33386 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 125 / Thursday, June 27, 1996 / Rules and Regulations

partnership that changes, as defined in

this paragraph, must be transferred to an

individual, as prescribed in § 679.41 of

this part, before it may be used at any

time after the effective date of the

change.

(k) Processing of fish other than IFQ

halibut and IFQ sablefish. Fish other

than IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish may

be processed on a vessel on which

persons:

(1) Are authorized to harvest IFQ

halibut or IFQ sablefish based on

allocations of IFQ resulting from QS

assigned to vessel category A; or

(2) Are authorized to harvest IFQ

sablefish based on allocations of IFQ

resulting from QS assigned to vessel

categories B or C unless any person

aboard the vessel is authorized to

harvest IFQ halibut based on allocations

of IFQ resulting from QS assigned to

vessel categories B, C, or D.

[FR Doc. 96–16379 Filed 6–26–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–W

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 960129019–6019–01, I.D.

062196C]

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands Area; Pacific Cod by

Vessels Using Trawl Gear

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed

fishery for Pacific cod 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 Pacific cod

fishery in the BSAI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), June 23, 1996, until 12

noon, A.l.t., October 25, 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 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

subpart H of 50 CFR parts 600 and 679.

The first seasonal bycatch allowance

of Pacific halibut for the BSAI trawl

Pacific cod fishery category, which is

defined at § 675.21(b)(1)(iii)(E), was

established by the Final 1996 Harvest

Specifications of Groundfish (61 FR

4311, February 5, 1996) as 1,585 metric

tons (mt). This fishery was previously

closed on May 14, 1996, with the

expectation that the first seasonal

allocation had been taken (61 FR 24730,

May 16, 1996). The fishery was

subsequently opened on June 14, 1996,

when NMFS determined that 89 mt of

halibut mortality remained in the

allocation (61 30544, June 17, 1996).

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS,

has determined, in accordance with

§ 679.21(e)(1)(iv), that the first seasonal

bycatch allowance of Pacific halibut

apportioned to the trawl Pacific cod

fishery in the BSAI has been caught.

Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting the

directed fishery for Pacific cod by

vessels using trawl gear in the BSAI.

Maximim retainable bycatch amounts

for applicable gear types may be found

in the regulations at § 679.20(e).

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

679.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: June 21, 1996.

Donald J. Leedy,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96–16373 Filed 6–21–96; 4:33 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–M