Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 1995 / Rules and Regulations 11915

* * * * *

Issued on: February 24, 1995.

Ricardo Martinez,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 95–5238 Filed 3–2–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 672

[Docket No. 950206041–5041–01; I.D.

022795A]

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska;

Pollock in the Eastern Gulf

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for pollock in Eastern Regulatory

Area in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This

action is necessary to prevent exceeding

the total allowable catch for pollock in

this area.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 27, 1995, until 12

noon A.l.t., December 31, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael L. Sloan, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive

economic zone is managed by the NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of

Alaska (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 672.

The initial specification for pollock

TAC in the Eastern Regulatory Area in

the GOA was established by final initial

specifications (60 FR 8740, February 14,

1995) as 3,360 metric tons (mt),

determined in accordance with

§ 672.20(c)(1)(ii)(A).

The Director of the Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Director), has

determined, in accordance with

§ 672.20(c)(2)(ii), that the 1995 final

interim specification of pollock in the

Eastern Regulatory Area in the GOA

soon will be reached. The Regional

Director established a directed fishing

allowance of 3,000 mt, and has set aside

the remaining 360 mt as bycatch to

support other anticipated groundfish

fisheries. The Regional Director has

determined that the directed fishing

allowance has been reached.

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting

directed fishing for pollock in the

Eastern Regulatory Area in the GOA.

Directed fishing standards for

applicable gear types may be found in

the regulations at § 672.20(g).

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

672.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: February 27, 1995.

David S. Crestin,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–5219 Filed 2–27–95; 4:41 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

[Docket No. 900833–1095; I.D. 021595C]

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska;

Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands Area; Bycatch

Rate Standards for the First Half of

1995

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Pacific halibut and red king crab

bycatch rate standards; response to

comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS responds to a comment

submitted on Pacific halibut and red

king crab bycatch rate standards for the

first half of 1995. NMFS previously

published these bycatch rate standards

in the Federal Register for comment as

required under regulations

implementing the vessel incentive

program (VIP). No change in the Pacific

halibut or red king crab bycatch rate

standards is specified as a result of this

action.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the

January 12, 1995, final rule is 12:01

a.m., Alaska local time (A.l.t.), January

20, 1995, through 12 midnight, A.l.t.,

June 30, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan J. Salveson, 907–586–7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulations at §§ 672.26 and 675.26

implement a VIP to reduce halibut and

red king crab bycatch rates in the

groundfish trawl fisheries. Regulations

at §§ 672.26(c) and 675.26(c) require

that halibut and red king crab bycatch

rate standards for each fishery included

under the incentive program be

published in the Federal Register.

NMFS published Pacific halibut and

red king crab bycatch rate standards for

the first half of 1995 in the Federal

Register on January 12, 1995 (60 FR

2905), and solicited comments from the

public until January 23, 1995. One letter

of comment was received within the

comment period that is summarized in

the Response to Comments section,

below. After review of the comment

received, NMFS determined that no

change to the bycatch rate standards for

the first half of 1995 is warranted.

Additional information on the

derivation of the 1995 bycatch rate

standards is contained in the January

12, 1995, publication of these standards

in the Federal Register.

Response to Comments

One letter of comment was received

within the comment period that ended

January 23, 1995. A summary of the

comment and NMFS’ response follows.

Comment. Given an agreement among

many vessel operators to use large mesh

trawl gear in the Bering Sea rock sole

fishery to reduce groundfish discard

amounts, NMFS should make

allowances for vessels that have higher

halibut and red king bycatch rates if the

higher rates are a result of decreased

discard amounts of groundfish as a

result of large mesh trawl gear, rather

than increased amounts of halibut or

crab.

Response. The North Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council)

reviewed current and historical halibut

and red king crab bycatch rates when

recommending that NMFS implement

the VIP bycatch rate standards for the

first half of 1995 that were published in

the Federal Register on January 12,

1995. When recommending these rates,

the Council was aware of the fact that

some vessels may use large mesh trawl

gear and that the resulting bycatch rates

of halibut and red king crab could

increase. However, no information was

available on whether the use of large

mesh trawl gear would result in vessel

bycatch rates that exceed the

recommended VIP standard established

for the ‘‘other trawl’’ fishery category,

which includes the rock sole fishery.

The Council, therefore, recommended to

maintain the current VIP bycatch rate

standards until information is available

on which to base a change in these

standards, and regulatory changes are

implemented to allow a separate

bycatch rate standard for the rock sole

fishery.

Voluntary industry efforts to reduce

groundfish discard amounts are

laudable. Nonetheless, NMFS does not