area 2C and Area 3A during 

the same charter vessel fishing trip, then 

a separate logbook data sheet must be 

used to record halibut caught and 

retained for each regulatory area. 

* * * * * 

■ 6. In § 300.66, revise paragraph (m) 

and add paragraphs (n), (o), and (p) to 

read as follows: 

§ 300.66 Prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(m) Exceed any of the harvest or gear 

limitations specified at § 300.65(d). 

(n) Fail to comply with the 

requirements at § 300.65(d). 

(o) Fail to submit or submit inaccurate 

information on any report, license, catch 

card, application or statement required 

under § 300.65. 

(p) Refuse to present any 

identification card, U.S. Coast Guard 

operator’s license, permit, license, or 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game 

Saltwater Sport Fishing Charter Trip 

logbook upon the request of an 

authorized officer. 

[FR Doc. 08–1301 Filed 5–22–08; 2:39 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 071106673–8011–02] 

RIN 0648–XI14 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Yellowfin Sole by 

Vessels Participating in the 

Amendment 80 Limited Access Fishery 

in Bycatch Limitation Zone 1 of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for yellowfin sole by vessels 

participating in the Amendment 80 

limited access fishery in Bycatch 

Limitation Zone 1 (Zone 1) of the Bering 

Sea and Aleutian Islands management 

area (BSAI). This action is necessary to 

prevent exceeding the 2008 bycatch 

allowance of red king crab in Zone 1 

specified for the trawl yellowfin sole 

fishery category by vessels participating 

in the Amendment 80 limited access 

fishery in the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), May 22, 2008, through 2400 

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2008. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 103 / Wednesday, May 28, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 30525 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Hogan, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI according to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area (FMP) prepared by 

the North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council under authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens 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. 

The 2008 bycatch allowance of red 

king crab in Zone 1 specified for the 

trawl yellowfin sole fishery category by 

vessels participating in the Amendment 

80 limited access fishery for the 

yellowfin sole fishery category in the 

BSAI is 6,100 animals as established by 

the 2008 and 2009 final harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (73 FR 10160, February 26, 2008). 

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

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS, has determined that the 2008 

bycatch allowance of red king crab 

specified for the trawl yellowfin sole 

fishery category by vessels participating 

in the Amendment 80 limited access 

fishery in Zone 1 of the BSAI will be 

caught. Consequently, NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for 

yellowfin sole by vessels participating 

in the Amendment 80 limited access 

fishery in Zone 1 of the BSAI. 

After the effective date of this closure 

the maximum retainable amounts at 

§ 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time 

during a trip. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as it would prevent NMFS from 

responding to the most recent fisheries 

data in a timely fashion and would 

delay the closure of directed fishing for 

yellowfin sole by vessels participating 

in the Amendment 80 limited access 

fishery in Zone 1 of the BSAI. NMFS 

was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of May 21, 

2008. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

This action is required by § 679.21 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: May 22, 2008. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–1299 Filed 5–22–08; 3:26 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with RULES