65108 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 19, 2018 / Rules and Regulations 

overall (LOA) using hook-and-line or 

pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands management area (BSAI). This 

action is necessary to prevent exceeding 

the 2018 Pacific cod total allowable 

catch allocated to catcher vessels less 

than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hookand-line or pot gear in the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), December 15, 2018, 

through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 

2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI exclusive economic zone 

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. vessels in accordance with the FMP 

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 

and 50 CFR part 679. 

The 2018 Pacific cod total allowable 

catch (TAC) allocated to catcher vessels 

less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using 

hook-and-line or pot gear in the BSAI is 

8,748 metric tons (mt) as established by 

the final 2018 and 2019 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (83 FR 8365, February 27, 2018), 

and reallocations (83 FR 2932, January 

22, 2018, 83 FR 42227, August 21, 2018, 

and 83 FR 56740, November 14, 2018). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), 

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2018 Pacific cod 

TAC allocated as a directed fishing 

allowance to catcher vessels less than 60 

feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line 

or pot gear in the BSAI will soon be 

reached. Consequently, NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific 

cod by catcher vessels less than 60 feet 

(18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or 

pot gear in the BSAI. While this closure 

is effective the maximum retainable 

amounts at § 679.20(e) and (f) apply at 

any time during a trip. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement 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 requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as it would prevent NMFS from 

responding to the most recent fisheries 

data in a timely fashion and would 

delay the closure of directed fishing for 

Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 

60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-andline or pot gear in the BSAI. NMFS was 

unable to publish a notice providing 

time for public comment because the 

most recent, relevant data only became 

available as of December 13, 2018. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: December 14, 2018. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–27439 Filed 12–14–18; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 170816769–8162–02] 

RIN 0648–XG676 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of 

Pacific Cod in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the 

projected unused amounts of Pacific cod 

total allowable catch (TAC) from catcher 

vessels using trawl gear to catcher 

vessels using hook-and-line gear, vessels 

using jig gear, and vessels using pot gear 

in the Western Regulatory Area of the 

Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 

necessary to allow the 2018 TAC of 

Pacific cod in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA to be harvested. 

DATES: Effective December 14, 2018 

through 2400 hours, Alaska local time 

(A.l.t.), December 31, 2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act. Regulations governing 

fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance 

with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679. 

The 2018 Pacific cod TAC 

apportioned to catcher vessels using 

trawl gear in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA is 2,140 metric tons 

(mt), as established by the final 2018 

and 2019 harvest specifications for 

groundfish of the GOA (83 FR 8768, 

March 1, 2018). The Administrator, 

Alaska Region, NMFS, (Regional 

Administrator) has determined that 

catcher vessels using trawl gear will not 

be able to harvest 725 mt of the 2018 

Pacific cod TAC allocated to those 

vessels under § 679.20(a)(12)(i)(A)(3). 

In accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(12)(ii)(B), the Regional 

Administrator has also determined that 

catcher vessels using hook-and-line 

gear, vessels using jig gear, and vessels 

using pot gear currently have the 

capacity to harvest this excess 

allocation. Therefore, NMFS apportions 

725 mt of Pacific cod from the trawl 

catcher vessel apportionment to catcher 

vessels using hook-and-line gear, vessels 

using jig gear, and vessels using pot gear 

in the Western Regulatory Area of the 

GOA. 

The harvest specifications for Pacific 

cod in the Western Regulatory Area of 

the GOA included in the final 2018 and 

2019 harvest specifications for 

groundfish of the GOA (83 FR 8768, 

March 1, 2018) are revised as follows: 

1,415 mt to catcher vessels using trawl 

gear, 85 mt to vessels using hook-andline gear, 125 mt to vessels using jig 

gear, and 2,795 mt to vessels using pot 

gear. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement 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 requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as it would prevent NMFS from 

responding to the most recent fisheries 

data in a timely fashion and would 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 19, 2018 / Rules and Regulations 65109 

delay the reallocations of Pacific cod in 

the Western Regulatory Area of the 

GOA. Since the fishery is currently 

open, it is important to immediately 

inform the industry as to the revised 

allocations. Immediate notification is 

necessary to allow for the orderly 

conduct and efficient operation of this 

fishery, to allow the industry to plan for 

the fishing season, and to avoid 

potential disruption to the fishing fleet 

as well as processors. NMFS was unable 

to publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of December 11, 2018. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: December 14, 2018. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–27438 Filed 12–14–18; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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