[Federal Register: June 10, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 111)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 39632-39633]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10jn02-11]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 020402077-2077-01; I.D. 052802F]
Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific;
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Whiting Closure for the Mothership
Sector
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Fishing restrictions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces closure of the 2002 mothership fishery for
Pacific
[[Page 39633]]
whiting (whiting) at 0500 local time (l.t.) June 6, 2002, 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
2002 allocation levels.
DATES: Effective from 0500 l.t. June 6, 2002, until the start of the
2003 primary season for the mothership sector, unless modified,
superseded or rescinded; such action will be published in the Federal
Register. Comments will be accepted through June 25, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to D. Robert Lohn, Administrator, Northwest
Region (Regional Administrator), NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE.,
Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or Rodney McInnis, Acting Regional
Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Renko or Carrie Nordeen at 206-
526-6140.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is authorized by regulations
implementing the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan
(FMP), which governs the groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and
California. On April 15, 2002 (67 FR 18117), the levels of allowable
biological catch (ABC), the optimum yield (OY) and the commercial OY
(the OY minus the tribal allocation) for U.S. harvests of whiting were
announced in the Federal Register. For 2002 the whiting OY is 129,600
metric tons (mt) and the commercial OY is 106,920 mt. Regulations at 50
CFR 660.323(a)(4) divide the commercial OY into separate allocations
for the catcher/processor, mothership, and shore-based sectors of the
whiting fishery. The 2002 allocations, which are based on the 2002
commercial OY, are 36,353 mt (34 percent) for the catcher/processor
sector, 25,661 mt (24 percent) for the mothership sector, and 44,906 mt
(42 percent) for the shoreside sector. When each sector's allocation is
reached, the primary season for that sector is ended. The mothership
sector is composed of motherships, and catcher vessels that harvest
whiting for delivery to motherships. Motherships are vessels that
process, but do not harvest, whiting. The regulations at 50 CFR 660.323
(a)(3)(i) describe the primary season for vessels delivering to
motherships as the period(s) when at-sea processing is allowed and the
fishery is open for the mothership sector.
NMFS Action
This action announces achievement of the allocation for the
mothership sector only. The best available information on June 4, 2002,
indicated that the 25,661 mt mothership allocation would be reached by
0500 hours, June 6, 2002, at which time the primary season for the
mothership sector ends and further at-sea processing and receipt of
whiting by a mothership, or taking and retaining, possessing, or
landing of whiting by a catcher boat in the mothership sector, are
prohibited. For the reasons stated above, and in accordance with the
regulations at 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B), NMFS herein announces that
effective 0500 hours June 6, 2002--(1) further receiving or at-sea
processing of whiting by a mothership is prohibited. No additional
unprocessed whiting may be brought on board after at-sea processing is
prohibited, but a mothership may continue to process whiting that was
on board before at-sea processing was prohibited, and (2) whiting may
not be taken and retained, possessed, or landed by a catcher vessel
participating in the mothership sector.
Classification
This action is authorized by the regulations implementing the FMP.
The determination to take this action is based on the most recent data
available. The aggregate data upon which the determination is based are
available for public inspection at the office of the Regional
Administrator (see ADDRESSES) during business hours. This action is
taken under the authority of 50 CFR 660.323(a)(4)(iii)(B) and is exempt
from review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: June 5, 2002.
John H. Dunnigan,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 02-14539 Filed 6-5-02; 3:59 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S