28072 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 108 / Tuesday, June 4, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’

fishery category by vessels using trawl

gear in the BSAI.

All other closures remain in full force

and effect.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

675.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: May 29, 1996.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–13843 Filed 5–30–96; 11:39 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 960129019–6019–01; I.D.

052996B]

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands Area; Sharpchin/

Northern Rockfish Species Category in

the Aleutian Islands Subarea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed

fishery for the sharpchin/northern

rockfish species category in the Aleutian

Islands subarea (AI) of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands management area

(BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the sharpchin/

northern rockfish species category total

allowable catch (TAC) in the AI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), May 30, 1996, until 12

midnight, A.l.t., December 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 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 (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 sharpchin/ northern rockfish species

category initial TAC for the AI was

established by the Final 1996 Harvest

Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR

4311, February 5, 1996) as 4,445 metric

tons (mt).

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS

(Regional Director), has determined, in

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

sharpchin/northern rockfish species

category initial TAC in the AI soon will

be reached. Therefore, the Regional

Director has established a directed

fishing allowance of 4,145 mt, with

consideration that 300 mt will be taken

as incidental catch in directed fishing

for other species in the AI. The Regional

Director has determined that the

directed fishing allowance has been

reached. Consequently, NMFS is

prohibiting directed fishing for the

sharpchin/northern rockfish species

category in the AI.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

for applicable gear types may be found

in the regulations at § 675.20(h).

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

675.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: May 30, 1996.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–13949 Filed 5–30–96; 4:21 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F