10040 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 36 / Thursday, February 23, 1995 / Rules and Regulations

553(d)(3) not to delay the effectiveness

of this temporary rule for 30 days.

Otherwise the regular season could

open as early as February 26, 1995,

preceded by a 72–hour closure

beginning on February 23.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 663

Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements.

Dated: February 16, 1995.

Gary Matlock,

Program Management Officer, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

For the reasons set out in the

preamble, 50 CFR part 663 is

temporarily amended effective February

17, 1995, through September 1, 1995, as

follows:

PART 663—PACIFIC COAST

GROUNDFISH FISHERY

l. The authority citation for part 663

continues to read as follows:

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

2. In § 663.23, paragraphs (b)(2)(i)

through (b)(2)(iv) are suspended, and

paragraph (b)(2)(v) is added to read as

follows:

§ 663.23 Catch restrictions.

* * * * *

(b) * * *

(2) * * *

(v) The regular season for the

nontrawl sablefish fishery is postponed

pending the establishment of a new

season structure. Trip landing,

frequency, and/or size limits may be

imposed under paragraph (c) of this

section.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 95–4445 Filed 2–17–95; 3:02 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 950206040–5040–01; I.D.

021795B]

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands Area; Offshore

Component Pollock in the Bering Sea

Subarea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed

fishery for pollock by vessels catching

pollock for processing by the offshore

component in the Bering Sea subarea

(BS) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands management area (BSAI). This

action is necessary to prevent exceeding

the first allowance of the pollock total

allowable catch (TAC) for the offshore

component in this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 21, 1995, until 12

noon, A.l.t., August 15, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew N. Smoker, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area

(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council under

authority of the Magnuson Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by

regulations implementing the FMP at 50

CFR parts 620 and 675.

In accordance with § 675.20(a)(7)(ii),

the first seasonal allowance of pollock

for vessels catching pollock for

processing by the offshore component in

the BS was established by the final

groundfish specifications (60 FR 8479,

February 14, 1995), as 310,781 metric

tons (mt).

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS

(Regional Director), has determined in

accordance with § 675.20(a)(8), that the

first allowance of pollock TAC for the

offshore component in the BS soon will

be reached. Therefore, the Regional

Director has established a directed

fishing allowance of 300,781 mt with

consideration that 10,000 mt will be

taken as incidental catch in directed

fishing for other species in the BS.

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting

directed fishing for pollock by vessels

catching pollock for processing by the

offshore component in the BS.

Directed fishing standards for

applicable gear types may be found in

the regulations at § 675.20(h).

Classification

This action is taken under § 675.20

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: February 17, 1995.

Alfred Bilik,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–4446 Filed 2–17–95; 3:15 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 950206040–5040–01; I.D.

021795A]

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands Area; Rock Sole/

Flathead Sole/‘‘Other Flatfish’’

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed

fishery for species in the rock sole/

flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery

category by vessels using trawl gear in

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to prevent exceeding the first

seasonal bycatch allowance of Pacific

halibut apportioned to the trawl rock

sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’

fishery category in the BSAI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 21, 1995, until 12

noon, A.l.t., March 30, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew N. Smoker, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area

(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific

Fishery Management Council under

authority of the Magnuson Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by

regulations implementing the FMP at 50

CFR parts 620 and 675.

The first seasonal bycatch allowance

of Pacific halibut for the BSAI trawl

rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’

fishery category, which is defined at

§ 675.21(b)(1)(iii)(B)(2), was established

as 428 metric tons (mt) by the 1995

initial specifications (60 FR 8479,

February 14, 1995).

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS,

has determined, in accordance with

§ 675.21(c)(1)(iii), that the first seasonal

bycatch allowance of Pacific halibut

apportioned to the trawl rock sole/

flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery in

the BSAI has been caught. Therefore,

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for

species in the rock sole/flathead sole/

‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery category by

vessels using trawl gear in the BSAI.

Directed fishing standards for

applicable gear types may be found in

the regulations at § 675.20(h).