Fishery conservation and management: Alaska; fisheries of Exclusive Economic Zone Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program,
[Federal Register: December 22, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 245)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 71688]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22de99-22]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 113099C]
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 1998-2000 Multispecies Community Development Plans (CDPs) for six Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups.
SUMMARY: NMFS announces the approval of recommendations made by the State of Alaska (State) for the amendments to the 1998-2000 Multispecies (MS) CDPs for the six CDQ groups under the Western Alaska CDQ Program. This action is necessary to announce NMFS' decision to approve the State's recommendations 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 2000 CDQ and prohibited species quota (PSQ) allocations are effective December 21, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the findings made by NMFS in approving the State's recommendations may be obtained from the Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori Gravel.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Obren Davis, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The current percentage allocations of pollock, arrowtooth flounder, and ``other species'' CDQ and chinook salmon and non-chinook salmon PSQ to the CDQ groups expire on December 31, 1999. To synchronize the 3- year CDP cycles for all CDQ species by the end of 2000, and to allow the State to evaluate the impact of the American Fisheries Act (AFA) on the pollock CDQ fisheries, percentage allocations of pollock CDQ and associated incidental catch species are being made on an annual basis in 1999 and 2000. NMFS approved the 1999 percentage allocation recommendations for pollock and the associated incidental catch species on January 11, 1999. Percentage allocations to the CDQ groups for these five CDQ and PSQ species groups now must be approved for 2000. For the 2001 through 2003 fishing years, all groundfish CDQ and PSQ species will be combined into a single 3-year CDP cycle.
Eligible Western Alaska communities submitted to the State six applications for amendments to the MS CDPs for pollock and the related incidental catch species under 50 CFR 679.30. The State conducted a public hearing on September 28, 1999. During the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's October 1999 meeting, the State consulted with the Council concerning the proposed amendments to the MS CDPs. At that time, the State recommended the same percentage allocations to all of the CDQ groups as were approved for 1999, and the Council concurred in the State's recommendations.
On November 5, 1999, the State submitted a letter and findings to NMFS recommending that the CDPs for the six CDQ groups be complete and recommending the same percentage allocations for pollock and the associated incidental catch species as those approved for these CDQ groups for 1999. NMFS agrees with the State's recommendations and approves the amendments to the 1998-2000 MS CDPs for the six CDQ groups and the percentage allocations of pollock and other associated incidental catch species for 2000.
The allocations to each CDQ group are presented in the table following. NMFS' findings regarding this decision are also available (see ADDRESSES).
Selected Multispecies Groundfish and Prohibited Species Community Development Quota Allocations for 2000
Species or Species Group
APICDA BBEDC CBSFA CVRF NSEDC YDFDA
Pollock
16% 21% 5% 22% 22% 14% Arrowtooth Flounder
18% 21% 9% 16% 16% 20% 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's Association CVRF = Coastal Villages Region Fund NSEDC = Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation YDFDA = Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association PSQ = prohibited species quota
Dated: December 16, 1999. Gary C. Matlock, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-33197Filed12-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
