Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Annual Specifications and Management Measures; Trip Limit Adjustments; Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Corrections

NMFS announces changes in the following trip limits for the Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries: limited entry trawl gear fisheries for the DTS complex (Dover sole, thornyheads and sablefish), flatfish (including arrowtooth flounder and Petrale sole), and yellowtail rockfish landed with flatfish; open access fisheries for yellowtail rockfish in the salmon troll fishery. NMFS also announces changes in the closed areas affecting the limited entry trawl fleet. For the trawl "B" platoon, the closed areas for the cumulative limit period beginning May 16 through June 30, 2003, will be the same for the "B" platoon as for the"A" platoon. For the remainder of the "B" platoon cumulative limit period, from July 1 through July 15, 2003, the "B" platoon will be subject to the closed areas that were in place for the "A" platoon through June 30, 2003. NMFS announces regulations for the retention of Pacific halibut landed incidentally in the limited entry longline primary sablefish fishery north of Pt. Chehalis, WA (46[deg]53'18" N. lat.). This document also contains notification of a voluntary closed area (also called an "area to be avoided") off Washington for commercial fixed gear sablefish fishermen and salmon trollers. In addition, NMFS announces corrections and clarifications to the final rule for the 2003 groundfish specifications and management measures (68 FR 11182, March 7, 2003). These actions, which are authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), will allow fisheries access to more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.