Fisheries off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Whiting Allocation Among Nontribal Sectors

This rule implements: Allocation of the commercial harvest guideline of Pacific whiting (whiting) among nontribal sectors of the Pacific groundfish fishery; a framework procedure for annually choosing the starting dates of the primary whiting seasons for the nontribal sectors; and allowing the processing of fish waste at sea when at-sea processing of whiting is otherwise prohibited. This rule also implements starting dates for the 1997 primary seasons under the framework. These actions are intended to provide equitable allocation of the whiting resource and to provide flexibility in harvesting and processing opportunities.