[Federal Register: August 12, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 155)]
[Notices]               
[Page 43985]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12au99-44]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 080999F]

 
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Crab Interim 
Action Committee Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a Crab Interim Action Committee (CIAC) meeting 
to review an appeal of recent Alaska Board of Fisheries (Board) 
preseason management decisions to revise State regulations governing 
the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner crab fisheries.

DATES: The meeting will be held Wednesday, August 11, 1999, from 10:00 
am to 5:00 p.m., Alaska local time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the NMFS Regional Office in the 
Federal Building, 709 West 9th Street, Room 445, Juneau, AK 99801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen Harrington, 907-586-7445 
(phone), (907) 586-7465 (fax), or gretchen.harrington@noaa.gov (e-
mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An appeal has been submitted to the 
Secretary of Commerce requesting Secretarial review of three management 
decisions made by the Board at its meeting in March 1999. The Fishery 
Management Plan for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner 
Crabs (FMP) requires the CIAC to review the appeal prior to action by 
the Secretary. The CIAC has no authority to grant or reject the appeal, 
but will comment on the appeal for the benefit of the Secretary. The 
CIAC will review the Board's actions to determine whether the 
management measures adopted by the Board are consistent with the FMP 
(including compliance with framework criteria), the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other Federal law.
    The FMP delegates management of the king and Tanner crab fisheries 
in Federal waters to the State of Alaska, with Federal oversight. The 
appeal requested Secretarial review of the Board's decision to (1) move 
the Bristol Bay red king crab fishing season from November 1 to October 
15, (2) implement a 30-day exclusion period when no pot or trawl gear 
can be fished in Area T before the red king crab fishery in that area, 
and (3) implement a 30-day exclusion period when no pot or trawl gear 
can be fished in Area J prior to the C. bairdi Tanner crab fishery in 
that area and include trawl gear in the existing 14-day exclusion 
period for C. opilio Tanner crab.
    Subsequent to the March 1999 meeting, the Board decided to abate 
the implementation through regulation of the trawl gear exclusion 
periods until consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council (Council) and further deliberation. The Board consulted with 
the Council during a joint meeting on July 27, 1999. The Board will 
decide at an August 6, 1999, teleconference meeting whether to proceed 
to implement the trawl gear exclusion periods or continue to abate this 
action pending further deliberation and consultation with the Council. 
If the Board continues to abate implementation of the exclusion 
periods, the CIAC only will review the Board's action to change Bristol 
Bay red king crab season. Further abeyance by the Board on the trawl 
gear exclusion periods would alleviate the urgency for the August 11, 
1999, CIAC meeting and the meeting may be rescheduled for a later date.
    NMFS invites the public to attend the CIAC meeting to listen to 
staff presentations, however, no public testimony will be heard. 
Interested public should contact NMFS prior to August 11, 1999, to 
confirm the meeting date (See ADDRESSES).

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Gretchen Harrington (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT) prior to the workshop date.

    Dated: August 9, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-20929 Filed 8-9-99; 4:56 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F