The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 77 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (FMP). This amendment would continue to apportion the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) among the fixed

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 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 620 of the GOA.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is rescinding a previous action that reallocated Pacific [[Page 69048]]
cod among gear types and is reallocating the currently projected unused amount of Pacific cod from vessels using trawl and jig gear to catcher/ processor vessels using hookandline gear and vessels using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area ( BSAI).

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 24 hours. This action is necessary to fully use the 2003 interim total allowable catch of pollock specific for this area.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document corrects Figure 6 to Part 679 published in the final rule of September 12, 2001 (66 FR 47416), which implemented changes to the definition of length overall (LOA) of a vessel. This action is necessary to correct errors contained in this figure.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pelagic shelf rockfish in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2003 total allowable catch (TAC) of pelagic shelf rockfish in this area.

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 pollock total allowable catch (TAC) for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the pollock total allowable catch (TAC) for Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) is opening the Chiniak Gully Research Area in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) to directed fishing for groundfish using trawl gear from August 1, 2003, through September 20, 2003. NMFS' Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) will not conduct research in this area in 2003. Therefore, the

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes to remove the expiration date of regulations published as a final rule in the Federal Register on December 30, 2002, implementing the AFA. The AFA final rule specified a period of effectiveness that will expire December 31, 2007, and this rule proposes to make the amendments to the AFA rule permanent. This action is necessary to

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : Veterans Affairs Department

NMFS is closing directed fishing for groundfish by vessels using trawl gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), except for directed fishing for pollock by vessels using pelagic trawl gear in those portions of the GOA open to directed fishing for pollock. This action is necessary because the 2003 Pacific halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limit

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues a proposed rule to seasonally prohibit directed fishing for groundfish by vessels using trawl, pot, or hookandline gear in waters located near Cape Sarichef in the Bering Sea subarea. This action is necessary to support NMFS research on the effect of fishing on the localized abundance of Pacific cod and to further the goals and

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document corrects a January 7, 2003, final rule that implemented changes to regulations governing the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program (Observer Program). The action is necessary to correct erroneous cross references and inaccurate amendatory language that occurred in the final rule.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2003 total allowable catch (TAC) of northern rockfish in this area.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 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 610 of the GOA.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2003 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod allocated to vessels using pot gear in this area.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. The season will open 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 1, 2003, and will close 1200 hrs, A.l.t., November 15, 2003. This period is the same as the 2003 IFQ and Community Development Quota season for Pacific halibut

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues a proposed rule to amend eligibility criteria for Pacific cod endorsements to groundfish licenses issued under the License Limitation Program (LLP). These endorsements are necessary to participate in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) Pacific cod hookandline or pot gear fisheries with vessels greater than or

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish by vessels using hookandline gear in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), except for demersal shelf rockfish in the Southeast Outside District or sablefish. This action is necessary because the second seasonal bycatch mortality allowance of Pacific halibut apportioned to hookandline gear targeting

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS issues an inseason adjustment closing the fishery for Pacific cod by vessels catching Pacific cod for processing by the offshore component in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2003 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod apportioned to vessels catching Pacific cod

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area
[[Page 11995]]
630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the pollock total allowable catch (TAC) for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document corrects a January 7, 2003, final rule that implemented changes to regulations governing the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program (Observer Program) under 50 CFR part 679. The action is necessary to correct an error in cross reference that occurred in the final rule.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS is prohibiting retention of Pacific ocean perch in the Eastern Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI). NMFS is requiring that catch of Pacific ocean perch 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 allocation of

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This document reinstates recordkeeping and reporting regulations implementing the IFQ Cost Recovery Program which were inadvertently removed from regulations in a final rule published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2003. That final rule implemented Amendment 72 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 72 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area (Amendment 72) and Amendment 64 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (Amendment 64) (collectively, Amendments 72/64). This action would revise certain recordkeeping

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE : National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration