National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May 13, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document corrects an error in the regulatory text of a proposed rule published on April 6, 2009 (74 FR 15420) and extends the proposed rule's comment period by 30 days (from May 21, 2009 to June 22, 2009). The proposed rule would implement Amendment 85 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. The proposed rule would amend the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program to remove a restriction that prohibits certain catcher/processors from participating in directed groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area in July. It incorrectly removes a similar restriction on such vessels participating in directed groundfish fishing in the Gulf of Alaska. This notice corrects the error in the proposed regulatory text. Amendment 85 is necessary to improve flexibility and reduce operating costs for catcher/processors that participate in the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), 3333 N. Torry Pines Ct., La Jolla, CA 92037, has requested a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1596-01.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish and pelagic shelf rockfish (PSR) for trawl catcher vessels participating in the entry level rockfish fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2009 allocation of northern rockfish and PSR allocated to trawl catcher vessels participating in the entry level rockfish fishery in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.