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, 2005, 85,132 metric tons (mt) of the 136,179-mt harvest guideline are estimated to remain unharvested. The Coastal Pelagic 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, 17,026 mt is allocated to Subarea A and 68,106 mt is allocated to Subarea B. This action ensures that a sufficient amount of the Pacific sardine resource is available to all harvesters on the Pacific coast and to achieve optimum yield.