Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 12605 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations 

at 50 CFR part 622. 

On April 27, 2000, NMFS 

implemented the final rule (65 FR 

16336, March 28, 2000) that divided the 

Florida west coast subzone of the Gulf 

of Mexico eastern zone into northern 

and southern subzones, and established 

their separate quotas. The king mackerel 

quota for the hook-and-line component 

of the commercial sector in the southern 

Florida west coast subzone is 520,312 lb 

(236,010 kg) (50 CFR 

622.42(c)(1)(i)(A)(2)(i)). 

In accordance with 50 CFR 

622.44(a)(2)(ii)(B)(2), from the date that 

75 percent of the southern Florida west 

coast subzone’s hook-and-line gear 

quota has been harvested until a closure 

of the subzone’s hook-and-line 

component has been effected or the 

fishing year ends, king mackerel in or 

from the EEZ may be possessed on 

board or landed from a permitted vessel 

in amounts not exceeding 500 lb (227 

kg) per day. 

NMFS has determined that 75 percent 

of the quota for the hook-and-line 

component of the commercial sector for 

Gulf group king mackerel from the 

southern Florida west coast subzone has 

been reached. Accordingly, a 500-lb 

(227-kg) trip limit applies to vessels in 

the hook-and-line component of the 

commercial sector for king mackerel in 

or from the EEZ in the southern Florida 

west coast subzone effective 12:01 a.m., 

local time, March 8, 2011. The 500-lb 

(227-kg) trip limit will remain in effect 

until the commercial sector closes or 

until the end of the current fishing year 

(June 30, 2011), whichever occurs first. 

The Florida west coast subzone is that 

part of the eastern zone located south 

and west of 25°20.4′ N. lat. (a line 

directly east from the Miami-Dade/ 

Monroe County, FL boundary) along the 

west coast of Florida to 87°31′06′ W. 

long. (a line directly south from the 

Alabama/Florida boundary). The 

Florida west coast subzone is further 

divided into northern and southern 

subzones. From November 1 through 

March 31, the southern subzone is 

designated as the area extending south 

and west from 25°20.4′ N. lat. to 

26°19.8′ N. lat. (a line directly west from 

the Lee/Collier County, Florida, 

boundary), i.e., the area off Collier and 

Monroe Counties. Beginning April 1, the 

southern subzone is reduced to the area 

off Collier County, Florida, between 

25°48′ N. lat. and 26°19.8′ N. lat. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fisheries. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds that the need to immediately 

implement this trip limit reduction for 

the king mackerel hook-and-line 

component of the commercial sector in 

the southern Florida west coast subzone 

constitutes good cause to waive the 

requirements to provide prior notice 

and opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such prior notice 

and opportunity for public comment is 

unnecessary and contrary to the public 

interest. Such procedures would be 

unnecessary because the rule 

implementing the quota and the 

associated requirement for closure of the 

commercial harvest when the quota is 

reached or projected to be reached has 

already been subject to notice and 

comment, and all that remains is to 

notify the public of the closure. 

Allowing prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment on this 

action would be contrary to the public 

interest because any delay in the trip 

limit reduction of the commercial 

harvest could result in the commercial 

quota being exceeded. There is a need 

to immediately implement this action to 

protect the king mackerel resource 

because the capacity of the fishing fleet 

allows for rapid harvest of the quota. 

Prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment would require time and would 

potentially result in a harvest well in 

excess of the established quota. 

For the aforementioned reasons, the 

AA also finds good cause to waive the 

30-day delay in the effectiveness of this 

action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

This action is taken under 50 CFR 

622.43(a) and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: March 3, 2011. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5227 Filed 3–3–11; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

[Docket No. 0907271173–1137–04] 

RIN 0648–AY11 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; SnapperGrouper Fishery Off the Southern 

Atlantic States; Amendment 17B; 

Correction 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Correcting amendments. 

SUMMARY: This document contains 

corrections to the final rule that 

implemented Amendment 17B to the 

Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the 

Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South 

Atlantic Region (Amendment 17B), 

which was published in the Federal 

Register on December 30, 2010. 

DATES: This correction is effective 

March 8, 2011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Anik Clemens, 727–824–5305; e-mail: 

Anik.Clemens@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On December 30, 2010, a final rule 

was published to implement 

Amendment 17B (75 FR 82280). That 

final rule established annual catch 

limits and accountability measures for 

nine snapper-grouper species in the 

South Atlantic region. One of these 

accountability measures prohibits the 

possession of deep-water snappergrouper species in or from the South 

Atlantic exclusive economic zone in 

depths greater than 240 ft (73 m). After 

the regulations implementing 

Amendment 17B became effective on 

January 31, 2011, it was determined that 

two of the waypoints defining the 240- 

ft (73-m) depth contour were in State 

waters. 

Need for Correction 

As published, the final rule contains 

errors in a table of coordinates in the 

regulatory text. In § 622.35, paragraph 

(o) contains a table of coordinates for 

the depth closure implemented in 

Amendment 17B for deep-water 

snapper-grouper. Within this table, an 

incorrect longitudinal coordinate was 

implemented for point K, and the 

coordinates for points O and U are 

within State boundaries. Through this 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
12606 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

correcting amendment, the longitudinal 

coordinate for point K will be corrected 

and the coordinates for points O and U, 

as published in the final rule 

implementing Amendment 17B, will be 

removed and replaced with new 

boundary coordinates to reflect the 

State/Federal boundary. These new 

coordinates and State/Federal boundary 

lines will be included in the revised 

depth closure table of coordinates. All 

other information remains unchanged 

and will not be repeated in this 

correction. 

Classification 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NOAA, finds good cause to waive prior 

notice and opportunity for additional 

public comment for this action because 

any delay of this action would be 

unnecessary and contrary to the public 

interest. This correcting amendment 

includes minor, non-substantive 

changes to regulatory text to clarify the 

boundaries of the snapper-grouper 

depth closure contained in the final rule 

for Amendment 17B to the FMP. These 

amendments do not modify, add or 

remove any rights, privileges or 

obligations of any individuals. Rather, 

one of the longitudinal coordinates 

published in the final rule was incorrect 

and two of the coordinates published in 

the final rule occurred in State waters. 

The new coordinates and State/Federal 

boundary lines published in this 

correcting amendment will alleviate 

unnecessary confusion for South 

Atlantic snapper-grouper fishermen. 

There will be no adverse affect on 

fishing stocks as a result of this 

amendment. However, by immediately 

implementing this correcting 

amendment, fishermen will better be 

able to plan their fishing trips by 

incorporating the correct boundary 

coordinates into their business plans. 

Because this is a minor technical 

amendment that will benefit the affected 

entities, public comment is both 

unnecessary and contrary to the public 

interest. 

For the reasons stated above, the 

Assistant Administrator also finds good 

cause, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d), to 

waive the 30-day delay in effective date 

for this correction amendment. These 

revisions are minor, non-substantive 

changes and do not change operating 

practices in the South Atlantic snappergrouper fishery. The immediate 

publication of the correct coordinates 

will provide fishermen the information 

they need to plan their fishing trips and 

alleviate confusion. 

Because prior notice and opportunity 

for public comment are not required for 

this rule by 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other 

law, the analytical requirements of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 

et seq., are inapplicable. 

This correcting amendment is exempt 

from review under Executive Order 

12866. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 622 

Fisheries, Fishing, Puerto Rico, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Virgin Islands. 

Dated: March 2, 2011. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

Accordingly, 50 CFR part 622 is 

corrected by making the following 

correcting amendments: 

PART 622—FISHERIES OF THE 

CARIBBEAN, GULF, AND SOUTH 

ATLANTIC 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 622 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

■ 2. In § 622.35, the table in paragraph 

(o) is revised to read as follows: 

§ 622.35 Atlantic EEZ seasonal and/or area 

closures. 

* * * * * 

(o) * * * 

Point North lat. 

10 

West long. 

10 

A ........................... 36°31′01′′ 74°48′10′′ 

B ........................... 35°57′29′′ 74°55′49′′ 

C ........................... 35°30′49′′ 74°49′17′′ 

D ........................... 34°19′41′′ 76°00′21′′ 

E ........................... 33°13′31′′ 77°17′50′′ 

F ............................ 33°05′13′′ 77°49′24′′ 

G ........................... 32°24′03′′ 78°57′03′′ 

H ........................... 31°39′04′′ 79°38′46′′ 

I ............................. 30°27′33′′ 80°11′39′′ 

J ............................ 29°53′21′′ 80°16′01′′ 

K ........................... 29°24′03′′ 80°13′28′′ 

L ............................ 28°19′29′′ 80°00′27′′ 

M ........................... 27°32′05′′ 79°58′49′′ 

N ........................... 26°50′29′′ 79°59′05′′ 

From point N follow the State/ 

Federal boundary to point O.

O ........................... 25°43′57′′ 80°04′46′′ 

P ........................... 25°31′03′′ 80°04′55′′ 

Q ........................... 25°13′44′′ 80°09′40′′ 

R ........................... 24°59′09′′ 80°19′51′′ 

S ........................... 24°42′06′′ 80°46′38′′ 

T ............................ 24°33′53′′ 81°10′23′′ 

U ........................... 24°29′10′′ 81°32′27′′ 

From point U follow the State/ 

Federal boundary to point V.

V ........................... 24°26′28′′ 81°45′06′′ 

W .......................... 24°25′53′′ 81°47′53′′ 

Point North lat. 

10 

West long. 

10 

From point W follow the State/ 

Federal boundary to point X.

X ........................... 24°25′32′′ 81°58′38′′ 

Y ........................... 24°25′49′′ 82°11′17′′ 

Z ............................ 24°21′35′′ 82°22′32′′ 

AA ......................... 24°21′29′′ 82°42′33′′ 

BB ......................... 24°25′37′′ 83°00′00′′ 

[FR Doc. 2011–5232 Filed 3–7–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3210–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 101126521–0640–02] 

RIN 0648–XA271 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Catcher Vessels Less Than 60 Feet 

(18.3 m) Length Overall Using Jig or 

Hook-and-Line Gear in the Bogoslof 

Pacific Cod Exemption Area in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels 

less than 60 feet (18.3 m) length overall 

(LOA) using jig or hook-and-line gear in 

the Bogoslof Pacific cod exemption area 

of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

management area (BSAI). This action is 

necessary to prevent exceeding the limit 

of Pacific cod for catcher vessels less 

than 60 ft LOA using jig or hook-andline gear in the Bogoslof Pacific cod 

exemption area in the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), March 3, 2011, through 

2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI according to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area (FMP) prepared by 

the North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council under authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act. 

Regulations governing fishing by U.S. 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES