Fishery conservation and management: Alaska; fisheries of Exclusive Economic Zone Community development quota program,
[Federal Register: January 11, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 6)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 1539-1541]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11ja99-13]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 122898F]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Community Development Quota Program
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Approval of amendments to the 1998 through 2000 Multispecies Community Development Plans.
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the approval of recommendations made by the State of Alaska (State) for the amendments to the 1998 through 2000 Multispecies Community Development Plans (CDPs) under the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. This action is necessary to announce NMFS's decision to approve the State's recommendation and is intended to further the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
DATES: Approval of the amendments to the CDPs and the 1999 CDQ and prohibited species quota (PSQ) allocations are effective January 11, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the findings made by NMFS in approving the State's recommendations may be obtained from the Alaska Region, National Marine
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Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori Gravel.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally Bibb, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The current pollock CDPs and pollock CDQ allocations expire on December 31, 1998. Under the regulations implementing the multispecies (MS) CDQ Program (63 FR 8356, February 19, 1998 and 63 FR 30381, June 4, 1998), pollock will be combined with the other groundfish species and managed under the MS CDQ regulations through the MS CDPs. NMFS initially approved the 1998 through 2000 MS CDPs on March 25, 1998, for Pacific halibut, fixed gear sablefish, and crab. Amendments to the 1998 through 2000 MS CDPs, which NMFS approved on September 16, 1998, added allocations for all groundfish species except pollock and fixed gear sablefish and for the prohibited species quotas. At that time, 1998 through 2000 allocation recommendations were approved for all groundfish and prohibited species, except arrowtooth flounder, squid, ``other species,'' chinook salmon PSQ, and non-chinook salmon PSQ, which were approved for 1998 only. The State recommended that 1999 and 2000 allocation recommendations for these five CDQ and PSQ categories be made at the same time the allocation recommendations were made for pollock CDQ so that bycatch needs associated with the pollock CDQ and fixed gear sablefish CDQ, both of which are being integrated into the MS CDQ Program in 1999, could be addressed.
Eligible western Alaska communities submitted six applications for amendments to the MS CDPs for pollock and the related bycatch species to the State under 50 CFR 679.30. The State conducted a public hearing on September 15, 1998, and consulted the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) concerning the proposed amendments to the MS CDPs during the Council's October 1998 meeting. The Council concurred in the State's recommendations to NMFS. The State conducted a second public hearing on November 16, 1998, to discuss possible changes to its allocation recommendations as a result of the State's determination that one of the CDQ groups had not submitted a complete application.
NMFS received the State's recommended allocations of pollock CDQ and related bycatch species on November 19, 1998. These recommendations are for 1999 allocations only so that the State can assess the impact of the American Fisheries Act on the pollock CDQ fisheries prior to making pollock CDQ allocation recommendations for 2000. In reviewing the proposed amendments to the MS CDPs, the State determined that one of the CDQ groups had not included one of its CDQ investments as a CDQ project. Therefore, the State determined that only five of the six proposed CDP amendments were complete. However, the State is recommending that all of the proposed amendments to the MS CDPs, and the associated CDQ and PSQ allocation percentages for 1999, be approved. It acknowledges that current disagreements about the definition of a CDQ project remain unresolved. The State intends to conduct a comprehensive review of the CDQ Program to address this issue. Upon completion of this review, the State will make recommendations for regulatory amendments, if necessary.
In approving the State's recommendations for the 1999 percentage allocations of pollock CDQ and other related bycatch species CDQ and PSQ, NMFS recognizes that further clarification of the definition of a CDQ project is needed. NMFS further recognizes that all of the CDPs must be reviewed to ensure that this definition is consistently applied. This type of review cannot be conducted in time for NMFS to make determinations and for the CDQ groups to revise and re-submit current CDPs prior to the start of the 1999 pollock CDQ fisheries next month. Therefore, NMFS agrees to accept the State's recommendations that the amendments to the 1998 through 2000 MS CDPs be approved to add the percentage allocations of pollock and other associated bycatch species for 1999.
Prior to review of the next CDQ or PSQ allocation recommendations for 2000, NMFS will review all current CDPs to determine whether CDQ investments are properly categorized as CDQ projects. The CDQ groups will be requested to amend their CDPs if necessary. In addition, NMFS will consult with the Council and the State to determine whether proposed regulatory amendments are necessary to clarify the definition of a CDQ project.
NMFS is approving the State's recommended percentage allocation for squid in 1999. Although squid likely will be removed from the CDQ Program in 1999 under an emergency rule implementing the American Fisheries Act, approval of this percentage allocation is necessary so that it will be in place if the emergency rule expires.
The allocations to each CDQ group are presented in the table below. NMFS's findings regarding this decision are also available (see ADDRESSES).
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Selected Multispecies Groundfish and Prohibited Species Community Development Quota Allocations for 1999
APICDA BBEDC
CBSFA
CVRF
NSEDC
YDFDA Species or Species Group
(percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent)
Pollock...........................
16
21
5
22
22
14 Arrowtooth Flounder...............
18
21
9
16
16
20 Squid.............................
16
21
5
22
22
14 Other Species.....................
19
22
9
14
15
21 Chinook Salmon PSQ................
16
21
5
22
22
14 Non-chinook Salmon PSQ............
16
21
5
22
22
14
APICDA = Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association BBEDC = Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation CBSFA = Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association CVRF = Coastal Villages Region Fund NSEDC = Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation YDFDA = Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association PSQ = prohibited species quota
Dated: January 5, 1999. Gary C. Matlock, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-532Filed1-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
