Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Apportionment of Reserve

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 950206040-5040-01; I.D. 051595J]

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area;

Apportionment of Reserve

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

Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Apportionment of reserve; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes to apportion reserve to certain target species

in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This

action is necessary to allow for ongoing harvest and account for

previous harvest of the total allowable catch (TAC). It is intended to

promote the goals and objectives of the North Pacific Fishery

Management Council.

DATES: Comments must be received at the following address no later than

4:30 p.m., Alaska local time June 7, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries

Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 709 W. 9th, Room 453, Juneau,

AK 99801 or P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attention: Lori Gravel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Hindman, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the U.S. 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 50 CFR parts 620 and 675.

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that the initial

TACs specified for pollock, Greenland turbot, and Pacific ocean perch

(POP) in the Bering Sea (BS) subarea; for pollock, Greenland turbot,

POP, and sharpchin/northern rockfish in the Aleutian Islands (AI)

subarea; for Atka mackerel in the combined Eastern Aleutian District

and BS subarea; for Atka mackerel in the Central and Western Aleutian

Districts; and for Pacific cod, arrowtooth flounder, and the ``other

species'' category in the BSAI; need to be supplemented from the non-

specific reserve in order to continue operations and account for prior

harvest.

Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 675.20(b), NMFS proposes to

apportion from the reserve to TACs for the following species: (1) For

the Bering Sea subarea --93,750 metric tons (mt) to pollock, 700 mt to

Greenland turbot, and 277 mt to POP; (2) for the AI subarea--4,245 mt

to pollock, 350 mt to Greenland turbot, 1,575 mt to POP; and 765 mt to

sharpchin/northern rockfish; (3) for the combined Eastern Aleutian

District and BS subarea--2,025 mt to Atka mackerel; (4) for the Central

Aleutian District--7,500 mt to Atka mackerel; (5) for the Western

Aleutian District--2,475 mt to Atka mackerel; and (6) for the BSAI--

37,500 mt to Pacific cod, 1,534 mt to arrowtooth flounder, and 3,000 mt

to the ``other species'' category.

These proposed apportionments are consistent with

Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(i) and do not result in overfishing of a target

species or the ``other species'' category, because the revised TACs are

equal to or less than specifications of acceptable biological catch.

Pursuant to Sec. 675.20(a)(3)(i) the proposed apportionments of

pollock are allocated between the inshore and offshore components: (1)

For the BS subarea - 32,812 mt to vessels catching pollock for

processing by the inshore component and 60,938 mt to vessels catching

pollock for processing by the offshore component; (2) for the AI

subarea--1,486 mt to vessels catching pollock for processing by the

inshore component and 2,759 to vessels catching pollock for processing

by the offshore component.

Pursuant to Sec. 675.20(a)(3)(iv) the proposed apportionment of the

BSAI Pacific cod TAC is allocated 750 mt to vessels using jig gear,

16,500 mt to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, and 20,250 mt to

vessels using trawl gear.

In accordance with the 1995 final specifications for the BSAI (FR

60 8479, February 14, 1995) the allocation of Pacific cod to hook-and-

line/pot gear will result in seasonal apportionments as follows: For

the period January 1 through April 30--80,300 mt, for the period May 1

through August 31--20,900 mt, and for the period September 1 through

December 31--8,800 mt.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR 675.20 and is exempt from review

under E.O. 12866.

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

[[Page 27489]] Dated: May 17, 1995.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95-12615 Filed 5-23-95; 8:45 am]

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