Federal Register, Volume 60 Issue 90 (Wednesday, May 10, 1995)

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 10, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 24800-24802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11429]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

[Docket No. 95031062-5121-02; I.D. 021695C]
RIN 0648-AH40

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Groundfish Fishery of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Revised Product Recovery Rate

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces approval of a regulatory amendment to revise
the standard product recovery rate for pollock, deep skin fillets, and
product code 24. The revision is necessary to respond to new
information on the current recovery rate achieved by the groundfish
processing industry for this product type. This action is intended to
further the objectives of the fishery management plans (FMPs) for the
groundfish fisheries off Alaska.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 9, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessment/regulatory impact
review (EA/RIR) may be obtained from the Alaska Region, National Marine
Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, Attn: Lori Gravel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald J. Berg, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Fishing for groundfish by U.S. vessels in the exclusive economic
zone of the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
management area is managed by NMFS according to the FMP for Groundfish
of the Gulf of Alaska and the FMP for the Groundfish Fishery of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area. The FMPs were prepared
[[Page 24801]] by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council under
the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act and are
implemented by regulations governing the U.S. groundfish fisheries at
50 CFR parts 672 and 675. General regulations that also pertain to U.S.
fisheries appear at 50 CFR part 620.
Regulations at Secs. 672.20(j) and 675.20(k) establish standard
product types and standard product recovery rates (PRRs) for groundfish
harvested and processed off Alaska. This rule revises the pollock deep
skin fillet PRR from the current standard of 0.13 to a new standard of
0.16. An explanation of, and reasons for, this amendment are contained
in a notice of proposed rulemaking (60 FR 13106, March 10, 1995). That
document invited comments through April 10, 1995. One letter of comment
was received. It is summarized and responded to in the Comments
Received section, below.

Changes in the Final Rule From the Proposed Rule

None.

Comments Received

NMFS received one letter of comment on the proposed rule. This
comment supported the proposed action.
Comment 1. The standard product recovery rate for pollock deep skin
fillets should be revised from 0.13 to 0.16.
Response. NMFS concurs in this comment.
Classification
The Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulation of the
Department of Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of
the Small Business Administration that this rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The following is a summary of information, on which this certification
was based:

A Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) was prepared for
rulemaking that implemented standard product recovery rates for
groundfish products produced off Alaska. Based on the FRFA, it was
determined that the standard product recovery rates would have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. Nonetheless, although this particular regulatory amendment
would affect a substantial number of harvesting vessels, which are
considered small entities, the effects on those vessels would not
result in a reduction in annual gross revenues by more than 5
percent, annual compliance costs of more than 5 percent, or
compliance costs of least 10 percent higher as a percent of sales
for large entities.

A copy of the EA/RIR/FRFA prepared for the final rule that
implemented standard product recovery rates for groundfish products
produced off Alaska may be obtained from the Director, Alaska Region,
NMFS (see ADDRESSES).
This final rule has been determined to be not significant for
purposes of E.O. 12866.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Parts 672 and 675

Fisheries, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Dated: May 3, 1995.
Gary Matlock,
Program Management Officer, National Marine Fisheries Service.

For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR parts 672 and
675 are amended as follows:

PART 672--GROUNDFISH FISHERY OF THE GULF OF ALASKA

1. The authority citation for part 672 continues to read as
follows:

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

2. In Sec. 672.20, paragraph (i)(3) table, entry 24 is revised, and
in Table 1 to Sec. 672.20 Product Codes 15 through 32 are amended by
revising the entry for pollock to read as follows:

Sec. 672.20 General limitations.

* * * * *
(i) * * *
(3) * * *

* * * * *
24...... Deep skin fillets................................... 0.16
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* * * * *

Table 1 to Sec. 672.20 (continued).--Target Species Categories, Product Codes and Descriptions, and Standard Product Recovery Rates for Groundfish
Species Referenced in 50 CFR 672.20(a)(1) and/or 675.20(a)(1)
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Product code
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20 22
FMP species 15 Fillets: 21 Fillets: 23 24
Species Pectoral 16 17 18 19 With Fillets: With Fillets: Fillets: 30 31 32 Meal
code girdle Heads Cheeks Chins Belly skin and Skin on ribs on Skinless/ Deep Surimi Mince
ribs no ribs no skin bonesless skin
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* * * * * * *
Pollock........... 270 0.15 0.35 0.30 0.30 0.21 0.16 /1/0.16 0.22 0.17
/2/0.17

* * * * * * *
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\1\Standard pollock surimi rate during January through June.
\2\Standard pollock surimi rate during July through September.

[[Page 24802]]

PART 675--GROUNDFISH FISHERY OF THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
AREA

3. The authority citation for part 675 continues to read as
follows:

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

4. In Sec. 675.20, paragraph (j)(3) table, entry 24 is revised to
read as follows:

Sec. 675.20 General limitations.

* * * * *
(j) * * *
(3) * * *

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Standard
Product product
code Product description recovery
rate
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* * * * *
24...... Deep skin fillets................................... 0.16
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[FR Doc. 95-11429 Filed 5-9-95; 8:45 am]
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