Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gear Allocation of Shortraker and Rougheye Rockfish in the Aleutian Islands Subarea

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 032698A]

RIN 0648-AJ99

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gear

Allocation of Shortraker and Rougheye Rockfish in the Aleutian Islands

Subarea

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

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability, request for comments.

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

submitted Amendment 53 to the Fishery Management Plan for the

Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (FMP)

for Secretarial review. This amendment would allocate shortraker

rockfish and rougheye rockfish (SR/RE) in the Aleutian Islands subarea

(AI) between vessels using trawl gear and vessels using non-trawl gear.

This action is necessary to prevent SR/RE bycatch in trawl fisheries

from causing closure of non-trawl fisheries and is intended to further

the objectives of the FMP.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 53 must be submitted by June 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FMP amendment should be submitted to Susan

Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries

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 Amendment 53, the environmental assessment and

the regulatory impact review prepared for the proposed action are

available from NMFS, at the above address, or by calling the Alaska

Region, NMFS at 907-586-7228.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Kinsolving, NMFS, 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 amendment

it prepares to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial

approval. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also requires that NMFS, after

receiving a fishery management plan or amendment, immediately publish a

document in the Federal Register that the fishery management plan or

amendment is available for public review and comment. This action

constitutes such notice for Amendment 53 to the FMP.

Amendment 53 was adopted by the Council at its February 1998

meeting. If approved by NMFS, this amendment would allocate 30 percent

of the total allowable catch of SR/RE in the Aleutian Islands subarea

to non-trawl gear and 70 percent to trawl gear. This action is

necessary to prevent SR/RE bycatch in the Atka mackerel and Pacific

ocean perch trawl fisheries from closing non-trawl fisheries in which

SR/RE are also taken.

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 53 has been submitted for

Secretarial review and approval. The proposed rule to implement this

amendment is scheduled to be published within 15 days of this document.

Public comments on the proposed rule must be received by the end of the

comment period on the FMP/amendment to be considered in the approval/

disapproval decision on the FMP/amendment.

Dated: March 27, 1998.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 98-8673 Filed 4-1-98; 8:45 am]

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