King and Tanner Crab Fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

50 CFR Part 671

[I.D. 021494A]

King and Tanner Crab Fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian

Islands

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

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management

plan; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice that the North Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 2 to the Fishery

Management Plan (FMP) for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab Fisheries

of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) for Secretarial review and is

requesting comments from the public. Copies of the amendment may be

obtained from the Council (see ADDRESSES).

DATES: Comments on the FMP amendment should be submitted on or before

April 25, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FMP amendment should be submitted to Ronald

J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS,

P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, Alaska 99802 (Attn: Lori Gravel), or delivered

to the Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, Alaska.

Copies of Amendment 2 and the environmental assessment (EA) and

economic analysis prepared for the amendment are available from the

North Pacific Fishery Management Council, P.O. Box 103136, Anchorage,

AK 99510 (907-271-2809).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim J. Spitler, Fisheries Management

Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, at 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and

Management Act (Magnuson Act) requires that each Regional Fishery

Management Council submit any FMP or FMP amendment it prepares to the

Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) for review and approval, disapproval,

or partial disapproval. The Magnuson Act also requires that the

Secretary, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, immediately publish a

notice that the FMP or amendment is available for public review and

comment. The Secretary will consider the public comments received

during the comment period in determining whether to approve the FMP or

amendment.

Amendment 2 would establish the Norton Sound Section of the

Northern District of the king crab fishery as a superexclusive

registration area. The operator of any vessel registered and

participating in this fishery would not be able to register that vessel

and participate in other BSAI king crab fisheries. A proposed rule has

been submitted that would remove existing regulations, which supersede

State of Alaska regulations that established Norton Sound as a

superexclusive registration area in the exclusive economic zone of the

BSAI.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 671

Fisheries, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

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

Dated: February 15, 1994.

Richard H. Schaefer,

Director of Office of Fisheries, Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 94-3932 Filed 2-16-94; 5:12 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-P