Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Overfished Fisheries

Section 304(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that, if the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) determines that a fishery is overfished, the Secretary shall immediately notify the appropriate fishery management council and request that action be taken to end overfishing in the fishery and to implement conservation and management measures to rebuild affected stocks. The fishery management council has 1 year from the date of notification to prepare a plan to end overfishing in the fishery and to rebuild affected stocks. On March 3, 1999, the Secretary approved Amendment 7 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Bering Sea/ Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (64 FR 11390, March 9, 1999). Pursuant to section 303(a)(10) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and the national standard guidelines (50 CFR part 600), the amendment revised the definitions of overfishing, maximum sustainable yield, and optimum yield for the king and Tanner crab fisheries in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. Based on an analysis of the 1999 NMFS Eastern Bering Sea trawl survey data, the Bering Sea snow crab spawning biomass and the St. Matthew blue king crab spawning biomass are below the minimum stock size threshold defined for these stocks, and are thus deemed overfished. Pursuant to section 304 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS notified Mr. Richard B. Lauber, Council Chairman, by letter on September 24, 1999, that these crab stocks are overfished, as follows:

Mr. Richard B. Lauber, Chairman North Pacific Fishery Management Council 605 West 4th Avenue, Suite 306 Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2252 Dear Mr. Lauber: Amendment 7 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Bering Sea/ Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP) revised the definitions of overfishing for the FMP crab species. This action was necessary for compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and will advance the Council's ability to achieve, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from fisheries under its jurisdiction. Based on an analysis of the 1999 NMFS Eastern Bering Sea trawl survey data, we determine Bering Sea snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and St. Matthew blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) to be overfished because the total spawning biomass of each stock is below the minimum stock size threshold specified in the new overfishing definitions. A copy of this analysis is attached. This letter serves as your official notification that snow crab and St. Matthew blue king crab are overfished. Section 304(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act states that a council will have one year from notification of the overfished status of a stock to prepare and submit conservation and management measures to end overfishing and rebuild the affected stock. The rebuilding program must be as short as possible, but not exceed 10 years, except if the biology of the stock or other environmental conditions dictate otherwise. Sincerely, Steven Pennoyer, Administrator, Alaska Region

Dated: September 30, 1999. Bruce C. Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 99-26216 Filed 10-7-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F