65FR38216 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Rebuilding Overfished Fisheries
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Posting-number: Volume 65, Issue 119, Page 38216
[Federal Register: June 20, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 119)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 38216-38217]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jn00-16]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[I.D. 022500C]
RIN 0648-AM29
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Rebuilding
Overfished Fisheries
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Approval of fishery management plan amendment.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the approval of Amendment 11 to the Fishery
Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs
(FMP). This amendment is necessary to implement a plan to rebuild the
overfished stock of Bering Sea Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi). This
action is intended to ensure that conservation and management measures
continue to be based on the best scientific information available and
is intended to achieve, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from
the affected crab fisheries.
DATES: The amendment was approved on June 8, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Copies of Amendment 11 to the FMP, and the Environmental
Assessment (EA) prepared for the amendment are available from the
Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668,
Juneau, AK 99802-1668, Attn: Lori Gravel.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen Harrington, 907-586-7228 or
gretchen....@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS declared the Bering Sea stock of Tanner
crab overfished on March 3, 1999, because the spawning stock biomass
was below the minimum stock size threshold defined in Amendment 7 to
the FMP (64 FR 11390). Amendment 7 specified objective and measurable
criteria for identifying when all of the crab fisheries covered by the
FMP are overfished or when overfishing is occurring. NMFS notified the
North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) once NMFS determined
that the stock was overfished (64 FR 15308, March 31, 1999). The
Council then took action to develop a rebuilding plan within 1 year.
Amendment 11, the rebuilding plan, is an FMP amendment that
accomplishes the purposes outlined in the national standard guidelines
to rebuild the overfished stock. Amendment 11 specifies a time period
for rebuilding the stock that satisfies the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
The rebuilding plan is estimated to allow the Bering Sea Tanner
crab stock to rebuild, with a 50 percent probability, in 10 years. The
stock will be considered ``rebuilt'' when the stock reaches the maximum
sustainable yield stock size level in 2 consecutive years.
The Council's rebuilding plan incorporates the harvest strategy
developed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and adopted by the
Alaska Board of Fisheries. Section 8.0 of the FMP defers to the State
of Alaska the authority to develop harvest strategies, with oversight
by NMFS and the Council. The rebuilding harvest strategy should result
in more spawning biomass because fishery and bycatch mortality would be
reduced. This higher spawning biomass is expected to produce large
year-classes when environmental conditions are favorable.
An EA was prepared for Amendment 11 that describes the management
background, the purpose and need for action, the management
alternatives, and the environmental and the socio-economic impacts of
the alternatives. A copy of the EA can be obtained from NMFS (see
ADDRESSES).
A notice of availability for the proposed Amendment 11 to the FMP,
which described the proposed amendment and invited comments from the
public, was published in the Federal Register on March 7, 2000 (65 FR
11973). Comments were invited until May 8, 2000. NMFS received no
public comments on Amendment 11.
NMFS determined that Amendment 11 to the FMP is consistent with the
Magnuson-Stevens Act and other
[[Page 38217]]
applicable laws and approved Amendment 11 on June 8, 2000. Additional
information on this action is contained in the March 7, 2000, notice of
availability (65 FR 11973).
No regulatory changes are necessary to implement this FMP
amendment.
Dated: June 14, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-15510 Filed 6-19-00; 8:45 am]
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