Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Scallop Fishery; Vessel Moratorium

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 111896B]

RIN 0648-AF81

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Scallop

Fishery; Vessel Moratorium

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.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the North Pacific Fishery Management

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

Plan for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska for Secretarial review.

Amendment 2 would establish a temporary moratorium on the entry of

additional vessels into the scallop fishery off Alaska. Comments from

the public are requested.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 2 must be received on or before February

3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendment 2 should be submitted to Ronald J.

Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O.

Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel, or delivered to

the Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK.

Copies of Amendment 2 and the Environmental Assessment/ Regulatory

Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis prepared for the

amendment are available from the North Pacific Fishery Management

Council, 605 West Fourth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252; telephone

907-271-2809.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Lind, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation

and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that each regional

fishery management council submit any fishery management plan (FMP) or

plan amendment it prepares to NMFS for review and approval,

disapproval, or partial approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also

requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or amendment, immediately

publish a notice that the FMP or amendment is available for public

review and comment. NMFS will consider the public comments received

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

amendment.

Amendment 2 would establish a temporary vessel moratorium, which

would remain in effect for 3 years from the date of implementation or

until repealed or replaced by a permanent limited access program.

Scallop moratorium permits would be issued to the person who was the

most recent owner of a qualifying vessel at the time of qualification.

Vessels would qualify for inclusion in the moratorium if they made a

legal landing of scallops during 1991, 1992, or 1993, or during any 4

years between 1980 and 1990. The purpose of Amendment 2 is to curtail

increases in fishing capacity and to provide stability for industry

while the Council and NMFS develop a limited access program for this

fishery.

NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment

period in determining whether to approve the proposed amendment. A

proposed rule to implement Amendment 2 has been submitted for

Secretarial review and approval. NMFS expects to publish proposed

regulations to implement Amendment 2 shortly for public review and

comment.

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

Dated: November 26, 1996.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 96-30688 Filed 12-2-96; 8:45 am]

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