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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

CFR Citation: 50 CFR Part 679

RIN ID: RIN 0648-A028

DOCUMENT ID: [I.D. 080900A]

NOTICE: PROPOSED RULES

ACTION: Fishery conservation and management:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of availability of an amendment to a fishery management plan; request for comments.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Rebuilding Overfished Fisheries

DATES: Comments on the amendment must be submitted on or before October 30, 2000.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted for Secretarial review Amendment 15 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP). This amendment is necessary to implement a rebuilding plan to rebuild the overfished stock of St. Matthew blue king crab. This action is intended to ensure that conservation and management measures continue to be based upon the best scientific information available and is intended to advance the Council's ability to achieve, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from fisheries under its authority.

SUMMARY: Alaska; fisheries of Exclusive Economic Zone—; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands king and Tanner crab,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

NMFS declared the St. Matthew stock of blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) overfished on September 24, 1999, because the spawning stock biomass was below the minimum stock size threshold defined in Amendment 7 to the FMP (64 FR 11390). Amendment 7 specified objective and measurable criteria for identifying when all of the crab fisheries covered by the FMP are overfished or when overfishing is occurring.

NMFS notified the Council once NMFS determined that the stock was overfished (64 FR 54791, October 8, 1999). The Council then took action to develop a rebuilding plan within 1 year. In June 2000, the Council adopted Amendment 15, the rebuilding plan, to accomplish the purposes outlined in the national standard guidelines to rebuild the overfished stock. Amendment 15 specifies a time period for rebuilding the stock intended to comply with the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act). The rebuilding plan is estimated to allow St. Matthew blue king crab to rebuild, with a 50 percent probability, within 10 years. The stock will be considered ``rebuilt'' when the stock reaches the maximum sustainable yield stock size level in 2 consecutive years.

The rebuilding plan consists of a framework that references the State of Alaska's harvest strategy, bycatch control measures, and habitat protection measures.

The rebuilding plan would utilize the harvest strategy developed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries (Board). Section 8.0 of thr FMP defers to the State of Alaska the authority to develop harvest strategies, with oversight by NMFS and the Council. The ADF&G revised harvest strategy should result in more spawning biomass, because more larger female crabs would be conserved and fewer juveniles and females would die due to incidental catch and discard mortality. This higher spawning biomass would be expected to produce yearclasses when environmental conditions are favorable.

The rebuilding plan also references the bycatch reduction measures and habitat protection measures adopted by the Board in March 2000. The Board adopted gear restrictions to reduce bycatch of sublegal and female blue king crab in the directed fishery. To protect the habitat of eggbearing females, the Board took action to close State waters around St. Matthew Island, Hall Island, and Pinnacles Island to crab fishing. Protection of habitat and reduction of bycatch would be expected to reduce mortality on juvenile and eggbearing female crabs, thus allowing a higher percentage of each yearclass to contribute to spawning and future landings.

The Council prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for Amendment 15 that describes the management background, the purpose and need for action, the management alternatives, and the environmental and the socioeconomic impacts of the alternatives. A copy of the EA can be obtained from the Council (see ADDRESSES).

The MagnusonStevens Act requires that each regional fishery management council submit each FMP or FMP amendment it prepares to NMFS for review and approval, disapproval, or partial approval. The MagnusonStevens Act also requires that NMFS, upon receiving an FMP or FMP amendment, immediately publish a notification in the Federal Register that the amendment is available for public review and comment. This action constitutes such notice for FMP Amendment 15. NMFS will consider the public comments received during the comment period in determining whether to approve this FMP amendment. To be considered, a comment must be received by close of business on the last day of the comment period (see DATES), regardless of the comment's postmark or transmission date.

Dated: August 24, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 0022063 Filed 82800; 8:45 am] Billing Code: 351022S

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Gretchen Harrington, 907-586-7228 or gretchen.harrington@noaa.gov.