28070 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 108 / Tuesday, June 4, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

underharvest or overharvest of the

pollock TAC allocated to the inshore

component as authorized by

§ 672.22(a)(2)(iii). In accordance with

672.22(a)(4), NMFS has determined that

closing the season at midnight, A.l.t.,

June 1 after a 12–hour opening is the

least restrictive management adjustment

to achieve the second quarterly

allowance of the pollock TAC allocated

to the inshore component and will

allow other fisheries to continue in

noncritical areas and time periods.

Classification

The Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, NOAA, finds for good cause

that providing prior notice and public

comment or delaying the effective date

of this action is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. Without

this inseason adjustment, NMFS could

not allow this fishery, and the second

quarterly allowance of the pollock TAC

in the Western Regulatory Area of the

GOA would not be harvested in

accordance with the regulatory

schedule, resulting in a seasonal loss of

more than 1.0 million dollars. Under

§ 672.22(c)(2), interested persons are

invited to submit written comments on

this action to the above address until

June 14, 1996.

This action is taken under § 672.22

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. 96–13952 Filed 5–30–96; 4:21 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 672

[Docket No. 960129018–6018–01; I.D.

052896D]

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska;

Pollock in Statistical Area 630

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues an inseason

adjustment closing directed fishing for

pollock by vessels catching pollock for

processing by the inshore component in

Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska

(GOA). This adjustment closes the

fishery 12 hours after its scheduled

opening at noon, A.l.t. June 1, 1996, and

is necessary to allow the harvest of the

total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock in

Statistical Area 630.

DATES: Fishery will be closed midnight,

A.l.t., June 1, 1996, until 12 noon, A.l.t.,

July 1, 1996. Comments must be

received at the following address no

later than 4:30 p.m., A.l.t., June 14,

1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to

Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries

Management Division, Alaska Region,

NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK

99802, Attn: Lori Gravel, or be delivered

to the fourth floor of the Federal

Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau,

AK.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael L. Sloan, 907–581–2062.

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 GOA (FMP)

prepared by the North Pacific Fishery

Management Council under authority of

the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and

Management Act (Magnuson Act).

Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by

regulations implementing the FMP at 50

CFR parts 620 and 672.

As of May 11, 1996, 2,200 metric tons

of pollock remain in the second

quarterly allowance of the inshore

allocation of Statistical Area 630 of the

GOA pollock TAC. In accordance with

§ 672.23 (e), directed fishing for pollock

in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA is

scheduled from 12 noon, A.l.t., June 1

until 12 noon, A.l.t., July 1, 1996, or

until the TAC is reached, whichever

occurs first.

Section 672.23(b) specifies that the

time of all openings and closures of

fishing seasons other than the beginning

and end of the calendar fishing year is

12:00 noon, A.l.t. A fishery opening,

therefore, normally extends for a

minimum of 24 hours. Current

information shows the catching capacity

of vessels catching pollock for

processing by the inshore component is

in excess of 4,000 mt per day. The

Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has

determined that the remaining portion

of the TAC allocated to the inshore

component would be exceeded if a 24–

hour fishery were allowed to occur.

NMFS intends that the TAC should not

be exceeded, and will not allow a 24–

hour directed fishery.

NMFS in accordance with

§ 672.22(a)(1)(i), is adjusting the season

for pollock by vessels catching pollock

for processing by the inshore

component in Statistical Area 630 of the

GOA by allowing the scheduled opening

of the directed fishery at 12:00 noon,

A.l.t., June 1, 1996. The fishery will

remain open until 12:00 midnight, A.l.t.,

June 1 at which time it will be closed.

This action has the effect of opening the

fishery for 12 hours. NMFS is taking this

action to allow a controlled fishery to

occur, thereby preventing either the

underharvest or overharvest of the

pollock TAC allocated to the inshore

component as authorized by

§ 672.22(a)(2)(iii). In accordance with

672.22(a)(4), NMFS has determined that

closing the season at midnight, A.l.t.,

June 1 after a 12–hour opening is the

least restrictive management adjustment

to achieve the second quarterly

allowance of the pollock TAC allocated

to the inshore component and will

allow other fisheries to continue in

noncritical areas and time periods.

Classification

The Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, NOAA, finds for good cause

that providing prior notice and public

comment or delaying the effective date

of this action is impracticable and

contrary to the public interest. Without

this inseason adjustment, NMFS could

not allow this fishery, and the second

quarterly allowance of the pollock TAC

in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA

would not be harvested in accordance

with the regulatory schedule, resulting

in a seasonal loss of more than 450

thousand dollars. Under § 672.22(c)(2),

interested persons are invited to submit

written comments on this action to the

above address until June 14, 1996.

This action is taken under § 672.22

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. 96–13951 Filed 5–30–96; 4:21 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 672

[Docket No. 960129018–6018–01; I.D.

052896C]

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska;

Pollock in Statistical Area 620

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues an inseason

adjustment closing directed fishing for

pollock by vessels catching pollock for

processing by the inshore component in