Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Amendment 9

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 020397B]

RIN 0648-AJ23

Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific;

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Amendment 9

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 Pacific Fishery Management Council

(Council) has submitted Amendment 9 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish

Fishery Management Plan for Secretarial review. Amendment 9 would

require a sablefish endorsement on limited entry permits for permit

holders to participate in the regular limited entry fixed gear

sablefish fishery, north of 36 deg.N. latitude (the U.S.-Vancouver,

Columbia, Eureka, and Monterey management areas).

[[Page 5793]]

DATES: Comments on Amendment 9 must be received on or before April 8,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Amendment 9 or supporting documents should be

sent to Mr. William Stelle, Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS, Sand

Point Way NE., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or to Ms. Hilda

Diaz-Soltero, Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean

Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

Copies of Amendment 9, the Environmental Assessment, the Regulatory

Impact Review (RIR)/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA), and

Fishing Impact Statement are available from Larry Six, Executive

Director, Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Ave., Suite

224, Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson at 206-526-6140,

Rodney McInnis at 310-980-4040, or the Pacific Fishery Management

Council at 503-326-6352.

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 9 would require a sablefish endorsement on limited entry

permits for permit holders to participate in the regular, limited

entry, nontrawl sablefish fishery north of 36 deg.N. latitude. The

Council recommended that the qualifying criteria for a sablefish

endorsement be at least 16,000 lb (7,257.5 kg) of sablefish catch in

any one calendar year from 1984 through 1994 based on the catch history

of the limited entry permit. Limited entry, fixed gear permit holders

without sablefish endorsements will still be able to participate in the

small, daily trip limit fishery.

NMFS invites comments on proposed Amendment 9 through the end of

the comment period. 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 9 has been

submitted for Secretarial review and approval. NMFS expects to publish

the proposed rule and request public comment on the proposed

regulations to implement Amendment 9 in the near future. Public

comments on the proposed rule must be received by April 8, 1997 to be

considered in the approval/disapproval decision on Amendment 9. All

comments received by April 8, 1997 whether specifically directed to

Amendment 9 or the proposed rule, will be considered in the approval/

disapproval decision on Amendment 9.

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

Dated: February 4, 1997.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97-3125 Filed 2-6-97; 8:45 am]

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