[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 19, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 42588-42589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18013]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 660
RIN 0648-BA40
[Docket No. 101221628-0628-01]
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
Management Plan; Amendments 20 and 21; Trawl Rationalization Program;
Pacific Halibut Bycatch Quota for the Remainder of the 2011 Fishery
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Agency determination.
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[[Page 42589]]
SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the provisions for the Pacific halibut
trawl mortality bycatch limit and for calculation of Pacific halibut
individual bycatch quota (IBQ) pounds in the Shorebased Individual
Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program will remain in effect for the remainder of
the 2011 groundfish fishery. This announcement is required in order to
maintain the current amount of Pacific halibut IBQ pounds in the
Shorebased IFQ Program.
DATES: Effective on July 19, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Background information and documents are available from
William W. Stelle, Jr., Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, NMFS,
7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115-0070; or by phone at 206-
526-6150.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen A. Hanshew, 206-526-6147;
(fax) 206-526-6736; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 30, 2010, NMFS published a rule
(75 FR 82296) that, among other actions, revised the Pacific halibut
trawl mortality bycatch limit, specified at Sec. 660.55(m), subpart C,
and calculations for issuance of IBQ pounds in the Shorebased IFQ
Program, specified at Sec. 660.140(d)(1)(ii)(C), subpart D. Further
background information for this action is provided in the preamble text
of the December 30, 2010, rule and in the supporting documents for that
action, and is not repeated here.
One public comment letter was received in response to the December
30, 2010, rule. In its January 31, 2011, letter, the Natural Resource
Defense Council urged NMFS to provide adequate protection and adopt
conservative harvest levels for rebuilding groundfish species,
particularly for yelloweye rockfish, cowcod and darkblotched rockfish.
No comments were made specific to provisions at Sec. 660.55(m),
subpart C, or Sec. 660.140(d)(1)(ii)(C), subpart D. The provisions
that were the subject of the January 31, 2011, letter of comment were
superseded by the final rule for the 2011-2012 biennial specifications
and management measures (May 11, 2011, 76 FR 27508), and are not
related to the measures at issue in this notice.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council is actively working to
prepare an amendment to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management
Plan to address the Pacific halibut trawl mortality bycatch limit and
calculation of Pacific halibut IBQ pounds in the Shorebased IFQ Program
for 2012 and beyond.
Therefore, this document announces the agency determination made
prior to June 29, 2011, to continue through December 31, 2011, the
measures set forth in the December 30, 2010, rule at Sec. 660.55(m),
subpart C, and Sec. 660.140(d)(1)(ii)(C), subpart D.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and 16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.
Dated: July 12, 2011.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-18013 Filed 7-18-11; 8:45 am]
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