NMFS issues interim regulations to close waters within critical habitat in the exclusive economic zone off Alaska west of 144 deg.W. long. to all commercial groundfish fishing with trawl gear. This action is necessary to comply with a United States District Court Order.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues a final rule to extend through 2002 the regulations implementing the Interim North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program (Interim Observer Program), which otherwise would expire December 31, 2000. This action is necessary to ensure uninterrupted observer coverage through December 31, 2002. The intention is to advance the management

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the C season allowance of the pollock total allowable catch (TAC) for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting retention of sablefish by vessels using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). NMFS is requiring that catch of sablefish by vessels using trawl gear in this area be treated in the same manner as prohibited species and discarded at sea
[[Page 46377]]
with a minimum of injury. This action is

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) Pacific cod from trawl catcher/processors and vessels using jig gear to vessels using hook andline or pot gear.
[[Page 65273]]
These actions are necessary to allow the 2000 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for species that comprise the deepwater species fishery by vessels using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the second seasonal apportionment of the 2000 Pacific halibut bycatch allowance specified for the deepwater species fishery in the GOA has been caught.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document corrects Table 1 of the extension of expiration dates for the emergency interim rules to implement major provisions of the American Fisheries Act, which in part revises 2000 final harvest specifications.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is proposing to permanently extend the temporary regulations that establish and govern the voluntary Pacific halibut donation program. Under this program, Pacific halibut that is taken incidentally in groundfish trawl fisheries off Alaska may be donated for consumption by economically disadvantaged individuals rather than discarded, as

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for arrowtooth flounder in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2000 total allowable catch (TAC) of arrowtooth flounder in this area.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS removes an existing closure to commercial groundfish fishing with trawl gear within critical habitat designated for Steller sea lions in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Alaska west of 144 deg. W. long. and closes this area to commercial fishing for Pacific cod through December 31, 2000. The removal of the existing closure is consistent

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting retention of other red rockfish in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). NMFS is requiring that catch of other red rockfish in this area be treated in the same manner as prohibited species and discarded at sea with a minimum of injury. This action is necessary because the amount

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS announces the approval of Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP). This amendment is necessary to implement a plan to rebuild the overfished stock of Bering Sea Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi). This action is intended to ensure that conservation and management measures continue

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document corrects regulatory text in the final rule that implements Amendment 58 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (FMP), which was published in the Federal Registeron October 12, 2000.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for species that comprise the deepwater species fishery by vessels using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the third seasonal apportionment of the 2000 Pacific halibut bycatch allowance specified for the deepwater species fishery in the GOA has been caught.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 66 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (FMP) to remove the allocation of squid to the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. This proposed rule also would implement regulatory amendments under the American Fisheries

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting retention of Pacific cod in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). NMFS is requiring that catch of Pacific cod in this area be treated in the same manner as prohibited species and discarded at sea with a minimum of injury. This action is necessary because the amount of the 2000 total allowable catch (TAC) of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues a final rule that permanently extends the existing regulations that establish and govern the voluntary Pacific halibut donation program. Under this program, Pacific halibut that is taken incidentally in groundfish trawl fisheries off Alaska may be donated for consumption by economically disadvantaged individuals rather than discarded,

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is closing directed fishing for species in the rock sole/ flathead sole/``other flatfish'' fishery category by vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2000 Pacific halibut by catch allowance specified for the trawl rock sole/flathead sole/``other

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document contains a correction to the emergency interim rules implementing the American Fisheries Act (AFA) for the 2000 fishing year that was published in the Federal Register on June 23, 2000.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is reallocating projected unused amounts of Bering Sea [[Page 62647]]
subarea (BS) pollock from the incidental catch allowance to the directed fisheries. This action is necessary to allow the 2000 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock to be harvested.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes the reapportionment of the 2000 halibut bycatch mortality allowance specified for the Pacific cod hookandline fishery category to the other nontrawl fishery category in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the harvest of species constrained by the other nontrawl halibut bycatch

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues this amendment to the final 2000 harvest specifications that reapportions the 2000 halibut bycatch mortality allowance specified for the Pacific cod hookandline fishery category to the other nontrawl fishery category in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the harvest of species

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document corrects Table 7 of the technical amendment to the final 2000 prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances specified for trawl groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock by ``open access'' vessels (i.e., those vessels that are not fishing in cooperatives), which are catching pollock for processing by the inshore component in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the amount

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 4 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska (FMP), which creates a license limitation program (LLP) for the scallop fishery). NMFS also announces the application period for this program. The scallop LLP will limit the number of participants and reduce fishing capacity in the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration