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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

CFR Citation: 50 CFR Part 660

Docket ID: [Docket No. 99122347-9347-01; I.D. 060600C]

NOTICE: RULES

ACTION: Fishery conservation and management:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Temporary Closure for the Shore-based Whiting Sector

DATES: Effective from noon local time (l.t.) June 8, 2000, until 2400 hours June 14, 2000. Comments will be accepted through June 28, 2000.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: NMFS announces a temporary closure of the primary season for Pacific whiting (whiting) south of 42 deg. N. lat. at noon June 8, 2000, and reimposition of ``per trip'' limits for whiting until 0001 hours June 15, 2000, at which time the primary season south of 42 deg. N. lat. will resume. This action is authorized by regulations implementing the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which governs the groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California. This action is intended to keep the harvest of whiting at the 2000 allocation levels.

SUMMARY: West Coast States and Western Pacific fisheries—; Pacific Coast groundfish,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

The regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a) (3) and (4) established separate allocations for the catcher/processor, mothership, and shorebased sectors of the whiting fishery, and authorized separate starting dates for each sector's primary season. The primary season for the shorebased sector is the period(s) when the largescale target fishery is conducted, and thus when ``per trip'' limits are not in effect. The regulations further divide the shore based allocation so that no more than 5percent of the shorebased allocation for whiting may be taken and retained south of 42 deg. N. lat. before the primary season begins north of 42 deg. N. lat. The primary season for the shorebased sector south of 42 deg. N. lat. began on April 1, 2000, earlier than the northern season which begins on June 15, 2000, because whiting migrate from south to north during the fishing year. (The first large whiting landing south of 42 deg. N. lat. occurred on April 20, 2000, although the fishery could have started on April 1, 1999.) The 5percent cap is intended to discourage effort shifts to the south area early in the year. The shorebased whiting allocation for 2000 is 83,790 metric tons (mt) and the 5 percent cap on early fishing south of 42 deg. N. lat. is 4,190 mt. When the 5percent cap is reached, the 20,000lb (9,072 kg) trip limit that was in place before the start of the southern primary season is reimposed and remains in effect until the start of the northern primary season on June 15, 2000. However, the 20,000lb (9,072 kg) trip limit only applies if a vessel does not fish inside of 100 fm (183 m) in the Eureka area during the fishing trip. A different trip limit of 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of whiting is in effect yearround (unless landings of whiting are prohibited) if a vessel fishes inside of 100 fm (183 m) at any time during a fishing trip in the Eureka area. This smaller limit is intended to minimize incidental catch of chinook salmon which are more likely to be caught shallower than 100 fm (183 m) in the Eureka area.

The best available information on June 5, 2000, indicates that 2,797 mt of whiting have been taken by the shorebased fishery south of 42 deg. N. lat. through May 27, 2000, and that 4,190 mt are projected to be taken by noon June 8, 2000. Therefore, the 20,000lb ( 9,072 kg) ``per trip'' limits announced in the 2000 annual management measures (65 FR 221, January 4, 2000) will resume until the primary season begins north of 42 deg. N. lat.

For the reasons stated above, and in accordance with the regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(i)(B) and (iii)(D), NMFS revises paragraph B. of Section IV. of the 2000 annual management measures (65 FR 221, as amended), by adding a new subparagraph B. (3)(b)(iv) as follows:
IV. NMFS Actions

B. * * *
(3) * * *
(b) * * *
(iv) Closure of shorebased sector south of 42 deg. N. lat. Effective noon June 8, 2000, to 2400 hours (12 midnight) June 14, 2000 l.t., no more than 20,000lb (9,072 kg) may be taken and retained, possessed or landed south of 42 deg. N. lat. If a vessel fishes shoreward of the 100 fm (183 m) contour in the Eureka area (43 deg. 40 deg. 30' N. lat.), the 10,000lb (4,536 kg) trip limit applies, as announced in the annual management measures at paragraph IV, B (3)(c)(ii).
* * * * *

Classification

This action is authorized by the regulations implementing the FMP. The determination to take these actions is based on the most recent data available. The aggregate data upon which the determinations are based are available for public inspection at the office of the Regional Administrator (see ADDRESSES) during business hours. This action is taken under the authority of 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(i)(B) and (iii)(D), and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
[[Page 37064]]

Dated: June 7, 2000.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 0014855 Filed 6800; 2:59 pm] BILLING CODE 351022F

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Katherine King at 206-526-6145 or Becky Renko at 2065266110.