Federal Fisheries off Alaska; Salmon Donation Program

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

[I.D. 040996A]

RIN 0648-AH03

Federal Fisheries off Alaska; Salmon Donation Program

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 Amendment 26 to the Fishery Management Plan for the

Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island Area and

Amendment 29 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf

of Alaska (FMPs). These amendments would authorize a voluntary Salmon

Donation Program (SDP) for distribution of Pacific salmon taken as

bycatch in the groundfish trawl fisheries off Alaska to economically

disadvantaged individuals by tax-exempt organizations through a NMFS

authorized distributor. Comments are requested from the public.

DATES: Comments on the proposed amendments to the FMPs must be

submitted by June 10, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed amendments to the FMPs must be

submitted to Ronald J. Berg, Chief, Fisheries Management Division,

Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK, 99802, Attn: Lori

Gravel, or delivered to the Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street,

Juneau, AK. Copies of the proposed amendments and the environmental

assessment/regulatory impact review prepared for the proposed action

may be obtained from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605

West 4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99510-2252, telephone 907-

271-2809.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan J. Salveson, 907-586-7229.

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 receiving

a fishery management plan or amendment, immediately publish a notice in

the Federal Register that the fishery management plan 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 these amendments.

Amendments 26 and 29 would authorize a voluntary SDP. The SDP's

objective is to distribute salmon taken as bycatch in the groundfish

trawl fisheries off Alaska to economically disadvantaged individuals by

tax-exempt organizations, thereby reducing waste from discards in the

groundfish trawl fisheries. Participants in the SDP would voluntarily

retain and process salmon bycatch for delivery to an authorized

distributor selected by NMFS. Vessels and processors would incur the

costs of handling, processing, storing, and delivering donated salmon

to tax-exempt organizations. Vessel operators and processors seeking to

participate in the SDP must receive a Salmon Retention Permit from a

NMFS-authorized distributor prior to retaining or processing salmon for

donation purposes.

Federal regulations to implement Amendments 26 and 29 are scheduled

to be published within 15 days of the date of publication of this

document.

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

Dated: April 9, 1996.

Richard H. Schaefer,

Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 96-9199 Filed 4-9-96; 4:51 pm]

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