Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Commencement of Groundfish Fisheries in 2001

Résumé

NMFS notifies the public that the 2001 total allowable catch (TAC) specifications for groundfish in the exclusive economic zone in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) and in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) will be implemented by emergency rule(s) promulgated pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. NMFS has determined that the existing regulatory process for publication of annual groundfish TAC specifications is impracticable for establishing the 2001 TACs because NMFS currently is preparing a biological opinion pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) evaluating the effects of groundfish fisheries measures, including the specification of TACs, on endangered and threatened species. The intended effect of this action is to inform the public of NMFS' plan to promulgate the 2001 groundfish TAC specifications by emergency rule and to remind fishermen that no groundfish harvest is authorized for the 2001 fishing year until NMFS publishes groundfish TAC specifications for the 2001 fishing year.