Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Vessel Moratorium Program

Résumé

NMFS issues a proposed rule to implement Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI), Amendment 57 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), and Amendment 9 to the FMP for the Commercial King and Tanner Crab Fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area submitted by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council). These amendments would extend the Vessel Moratorium Program (VMP) authorized under the aforementioned FMPs from January 1, 1999, through December 31, 1999, with one change. The one change would be that after December 31, 1998, no person could apply for a new moratorium permit unless the application is based on a moratorium qualification that was used as the basis for issuing a moratorium permit on or before December 31, 1998. Extension of the VMP from January 1, 1999, through December 31, 1999, would prevent a one-year hiatus between the current expiration of the VMP on December 31, 1998, and the start of fishing under the License Limitation Program (LLP) on January 1, 2000.