Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 6, 1995 / Rules and Regulations 62339

Source of flooding and location

#Depth in

feet above

ground.

*Elevation

in feet

(NGVD).

At confluence with Taylor Creek .... *2,802

Just upstream of Linda Lane .......... *2,822

At Jupiter Way ................................ *2,831

Approximately 500 feet upstream of

Jupiter Way ................................. *2,846

Approximately 350 feet downstream of East-West Diversion

Channel ....................................... *2,865

At confluence with East-West Diversion Channel .......................... *2,894

Approximately 50 feet downstream

of corporate limits ........................ *2,927

Maps are available for inspection at

La Grande Planning Department, City

Hall, 1000 Adams Avenue, La

Grande, Oregon.

———

Union County (Unincorporated

Areas) (FEMA Docket No. 7146)

Taylor Creek:

At the downstream corporate limit

(220 feet upstream of Gekeler

Lane) ........................................... *2,766

Approximately 750 feet upstream of

the downstream corporate limit ... *2,790

At the upstream corporate limit (approximately 4,120 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane) ......................... *2,957

Approximately 4,320 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane .......................... *2,970

Approximately 4,770 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane .......................... *3,000

Approximately 4,930 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane .......................... *3,030

Approximately 5,165 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane .......................... *3,080

Approximately 5,255 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane .......................... *3,100

Approximately 5,380 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane .......................... *3,120

Approximately 5,440 feet upstream

of Gekeler Lane .......................... *3,126

Maps are available for inspection at

the Union County Planning Department, 1108 K Avenue, La Grande,

Oregon.

South Dakota

Rapid City (City), Pennington County

(FEMA Docket No. 7134)

Rapid Creek:

Approximately 4,500 feet upstream

of Jolly Lane (County Road 274) *3,101

Approximately 5,500 feet downstream of East St. Patrick Street *3,132

Approximately 4,500 feet upstream

of Jolly Lane (County Road 274) *3,101

Approximately 1,200 feet downstream of East St. Patrick Street *3,141

Approximately 1,500 feet upstream

of East St. Patrick Street ............ *3,149

Approximately 300 feet upstream of

Creek Drive ................................. *3,156

Approximately 200 feet upstream of

Campbell Avenue ........................ *3,167

Approximately 300 feet upstream of

Cherry Avenue ............................ *3,173

Approximately 500 feet downstream of East Main Street ......... *3,186

Approximately 500 feet upstream of

Maple Avenue ............................. *3,203

Approximately 450 feet upstream of

East Boulevard ............................ *3,206

Just upstream of Eighth Street ....... *3,227

Approximately 250 feet upstream of

West Omaha Street .................... *3,262

Source of flooding and location

#Depth in

feet above

ground.

*Elevation

in feet

(NGVD).

Approximately 150 feet downstream of Sheridan Lake Drive ... *3,281

Approximately 250 feet upstream of

Jackson Boulevard ...................... *3,314

Approximately 550 feet downstream of Park Drive ................... *3,340

Approximately 1,700 feet upstream

of confluence of Rapid Creek

with Red Rock Canyon ............... *3,386

Maps are available for inspection at

Rapid City Engineering Division, 300

Sixth Street, Rapid City, South Dakota.

TEXAS

Terrell (City), Kaufman County

(FEMA Docket No. 7145)

Kings Creek:

Approximately 150 feet downstream of State Highway 34

(South Crossing) ......................... *439

Approximately 500 feet upstream of

State Highway 34 (South Crossing) .............................................. *443

At Interstate Highway 20 eastbound lanes ................................. *445

At Airport Road ............................... *451

At College Mound Road ................. *458

At East College Street .................... *468

Just upstream of Abandoned Railroad ............................................. *478

Maps are available for inspection at

201 East Nash, Terrell, Texas.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.

83.100, ‘‘Flood Insurance’’)

Dated: November 29, 1995.

Richard T. Moore,

Associate Director for Mitigation.

[FR Doc. 95–29708 Filed 12–5–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6718–04–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Parts 611, 675, 676, and 677

[Docket No. 951128281–5281–01; I.D.

112195D]

Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands; Limited Access;

Foreign Fishing; Interim 1996 Harvest

Specifications

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Interim 1996 harvest

specifications for groundfish, associated

management measures, and closures.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues interim 1996

total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for

each category of groundfish, pollock

Community Development Quota (CDQ)

amounts, and specifications for

prohibited species bycatch allowances

for the groundfish fishery of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands management

area (BSAI). NMFS is closing certain

fisheries as specified in the interim 1996

groundfish specifications. The intended

effect is to conserve and manage the

groundfish resources in the BSAI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 0001 hours, Alaska

local time (A.l.t.), January 1, 1996, until

the effective date of the Final 1996

Initial Harvest Specifications for

Groundfish, which will be published in

the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: The preliminary 1996 Stock

Assessment and Fishery Evaluation

(SAFE) Report, dated September 1995,

is available from the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council, 605 W.

4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK

99501–2252, 907–271–2809.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ellen R. Varosi, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The domestic and foreign groundfish

fisheries in the exclusive economic zone

of the BSAI are managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for Groundfish Fishery of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area

(FMP). The FMP was prepared by the

North Pacific Fishery Management

Council (Council) and approved by

NMFS under the authority of the

Magnuson Fishery Conservation and

Management Act (Magnuson Act). The

FMP is implemented by regulations for

the foreign fishery at 50 CFR part 611

and for the U.S. fisheries at 50 CFR parts

675, 676, and 677. General regulations

that also pertain to the U.S. fisheries

appear at 50 CFR part 620.

The Council met September 27

through October 2, 1995, to review

scientific information concerning

groundfish stocks. The Council adopted

for public review, the preliminary SAFE

Report for the 1996 BSAI groundfish

fisheries. The preliminary SAFE Report,

dated September 1995, provides an

update on the status of stocks. Copies of

the SAFE Report are available from the

Council (see ADDRESSES). The

preliminary TAC amounts for each

species are based on the best available

biological and socioeconomic

information. The Council recommended

preliminary total TAC amounts of

2,000,000 metric tons (mt) and

preliminary total acceptable biological

catch (ABC) amounts of 2,929,885 mt for

the 1996 fishing year.

Under § 675.20(a)(7), NMFS is

publishing in the Proposed Rules

section of this issue of the Federal
62340 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 6, 1995 / Rules and Regulations

Register for review and comment

proposed initial harvest specifications

for groundfish and associated

management measures in the BSAI for

the 1996 fishing year. The proposed

initial specification document contains

detailed information on the 1996

specification process and provides a

discussion of the preliminary ABC

amounts, proposed establishment of the

1996 annual TAC and initial TAC

(ITAC) amounts for each target species

and apportionments thereof among

domestic annual processing (DAP), joint

venture processing (JVP), total allowable

level of foreign fishing (TALFF),

apportionments of each TAC amount, as

applicable, prohibited species catch

(PSC) allowances under § 675.21(b), and

seasonal allowances of pollock and

Pacific cod TAC, as applicable.

Regulations at § 675.20(a)(7)(i) require

that one-fourth of each proposed ITAC

amount and apportionment thereof, onefourth of each PSC allowance

established under § 675.21(b), and the

first seasonal allowances of pollock TAC

and pollock CDQ become effective 0001

hours, A.l.t., January 1, on an interim

basis and remain in effect until

superseded by the final harvest

specifications, which will be published

in the Federal Register.

This action provides interim

specifications and apportionments

thereof for the 1996 fishing year that

will become available on January 1,

1996, on an interim basis. Background

information concerning the 1996

groundfish harvest specification process

upon which this interim action is based

is provided in the proposed initial

specifications appearing in the Proposed

Rules section of this Federal Register

issue.

Species TAC amounts are apportioned

initially among DAP, JVP, TALFF, and

reserves under §§ 611.93(b)(2) and

675.20(a)(2). DAP amounts are intended

for harvest by U.S. fishermen for

delivery and sale to U.S. processors. JVP

amounts are intended for joint ventures

in which U.S. fishermen deliver their

catches to foreign processors at sea.

TALFF amounts are intended for

harvest by foreign fishermen. Existing

harvesting and processing capacity

allows the U.S. industry to utilize the

entire 1996 TAC specified for BSAI

groundfish. Therefore, the Council

recommended that DAP equal TAC for

each species category, which results in

no proposed amounts of TALFF or JVP

for the 1996 fishing year.

As required by § 675.20(a)(3) and

(a)(7)(i), each species’ TAC amount

initially is reduced by 15 percent,

except the hook-and-line and pot gear

allocations for sablefish. The sum of

these 15-percent amounts is the reserve

and may be reapportioned to a target

species or the ‘‘other species’’ category

during the year, providing that such

reapportionments do not result in

overfishing. One half of the pollock TAC

placed in the reserve is designated as a

CDQ reserve for use by CDQ

participants. The ITAC amount for each

species, except the hook-and-line and

pot gear allocations for sablefish, is the

remainder of the TAC amount after

subtraction of the applicable reserve

amount(s). One-fourth of the

preliminary ITAC amount and

apportionment thereof for each target

species will be available on January 1,

1996. However, the first seasonal

allowances of pollock TAC and pollock

CDQ will be available on January 1, in

lieu of the one-fourth interim allocation.

Amendment 18 to the FMP and

Amendment 23 to the Fishery

Management Plan for Groundfish of the

Gulf of Alaska (GOA) established

inshore and offshore component

allocations of pollock in the BSAI and

inshore and offshore component

allocations of pollock and Pacific cod in

the GOA during the years 1993 through

1995. Because Amendments 18 and 23

and their implementing regulations

expire on December 31, 1995, and

because the Council has yet to complete

development of its comprehensive plan

to address problems caused by the open

access nature of the Alaska groundfish

fisheries, the Council voted

unanimously at its June 1995 meeting to

adopt Amendments 38 and 40, which

would extend the provisions of the

expiring amendments through

December 31, 1998. On September 18,

1995, NMFS published a notice of

proposed rulemaking in the Federal

Register to continue the apportionments

between the inshore and offshore

components through 1998 (60 FR

48087). On November 28, 1995, NMFS

determined that Amendment 38 and

Amendment 40 are consistent with the

national standards, other provisions of

the Magnuson Act, and other applicable

laws. A final rule is to be issued shortly.

Consequently, these interim

specifications specify allocations of

pollock to inshore and offshore

components.

1. Interim 1996 BSAI Groundfish

Fishery Specifications

Table 1 provides interim TAC

amounts and apportionments thereof,

interim TAC allocations of pollock to

the inshore and offshore components,

first seasonal allowances of pollock TAC

and pollock CDQ, an interim sablefish

apportionment to trawl gear, and Pacific

cod TAC apportionment to gear types.

These interim specifications become

effective at 0001 hours, A.l.t., January 1,

1996.

Existing regulations at § 675.20(a)(7)(i)

do not provide for an interim

specification for the sablefish CDQ

reserve or for sablefish managed under

the Individual Fishing Quota

management plan. As a result, fishing

for CDQ sablefish and sablefish

harvested with fixed gear is prohibited

until the effective date of the final 1996

BSAI groundfish specifications.

TABLE 1.—INTERIM 1996 TAC AMOUNTS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS MANAGEMENT

AREA (BSAI), BERING SEA (BS), AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (AI).1,2 First Seasonal Allowances of Pollock Allocations

to the Inshore and Offshore Components. First Seasonal Allowances of Pollock Allocations to the Community

Development Quota (CDQ) Program. Allowances of Sablefish to Trawl (TRW) Gear. Allowances of Pacific Cod

to Jig Gear, H/L or Pot, or TRW

[Amounts are in metric tons]

Species/component Area and/or gear type Interim TAC

and CDQ

Pollock: 3,4,5

Inshore .................................................................................................................. BS ............................................................. 167,344

Offshore ................................................................................................................. BS ............................................................. 310,781

Inshore .................................................................................................................. AI .............................................................. 16,839

Offshore ................................................................................................................. AI .............................................................. 31,272

Inshore .................................................................................................................. BogDist ..................................................... 298

Offshore ................................................................................................................. BogDist ..................................................... 553
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 6, 1995 / Rules and Regulations 62341

TABLE 1.—INTERIM 1996 TAC AMOUNTS OF GROUNDFISH FOR THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS MANAGEMENT

AREA (BSAI), BERING SEA (BS), AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (AI).1,2 First Seasonal Allowances of Pollock Allocations

to the Inshore and Offshore Components. First Seasonal Allowances of Pollock Allocations to the Community

Development Quota (CDQ) Program. Allowances of Sablefish to Trawl (TRW) Gear. Allowances of Pacific Cod

to Jig Gear, H/L or Pot, or TRW—Continued

[Amounts are in metric tons]

Species/component Area and/or gear type Interim TAC

and CDQ

CDQ ...................................................................................................................... BS ............................................................. 42,188

CDQ ...................................................................................................................... AI .............................................................. 4,245

CDQ ...................................................................................................................... BogDist ..................................................... 75

Total ...................................................... 573,595

Pacific cod: 6

Jig ............................................................. 1,063

H/L & Pot .................................................. 23,375

TRW .......................................................... 28,688

Total ...................................................... 53,126

Sablefish: 7,8

BS-TRW .................................................... 170

BS-H/L & Pot ............................................ 0

AI-TRW ..................................................... 117

AI-H/L & Pot ............................................. 0

Total ...................................................... 287

Yellowfin sole ............................................................................................................... BSAI .......................................................... 40,375

Other flatfish 9 ............................................................................................................... BSAI .......................................................... 4,152

Squid ............................................................................................................................ BSAI .......................................................... 213

Arrowtooth flounder ...................................................................................................... BSAI .......................................................... 2,173

Pacific ocean perch ...................................................................................................... BS ............................................................. 393

AI .............................................................. 2,231

Total ...................................................... 2,624

Flathead sole ................................................................................................................ BSAI .......................................................... 6,375

Other red rockfish 10 ..................................................................................................... BS ............................................................. 268

Atka mackerel ............................................................................................................... Western AI ................................................ 8,823

Central AI .................................................. 2,380

Eastern AI/BS ........................................... 5,797

Total ...................................................... 17,000

Rock sole ...................................................................................................................... BSAI .......................................................... 12,750

Greenland turbot .......................................................................................................... BS ............................................................. 997

AI .............................................................. 491

Total ...................................................... 1,488

Sharpchin/Northern ...................................................................................................... AI .............................................................. 1,085

Other rockfish 11 ........................................................................................................... BS ............................................................. 70

AI .............................................................. 147

Total ...................................................... 217

Shortraker/rougheye ..................................................................................................... AI .............................................................. 233

Other species 12 ............................................................................................................ BSAI .......................................................... 4,250

BSAI Total Interim TAC ........................ 720,211

(Interim TAC amounts have been rounded.)

1Amounts apply to the entire Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI), Bering Sea (BS), or Aleutian Islands (AI), as indicated. With the exception of pollock, and for purposes of these specifications, the BS includes the Bogoslof District (BogDist). 2Zero amounts of groundfish are proposed for Joint Venture Processing and Total Allowable Level of Foreign Fishing and are not shown in

this table. 3After subtraction of reserves, the ITAC amounts of pollock for each subarea or district are divided into roe and non-roe seasonal allowances.

(See § 675.20(a)(7)(i).) For the BS subarea, the roe and non-roe seasonal allowances are 45 and 55 percent of the pollock ITAC amounts, respectively. The AI subarea and the Bogoslof District receive 100 percent of their respective ITAC seasonal allowance during the roe-season with

the remainder of the respective ITAC seasonal allowance during the non-roe season. 4 Inshore and offshore component allocations are 35 and 65 percent of the ITAC amounts, respectively. (See § 675.20(a)(2)(iii).)
62342 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 6, 1995 / Rules and Regulations

5One-half of the pollock TAC (7.5 percent of each TAC) is placed in a reserve for each subarea or district to be assigned to the Community

Development Quota (CDQ) program. (See § 675.20(a)(3)(ii).) For the BS subarea, the roe and non-roe seasonal allowances are 45 and 55 percent, respectively, of the CDQ pollock reserve. The AI subarea and the Bogoslof District receive 100 percent of their respective CDQ reserve allocations during the roe-season with the remainder of the respective reserve becoming available during the non-roe season. 6The TAC amount for Pacific cod, after subtraction of the reserves, is allocated 2 percent to vessels using jig gear, 44 percent to H/L gear,

and 54 percent to TRW. (See § 675.20(a)(2)(iv).) Pacific cod TAC seasonal apportionments to vessels using H/L or pot gear are not reflected in

the interim TAC amounts. 7Sablefish gear allocations are as follows: In the BS subarea, TRW gear is allocated 50 percent of TAC, and H/L and pot gear is allocated 50

percent. In the AI subarea, TRW gear is allocated 25 percent of TAC and H/L and pot gear is allocated 75 percent. (See § 675.24(c)(1).) Fifteen

percent of the sablefish TRW gear allocation is placed in the nonspecific reserve. One-fourth of the ITAC amount for TRW gear is in effect January 1 as an interim TAC amount. 8The sablefish H/L gear fishery is managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program and subject to regulations contained in subparts

B and C of 50 CFR part 676. Annual IFQ amounts are based on the final TAC amount specified for the sablefish H/L gear fishery as contained

in the final specifications for groundfish. Twenty percent of the sablefish H/L or pot gear final TAC amount will be reserved for use by Community

Development Quota (CDQ) participants. (See § 676.24(b)) Existing regulations at § 675.20(a)(7)(i) do not provide for an interim specification for

the CDQ reserve or an interim specification for sablefish managed under the IFQ program. In addition, under § 676.16(c) retention of sablefish

caught with fixed gear is prohibited unless the harvest is authorized under a valid IFQ permit and IFQ card. In 1996, IFQ permits and IFQ cards

will not be valid prior to the effective date of the 1996 final specifications. Thus, fishing for sablefish with fixed gear is not authorized under these

interim specifications. See §§ 676.20 and 676.23(b) for guidance on the annual allocation of IFQ and the sablefish fishing season. 9 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species except for Pacific halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 10 ‘‘Other red rockfish’’ includes shortraker, rougheye, sharpchin, and northern. 11 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, sharpchin, northern, shortraker, and

rougheye. 12 ‘‘Other species’’ includes sculpins, sharks, skates, eulachon, smelts, capelin, and octopus.

2. Interim Allocation of PSC Limits for

Crab, Halibut, and Herring

Under § 675.21(a), annual PSC limits

are specified for red king crab and

Chionoecetes bairdi Tanner crab in

applicable Bycatch Limitation Zones of

the BS subarea, and for Pacific halibut

and Pacific herring throughout the

BSAI. Regulations under § 675.21(b)

authorize the apportionment of each

PSC limit into PSC allowances for

specified fishery categories.

Regulations at § 675.20(a)(7)(i) require

that one-fourth of each proposed PSC

allowance be made available on an

interim basis for harvest at the

beginning of the fishing year, until

superseded by the final harvest

specifications. The interim PSC limits

are specified in Table 2 and are in effect

on January 1, 1996, at 0001 hours, A.l.t.

TABLE 2.—INTERIM 1996 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL AND NONTRAWL FISHERIES

Trawl fisheries Zone 11 Zone 21 BSAI-wide

Red king crab, number of animals:

yellowfin sole .................................................................................................................................... 12,500

rcksol/oth.flat/flathead sole 2 ............................................................................................................. 27,500

rockfish .............................................................................................................................................. 0

turb/arrow/sab 3 ................................................................................................................................. 0

Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................ 2,500

plck/Atka/othr 4 .................................................................................................................................. 7,500

Total ........................................................................................................................................... 50,000

C. bairdi Tanner crab, number of animals:

yellowfin sole .................................................................................................................................... 56,250 381,250

rcksol/oth.flat/flathead sole ............................................................................................................... 118,750 127,500

turb/arrow/sabl .................................................................................................................................. 0 1,250

rockfish .............................................................................................................................................. 0 2,500

Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................ 56,250 65,000

plck/Atka/othr .................................................................................................................................... 18,750 172,500

Total ........................................................................................................................................... 250,000 750,000

Pacific halibut, mortality (mt):

yellowfin sole .................................................................................................................................... .................... .................... 198

rcksol/oth.flat/flathead sole ............................................................................................................... .................... .................... 183

turb/arrow/sabl .................................................................................................................................. .................... .................... 0

rockfish .............................................................................................................................................. .................... .................... 28

Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................ .................... .................... 398

plck/Atka/othr .................................................................................................................................... .................... .................... 139

Total ........................................................................................................................................... .................... .................... 946

Pacific herring, mt:

midwater pollock 5 ............................................................................................................................. .................... .................... 336

yellowfin sole .................................................................................................................................... .................... .................... 79

rcksol/oth.flat/flathead sole ............................................................................................................... .................... .................... 0

turb/arrow/sabl .................................................................................................................................. .................... .................... 0

rockfish .............................................................................................................................................. .................... .................... 2

Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................ .................... .................... 6

plck/Atka/othr .................................................................................................................................... .................... .................... 42
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 6, 1995 / Rules and Regulations 62343

TABLE 2.—INTERIM 1996 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL AND NONTRAWL

FISHERIES—Continued

Trawl fisheries Zone 11 Zone 21 BSAI-wide

Total ........................................................................................................................................... .................... .................... 465

Nontrawl fisheries:

Pacific halibut, mortality (mt):

Pacific cod Hook-and-line ................................................................................................................. .................... .................... 181

Other nontrawl 6 ................................................................................................................................ .................... .................... 44

Groundfish pot gear .......................................................................................................................... .................... .................... Exempt

Groundfish jig gear ........................................................................................................................... .................... .................... Exempt

Sablefish hook-and-line .................................................................................................................... .................... .................... Exempt

Total ........................................................................................................................................... .................... .................... 225

1 Refer to § 675.2 for definitions of areas. 2 Rock sole and other flatfish fishery category.

3Greenland turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish fishery category.

4Pollock, Atka mackerel, and ‘‘other species’’ fishery category.

5Pollock other than midwater pollock, Atka mackerel, and ‘‘other species’’ fishery category.

6 Includes hook-and-line sablefish, rockfish, and Greenland turbot.

3. Closures to Directed Fishing

Under § 675.20(a)(8), if the Director,

Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional

Director), determines that the amount of

a target species or ‘‘other species’’

category apportioned to a fishery or,

with respect to pollock, to an inshore or

offshore component allocation, is likely

to be reached, the Regional Director may

establish a directed fishing allowance

for that species or species group. If the

Regional Director establishes a directed

fishing allowance, and that allowance is

or will be reached before the end of the

fishing year, NMFS will prohibit

directed fishing for that species or

species group in the specified subarea or

district. Similarly, under §§ 675.21(c)

and 675.21(d), if the Regional Director

determines that a fishery category’s

bycatch allowance of halibut, red king

crab, or C. bairdi Tanner crab for a

specified area has been reached, the

Regional Director will prohibit directed

fishing for each species in that category

in the specified area.

The Regional Director has determined

that the interim TAC amounts of pollock

in the Bogoslof District, Pacific ocean

perch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Island subareas, shortraker/rougheye

rockfish in the Aleutian Islands subarea,

other rockfish in the BSAI, and other

red rockfish in the Bering Sea will be

necessary as incidental catch to support

other anticipated groundfish fisheries

prior to the time that final specifications

for groundfish are in effect for the 1996

fishing year (Table 3). Therefore, NMFS

is prohibiting directed fishing for these

target species and gear types in the

specified area identified in Table 3 to

prevent exceeding the interim amounts

of groundfish TACs specified in Table 1

of this document.

An interim Zone 1 red king crab

bycatch allowance of zero crab is

specified for the rockfish trawl fishery,

which is defined at § 675.21(b)(1)(iii)(D).

Similarly, the interim BSAI halibut

bycatch allowance specified for the

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/

sablefish trawl fishery category, defined

at § 675.21(b)(1)(iii)(C), is 0 mt. The

Regional Director has determined, in

accordance with §§ 675.21(c)(1)(i) and

675.21(c)(iii), that the interim red king

crab bycatch allowance specified for the

trawl rockfish fishery in Zone 1 and the

interim halibut bycatch allowance

specified for the Greenland turbot/

arrowtooth flounder/sablefish trawl

fishery category has been caught.

Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for rockfish in Zone 1 by vessels

using trawl gear, and for Greenland

turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and

sablefish by vessels using trawl gear in

the BSAI (Table 3).

The closures listed in Table 3 will be

in effect during the period that the 1996

interim specifications for groundfish

TAC amounts are in effect beginning at

0001 hours, A.l.t., January 1, 1996, and

will remain in effect until superseded

by the Final 1996 Initial Harvest

Specifications for Groundfish. While

these closures are in effect, the

maximum retainable bycatch amounts at

§ 675.20(h) apply at any time during a

fishing trip. Additional closures and

restrictions may be found in existing

regulations at 50 CFR part 675.

TABLE 3.—CLOSURES TO DIRECTED

FISHING UNDER 1995 INTERIM TAC

AMOUNTS 1

Fishery (All gear) Closed area 2

Pollock in Bogoslof District .... Statistical

Area 518.

Pacific ocean perch ............... Bering Sea.

Eastern AI.3

Central AI.

Western AI.

Shortraker/rougheye rockfish . AI.

Other rockfish 4 ....................... BSAI.

Other red rockfish 5 ................ Bering Sea.

Rockfish (trawl only) .............. Zone 1.

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth/

sablefish (trawl only).

BSAI.

1These closures to directed fishing are in

addition to closures and prohibitions found in

regulations at 50 CFR part 675. 2 Refer to § 675.2 for definitions of areas. 3 ‘‘AI’’ means Aleutian Islands area.

4 In the BSAI, ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes

Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except

for Pacific ocean perch and the ‘‘other red

rockfish’’ species. 5 ‘‘Other red rockfish’’ includes shortraker,

rougheye, sharpchin, and northern.

After consideration of public

comments on the Proposed 1996 Initial

Specifications for Groundfish and

additional scientific information

presented at its December 1995 meeting,

the Council may recommend other

closures to directed fishing. NMFS may

implement other closures at the time the

Final 1996 Initial Harvest Specifications

are implemented or during the 1996

fishing year, as necessary for effective

management.

Classification

This action is authorized under 50

CFR 611.93(b), 675.20, and part 676 and

is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
62344 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 6, 1995 / Rules and Regulations

Dated: December 1, 1995.

Gary Matlock,

Program Management Officer, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–29721 Filed 12–5–95; 8:45 am]

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