Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Prohibition of Nonpelagic Trawl Gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Directed Pollock Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 113099B]

RIN 0648-AL30

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Prohibition

of Nonpelagic Trawl Gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

Directed Pollock Fishery

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 57 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the

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

This amendment would prohibit the use of nonpelagic trawl gear in the

directed pollock fishery in the BSAI. Comments from the public are

requested.

DATES: Comments on Amendment 57 must be submitted by February 8, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FMP amendments should be submitted to Sue

Salveson, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries

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

Lori Gravel. Comments may also be hand delivered or sent by courier to

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

Amendment 57 and the Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/

Initial Flexibility Analysis prepared for the amendment by the Council

and NMFS are available from the North Pacific Fishery Management

Council, 605 West 4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-

2252; telephone 907-271-2809. Comments will not be accepted if

submitted via e-mail or Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nina Mollett, 907-586-7462 or

[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation

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

Fishery Management Council submit any FMP or FMP 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,

immediately publish a notice in the Federal Register that the FMP or

amendment is available for public review and comment.

The Council adopted Amendment 57 at its June 1998 meeting. If

approved by NMFS, this amendment would prohibit the use of nonpelagic

trawl gear in the directed pollock fishery in the BSAI and would reduce

the bycatch limit of red king crab by 3,000 animals. The Council also

recommended limits for other protected species, including halibut, C.

opilio crab, and C. bairdi. NMFS may propose lowering these limits in a

future proposed rule to implement Amendment 57. Amendment 57 is

necessary to comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Act mandate that Regional

Councils must take measures to reduce bycatch in the Nation's

fisheries.

Public comments are being solicited on the amendment through the

end of the comment period stated in this NOA; a proposed rule that

would implement the amendment may be published in the Federal Register

for public comment following NMFS' evaluation under the Magnuson-

Stevens Act procedures. Public comments on the proposed rule must be

received by the end of the comment period on the amendment in order to

be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the amendment.

All comments received by the end of the comment period on the

amendment, whether specifically directed to the amendment or to the

proposed rule, will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision;

comments received after that date will not be considered in the

approval/disapproval decision on the amendment. To be considered,

comments must be received by close of business on the last day of the

comment period specified in this NOA; that does not mean postmarked or

otherwise transmitted by that date.

Dated: December 6, 1999.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-32090 Filed 12-9-99; 8:45 am]

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