INFORMATION BULLETIN (00-43)          March 31, 2000     
 Sustainable Fisheries Division        3:00 p.m.                       
 907-586-7228                           

                                
                                
 NMFS OPENS DIRECTED FISHING FOR ATKA MACKEREL OUTSIDE CRITICAL
       HABITAT AND PROHIBITS TRAWLING IN STELLER SEA LION
       CRITICAL HABITAT IN THE CENTRAL ALEUTIAN DISTRICT

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is opening directed
fishing for Atka mackerel in the Central Aleutian District
outside critical habitat and is prohibiting trawling within
Steller sea lion critical habitat in the Central Aleutian
District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area,
effective 12 noon, Alaska local time, April 3, 2000, according to
Steven Pennoyer, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
  
These actions are necessary to fully utilize the 2000 A season
harvest specification of Atka mackerel TAC in the Central
Aleutian District, and because the 2000 A season critical habitat
percentage of Atka mackerel allocated to the Central Aleutian
District has been reached. 

Steller sea lion critical habitat is defined at 50 CFR part 226,
Table 1 and Table 2. 

This information bulletin provides notice of a regulatory change. 
Do not rely upon it to guide you in complying with the regulatory
change.