[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 8, 1995)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 40302-40303] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-19524] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 661 [Docket No. 950426116-5116-01; I.D. 080295A] Ocean Salmon Fisheries Off the Coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California; Adjustment of Coho Salmon Quotas AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Inseason adjustment of quotas. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS announces inseason increases to the non-treaty and treaty Indian coho salmon ocean fishery quotas north of Cape Falcon, OR. The increase to the non-treaty quota is apportioned between the commercial troll and recreational fisheries and among recreational subareas according to the coho salmon allocation provisions contained in the Fishery Management Plan for the Ocean Salmon Fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California (FMP). DATES: Effective at 2400 hours local time, August 3, 1995. Comments must be submitted by August 23, 1995. ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to William Stelle, Jr., Director, Northwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., BIN C15700-Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115-0070. Information relevant to this action has been compiled in aggregate form and is available for public review during business hours at the office of the Director, Northwest Regional, NMFS (Regional Director). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Robinson 206-526-6140. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the ocean salmon fisheries at section III.B. of the appendix to 50 CFR part 661, the standards and procedures for inseason changes to annual management measures. Specifically, the Regional Director may adjust management measures inseason provided that any inseason adjustment in management measures is consistent with fishery regimes established by the U.S.- Canada Pacific Salmon Commission, ocean escapement goals, conservation of the salmon resource, any adjudicated Indian fishing rights, and the ocean allocation scheme in the FMP. In addition, all inseason adjustments must be based on consideration of the following factors: (a) Predicted sizes of salmon runs; (b) harvest quota and hooking mortality limits for the area and total allowable impact limitations if applicable; (c) amount of the recreational, commercial, and treaty Indian catch for each species in the area to date; (d) Amount of recreational, commercial, and treaty Indian fishing effort in the area to date; (e) Estimated average daily catch per fisherman; (f) Predicted fishing effort for the area to the end of the scheduled season; and (g) other factors as appropriate. The annual management measures for ocean salmon fisheries (60 FR 21746, May 3, 1995), that NMFS may make inseason adjustments to fisheries north of Cape Falcon that are consistent with and complementary to Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) spawner escapement objectives in the event that management agreements or understandings with Canada warrant reevaluation of the Council's assumptions about prior interceptions (60 FR 21753, 21756). Annual management measures for the ocean salmon fisheries are recommended to NMFS by the Council under the authority of the framework FMP. During development of the 1995 annual management measures, the Council made certain assumptions regarding the harvest of coho salmon in Canadian fisheries off the West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI). These assumptions regarding Canadian harvest are an important factor in developing U.S. harvest quotas, since over one-half of the coho salmon harvested off Canada are of U.S. origin, and, absent interception, would return to U.S. waters. The Council's recommendations for U.S. ocean fisheries for coho salmon north of Cape Falcon were based, in part, on the assumption that Canada would harvest 1.78 million coho off WCVI, consistent with recent years' harvest levels. Subsequent to the implementation of the U.S. 1995 annual management measures, the Government of Canada announced that it will reduce the Canadian harvest off WCVI to 1.2 million coho salmon for 1995. This reduction in Canadian harvest is expected to return several hundred thousand additional coho salmon to U.S. waters, most of which will return as spawning escapement to U.S. rivers and hatcheries, and some of which will be available for harvest. The Council provided for the inseason adjustment of the annual management measures, based on revised assumptions for Canadian interceptions, in anticipation of providing some economic relief to ocean salmon [[Page 40303]] fishermen who have been severely restricted (no fishing in 1994) during the last few years. At the same time, the Council assumed that the majority of benefits would accrue to spawning escapements, especially for wild coho salmon stocks. Before taking any action, the Regional Director consulted, as required by the implementing regulations, with the Council Chairman, the States of Washington and Oregon, and most of the affected northwest treaty Indian tribes. Under the authority of 50 CFR part 661, NMFS is increasing the non-treaty coho salmon ocean quota north of Cape Falcon, OR, by 25,000 fish, from 75,000 to 100,000 fish, and the treaty Indian coho salmon ocean quota by 5,000 fish, from 25,000 to 30,000 fish. The overall non-treaty increase is distributed between the commercial troll and recreational fisheries, with the troll fishery quota increasing from 18,750 to 25,000 fish, and the recreational fishery quota increasing from 56,250 to 75,000 fish. The recreational quota increases are further distributed between the four subareas north of Cape Falcon, with the quota in the subarea from Cape Falcon, OR, to Leadbetter Point, WA, increasing from 28,125 to 37,500 fish; the quota in the subarea from Leadbetter Point to the Queets River, WA, increasing from 20,800 to 28,600 fish; the quota in the subarea from the Queets River to Cape Alava, WA, increasing from 1,460 to 1,800 fish; and the quota in the subarea from Cape Alava to the U.S.-Canadian border increasing from 5,850 to 7,100 fish. The best available analysis of impacts on wild coho salmon escapements in Puget Sound and Washington coastal rivers indicated that, compared with assumptions and predictions made when the annual management measures were approved, wild coho salmon spawning escapements will increase significantly in all major streams, and all escapement floors for Washington coastal streams will be exceeded, even with these and other modest increases to U.S. fisheries in State waters. In addition, overall harvest impacts on Oregon coastal natural coho salmon, which have been proposed for listing as ``threatened'' under the Endangered Species Act and which make up a small portion of the harvest north of Cape Falcon, have decreased slightly. The States of Oregon and Washington will manage the fisheries in State waters adjacent to this area of the exclusive economic zone in accordance with this Federal action. Because of the need for immediate action to relieve a restriction, NMFS has determined that good cause exists for this action to be issued without affording a prior opportunity for public comment and without a delayed effectiveness period. This action does not apply to other fisheries that may be operating in other areas. Classification This action is authorized by 50 CFR 661.21 and 661.23 and is exempt from review under E.O. 12866. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: August 2, 1995. Richard W. Surdi, Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 95-19524 Filed 8-3-95; 3:49 pm] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F