Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; License Limitation Program

Zusammenfassung

NMFS issues a final rule implementing part of Amendment 39 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI), Amendment 41 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), and Amendment 5 to the FMP for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab Fisheries in the BSAI. These amendments, submitted by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), establish the License Limitation Program (LLP). The LLP limits the number, size, and specific operation of vessels that may be deployed in the groundfish fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Alaska, except for demersal shelf rockfish east of 140 deg. W. long. and sablefish managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program. The LLP also limits the number, size, and specific operation of vessels that may be deployed in the crab fisheries managed pursuant to the FMP for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab Fisheries in the BSAI. DATES: Effective January 1, 2000, except for definitions added to Sec. 679.2 and paragraphs (i)(3), (i)(4), (i)(5), (i)(6), (i)(8)(iii), and (i)(8)(iv) added to Sec. 679.4, which are effective January 1, 1999.