Limited Access Management of Federal Fisheries In and Off of Alaska; Groundfish and Crab Fisheries Moratorium

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 671, 672, 675, and 676

[I.D. 050195A]

Limited Access Management of Federal Fisheries In and Off of

Alaska; Groundfish and Crab Fisheries Moratorium

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

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of amendments to fishery management

plans; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has

submitted Revised Amendment 23 to the Fishery Management Plan for the

Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area, Revised

Amendment 28 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf

of Alaska (GOA), and Revised Amendment 4 to the Fishery Management Plan

for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab Fisheries in the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands (BSAI) for review by NMFS. Revised FMP Amendments 23,

28, and 4 would establish a moratorium on the entry of new vessels into

groundfish fisheries of the GOA and the BSAI and the king and Tanner

crab fisheries in the BSAI. Comments are requested from the public.

DATES: Comments on the revised amendments to the fishery management

plans (FMP) are requested from the public and must be submitted by June

1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the revised FMP amendments must be submitted to

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

NMFS, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK 99801, or P.O. Box 21668, Juneau,

AK 99802, Attention: Lori J. Gravel. Copies of the proposed amendments

and the Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Initial

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for the moratorium may be obtained from

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

Anchorage, AK 99510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Ginter, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Act)

requires that each Regional Fishery Management Council submit any

fishery management plan or plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for

review and approval, disapproval, or partial disapproval. The Magnuson

Act also requires that NMFS, after reviewing the plan or plan

amendment, immediately publish a notice in the Federal Register that

the plan or plan amendment is available for public review and comment.

NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment

period in determining whether to approve these revised FMP amendments.

The three revised FMP amendments would establish a 3-year

moratorium on the entry of new vessels into the groundfish fisheries of

the GOA and the BSAI and the king and Tanner crab fisheries of the

BSAI. The purpose of the moratorium is to curtail increases in

harvesting capacity and provide industry stability while the Council

assesses long-term management alternatives for the affected fisheries.

The vessel moratorium would be implemented through the issuance of

a Federal moratorium permit to a vessel that meets specific length

restrictions and on which a legal landing of any moratorium species was

made during the qualification period. A moratorium permit will not be

valid unless the permit has at least one endorsement for the use of

authorized fishing gear. Specific eligibility requirements for the

moratorium permit and the fishing gear endorsements are contained in

the Federal regulations proposed by the Council to implement Revised

FMP Amendments 23, 28, and 4. The proposed regulations are scheduled to

be published within 15 days of this document.

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

Dated: May 2, 1995.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95-11175 Filed 5-2-95; 3:53 pm]

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