Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 663

[Docket No. 931249-3349; I.D. 082294A]

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces an increase in the cumulative trip limit for

the Sebastes complex caught south of Cape Mendocino in the groundfish

fishery off California. This action is authorized by the regulations

implementing the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

(FMP). This action is designed to keep landings within the 1994 harvest

guidelines for the complex while providing for full utilization of the

complex and extending the fishery as long as possible during the year.

DATES: Effective from 0001 hours (local time) September 1, 1994,

through December 31, 1994. Comments will be accepted through September

21, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to William Stelle, Jr., Director, Northwest

Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE.,

BIN-C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or Rodney McInnis, Acting Director,

Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean

Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140,

or Rodney McInnis at 310-980-4040.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FMP and its implementing regulations (50

CFR part 663) provide for rapid changes to specific management measures

that have been designated ``routine.'' Trip landing limits (including

cumulative trip limits) and frequency limits for the Sebastes complex

are among those management measures that have been designated as

routine at 50 CFR 663.23(c)(1)(i)(B). Implementation and further

adjustment of those measures may occur after consideration at a single

Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meeting. Sebastes complex

means all rockfish managed by the FMP except Pacific ocean perch, widow

rockfish, shortbelly rockfish, and thornyheads. A cumulative trip limit

is the maximum amount that may be taken and retained, possessed or

landed per vessel in a specified period of time, without a limit on the

individual number of landings or trips. Cumulative trip limits for 1994

apply to calendar months.

The coastwide cumulative trip limit in the limited entry fishery

for the Sebastes complex was set at 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) per month,

including no more than 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) of yellowtail rockfish

caught north of Cape Lookout (45 deg.20'15'' N. lat.), or no more than

30,000 lb (13,608 kg) of yellowtail rockfish caught south of Cape

Lookout, and no more than 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) of bocaccio caught

south of Cape Mendocino (40 deg.30'00'' N. lat.) effective January 1,

1994 (59 FR 685, January 6, 1994). The 1994 Sebastes complex harvest

guideline is divided into northern and southern management areas along

the Washington, Oregon, and California coast. The northern harvest

guideline applies to the Vancouver and Columbia subareas, and the

southern harvest guideline applies to the Eureka, Monterey, and

Conception subareas. In the southern area, the total harvest guideline

for the Sebastes complex is 13,440 metric tons (mt), which is further

allocated between the limited entry (8,920 mt) and the open-access

fisheries (4,520 mt).

At the Council's August 1994 meeting in Portland, OR, a review of

the Sebastes complex landings in the southern area (Eureka-Monterey-

Conception) indicated that, through June 1994, approximately 3,805 mt

had been landed in both limited entry and open access fisheries. This

catch is 7 percent higher than during the same period in 1993. Even at

this higher rate, only 8,371 mt (62 percent) of the 1994 Sebastes

complex southern area harvest guideline and 4,856 mt (54 percent) of

the limited entry allocation would be taken during the year, whereas

3,515 mt (80 percent) of the open access allocation is expected to be

taken.

The Council also noted that the catch of yellowtail rockfish in the

Eureka-Columbia-Vancouver area through June 1994 was 4 percent above

the 1993 catch, and that the combined harvest guidelines for that area

could be reached by late November 1994. The catch for bocaccio in the

Conception-Monterey-Eureka areas through June 1994 was about 33 percent

below that in 1992-1993, and it is possible that the overall harvest

guideline for bocaccio may not be attained in 1994. However, changes to

bocaccio trip limits are not warranted, due to uncertainties in species

composition and distribution of the catch between open access and

limited entry fisheries.

In order to encourage limited entry vessels to shift their fishing

effort south, where the Sebastes harvest guideline is not otherwise

likely to be achieved, and to reduce the harvest of yellowtail rockfish

in the Eureka through Vancouver areas, the Council recommended that the

limited entry cumulative trip limit for the Sebastes complex caught

south of Cape Mendocino be increased from 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) to

100,000 lb (45,359 kg) monthly, with no changes to the existing limited

entry cumulative trip limits for yellowtail rockfish caught either

north or south of Cape Lookout, bocaccio caught south of Cape

Mendocino, or for the open access fisheries. The limited entry

cumulative trip limit for the Sebastes complex caught north of Cape

Mendocino remains at 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) per month. This action may

provide incentive for the limited entry fleet to move south of Cape

Mendocino, increasing their focus on other rockfish species while

reducing the pressure on yellowtail rockfish in the Vancouver-Columbia-

Eureka areas.

Secretarial Action

NMFS announces the following changes to the management measures for

the Sebastes complex taken by the limited entry fishery, contained in

the 1994 fishery specifications and management measures as published at

59 FR 685, January 6, 1994, and modified at 59 FR 23638, May 6, 1994.

All other provisions remain in effect.

Paragraph IV C(2)(a) is revised to read as follows:

(2)(a) No more than 80,000 lb (36,287 kg) cumulative of the

Sebastes complex north of Cape Mendocino, or 100,000 lb (45,359 kg)

cumulative of the Sebastes complex south of Cape Mendocino may be taken

and retained, possessed, or landed per vessel per month. Within the

cumulative trip limit for the Sebastes complex, no more than 14,000 lb

(6,350 kg) cumulative may be yellowtail rockfish taken and retained

north of Cape Lookout; no more than 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) cumulative

may be yellowtail rockfish taken and retained south of Cape Lookout;

and no more than 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) cumulative may be bocaccio taken

and retained south of Cape Mendocino.

Paragraph IV C(2)(e) is added to read as follows:

(2)(e) If a vessel is used to fish north of Cape Mendocino during

the month, then that vessel is subject to the trip limit for the

Sebastes complex taken and retained north of Cape Mendocino, no matter

where the fish are possessed or landed. Similarly, if a vessel is used

to take and retain the Sebastes complex south of Cape Mendocino and

possesses or lands the Sebastes complex north of Cape Mendocino, that

vessel is subject to the northern trip limit for the Sebastes complex.

Classification

This action is based on the most recent data available. The

aggregate data upon which the determination is based are available for

public inspection at the office of the Director, Northwest Region, NMFS

(see ADDRESSES) during business hours.

This action is taken under the authority of 50 CFR 663.23(c),

section III.C.1. of the Appendix to 50 CFR part 663, and is exempt from

OMB review under E.O. 12866.

Dated: August 30, 1994.

David S. Crestin,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 94-21815 Filed 8-31-94; 9:16 am]

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