NMFS announces the annual harvest guideline for Pacific mackerel in the exclusive economic zone off the Pacific coast. The Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and its implementing regulations require NMFS to set an annual harvest guideline for Pacific mackerel based on a formula in the FMP. The intended effect of this action is

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 13 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Secretarial review. Amendment 13 is intended to make the FMP consistent with MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act) bycatch provisions,to increase

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces closure of the 2000 mothership fishery for Pacific whiting (whiting) at 4:00 p.m. local time (l.t.) June 9, 2000, because the allocation for the mothership sector is projected to be reached by that time. This action is intended to keep the harvest of whiting at the 2000 allocation levels.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces closures of several recreational and commercial fisheries from the OregonCalifornia border to the U.S.Canada border. The Northwest Regional Administrator, NMFS (Regional Administrator), determined that the recreational and commercial quotas of salmon for these areas had been reached. These actions were necessary to conform to the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 12 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Secretarial review. Amendment 12 is intended to provide procedures for the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to develop rebuilding plans for overfished species, to set

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the end of the 2000 primary season for the shorebased fishery for Pacific whiting (whiting) and resumption of pertrip limits at 6 p.m local time (l.t.) September 15, 2000, because the
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allocation is projected to be reached. This action is intended to keep the harvest of whiting at the 2000 allocation levels.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This action extends an emergency rule, now in effect, that closes certain waters to fishing by vessels engaged in the Hawaiibased pelagic longline fishery. The rule was published in the Federal Register on December 27, 1999, in response to the Order Setting Terms of Injunction issued on November 23, 1999, by the U.S. District Court, District of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the commercial fishery in the area from House Rock, OR to Humboldt South Jetty, CA, reached its 1,000chinook guideline for the subarea allocation off Oregon. The fishery in the subarea from House Rock, OR to the OregonCalifornia border was closed at midnight, September 6, 2000, for the duration of the fishery. In the subarea

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS establishes fishery management measures for the ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California for the 2000 and 2001 salmon seasons opening earlier than May 1, 2001. Specific fishery management measures vary by fishery and by area. The measures establish fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear, recreational fishing days and

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues a final rule to close the 2000 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) commercial lobster fishery, which is scheduled to open on July 1, 2000. This rule, which is authorized by the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson Stevens Act), amends current regulations promulgated under the Fishery Management Plan for

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this proposed rule to implement portions of Amendment 13 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Amendment 13 is intended to make the FMP consistent with the bycatch provisions of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act). Amendment 13 would also increase flexibility in

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces adjustments to the management measures for the Pacific coast groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California. This action establishes beginning and ending dates and the cumulative period landings limit for the mopup portion of the limited entry, fixed gear sablefish fishery. These actions are intended to provide for

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 14 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan for Secretarial review. Amendment 14 has multiple parts. The major parts of the amendment include revising the Salmon FMP to bring it into compliance with the 1996 amendments to the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 107th meeting November 28 through December 1, 2000, in Honolulu, HI. A public hearing will be held on a framework amendment to add new entry criteria for the Mau Zone limited entry bottomfish fishery in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces that the recreational selective fishery for marked hatchery coho in the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, Oregon, was closed on July 25, 2000, at 2359 hours local time (l.t.). The recreational fishery for allsalmonexceptcoho reopened on July 26, 2000. The Northwest Regional Administrator, NMFS (Regional Administrator),

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 105^th meeting in Midway at Midway Atoll. The Council will hold a Precious Corals Plan Team meeting and a public hearing in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Council intends to take action under the Fishery Management Plan for the Precious Corals Fisheries of the Western Pacific

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces closure of the 2000 catcher/processor fishery for Pacific whiting (whiting) at 6 p.m. local time (l.t.) November 6, 2000, because the allocation for the catcher/processor sector will be reached by that time. This action is intended to keep the harvest of whiting within the 2000 allocation levels.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes a rule that would make eight changes to the regulations implementing the Fishery Management Plan for Precious Coral Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FMP). This proposed rule would: Suspend the harvest for gold coral at the established Makapuu Bed, Oahu; redefine ``dead precious coral'' as coral without living coral polyps or

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS reopens the public comment period on a proposed rule to prohibit the use of setnet (gillnet and trammel nets) fishing gear to take groundfish species in portions of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) adjacent to state waters at four areas off California. NMFS is reopening the comment period to ensure that affected fishers are aware of the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS makes changes to an emergency interim rule published on August 25, 2000, governing the Hawaiibased pelagic longline fishery. The changes, which are only applicable to the Hawaiibased pelagic longline fishery when fishing in Area C, as designated under that rule, expressly prohibit directing longline fishing effort toward the harvest of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

As ordered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, NMFS issues an emergency interim rule that closes certain waters in the central and north Pacific Ocean to longline fishing, imposes fishing gear restrictions, effort limits, fish sale restrictions, and catch reporting requirements, and requires increased observer coverage in the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : Veterans Affairs Department

NMFS proposes a rule under the Fishery Management Plan for the Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FMP) that would require operators of vessels registered for use under Hawaii pelagic longline limited access permits to use two or more of six specific bird mitigation techniques when fishing with pelagic longline gear north of 25 deg.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the closure of the directed fishery for Pacific mackerel in the exclusive economic zone off the Pacific coast October 27, 2000.The Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and its implementing regulations require NMFS to set an annual harvest guideline for Pacific mackerel based on a formula in the FMP and to close the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to prohibit the use of set net (gillnet and trammel nets) fishing gear to take groundfish species in portions of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (also known as the fishery management area) adjacent to state waters at four areas off California. Groundfish fisheries in the fishery management area are managed under the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this final rule to remove references to foreign and joint venture fishing in the West Coast groundfish regulations. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) prepared Amendment 12 to the Pacific Coast groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to provide framework procedures for developing overfished species rebuilding plans, for

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration