IB 04-11: NMFS Closes The Atka Mackerel Fishery In Area 543 Harvest Limit Area

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is rescinding the previously announced (69 FR 2850, January 21, 2004) February 2, 2004, closure for this fishery and is establishing a revised date for the prohibition of the first directed fishery for Atka Mackerel within the harvest limit area (HLA) in Statistical Area 543 of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area as 12 noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), January 30, 2004, based, according to James W. Balsiger, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.

The closure date for the first directed fishery in the HLA in area 542, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 2, 2004, and the opening and closures dates of the second directed fisheries in the HLA in area 542 and area 543, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 4, 2004, until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 13, 2004, remain the same.

This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the interim 2004 Atka mackerel HLA limit established for area 543 pursuant to the interim 2004 Atka mackerel total allowable catch and is issued pursuant to 50 CFR 679.20(d)(1)(iii) and 679.20(a)(8)(iii)(C) and (E).

This information bulletin only provides notice of a regulatory change. For the purposes of complying with the regulatory change, you are advised to see the actual text in the Code of Federal Regulations.