Glacier Bay National Park, AK; Commercial Fishing Regulations

This final rule represents a major step towards a comprehensive resolution of commercial fishing issues in Glacier Bay National Park. In accordance with the provisions of Section 123 of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for FY 1999 (Section 123), as amended, the rule establishes special regulations for commercial fishing in the marine waters of Glacier Bay National Park. The rule implements provisions in Section 123 by: closing specifically identified areas of non-wilderness waters in Glacier Bay proper and all wilderness waters within Glacier Bay National Park to commercial fishing; limiting commercial fishing in Glacier Bay proper to three specific commercial fisheries; establishing a ``grandfathering'' process to allow qualifying fishermen in the three authorized commercial fisheries to continue fishing in the remaining waters of Glacier Bay proper under nontransferable lifetime permits; and, clarifying that the marine waters of Glacier Bay National Park outside of Glacier Bay proper will remain open to various existing commercial fisheries. Section 123 also directs that authorized commercial fisheries be managed in accordance with a cooperatively developed state/federal fisheries management plan. The cooperative state/federal fisheries management plan is being developed independent of this rule and will be announced at a later date.