Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Reallocation of Pacific Sardine

NMFS announces the reallocation of the remaining Pacific sardine harvest guideline in the exclusive economic zone off the Pacific Coast. On September 1, 2003, 59,508 metric tons (mt) of the 110,908 mt harvest guideline is expected to remain unharvested. The Coastal Pelagics Species Fishery Management Plan (FMP) requires that a review of the fishery be conducted and any uncaught portion of the harvest guideline remaining unharvested in Subarea A (north of Pt. Arena, CA) and Subarea B (south of Pt. Arena, CA) be added together and reallocated, with 20 percent allocated to Subarea A and 80 percent to Subarea B; therefore, 11,902 mt is allocated to Subarea A and 47,600 mt is allocated to Subarea B. The intended effect of this action is to ensure that a sufficient amount of the resource is available to all harvesters on the Pacific Coast and to achieve optimum yield.