Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 5 / Friday, January 8, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 1301 

inseason adjustment (85 FR 83473, 

December 22, 2020). 

In accordance with §§ 679.20(d)(1)(i) 

and 679.20(d)(1)(ii)(B), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the A season 

apportionment of the 2021 Pacific cod 

TAC allocated to AFA trawl catcher/ 

processors in the BSAI is necessary to 

account for the incidental catch in other 

anticipated fisheries. Therefore, the 

Regional Administrator is establishing a 

directed fishing allowance of 0 mt and 

is setting aside the remaining 1,928 mt 

as incidental catch to support other 

anticipated groundfish fisheries. In 

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

Regional Administrator finds that this 

directed fishing allowance has been 

reached. Consequently, NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific 

cod by AFA trawl catcher/processors 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 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

part 679, which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(b), and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 

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

is good cause to waive prior notice and 

an opportunity for public comment on 

this action, as notice and comment 

would be 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 Pacific 

cod by AFA trawl catcher/processors 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 31, 2020. 

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

Dated: January 4, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00110 Filed 1–7–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 200227–0066] 

RTID 0648–XA769 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of 

Pacific Cod 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; reallocation. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the 

projected unused amount of Pacific cod 

from vessels using jig gear to catcher 

vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) 

length overall using hook-and-line or 

pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands management area. This action is 

necessary to allow the A season 

apportionment of the 2021 total 

allowable catch of Pacific cod to be 

harvested. 

DATES: Effective January 7, 2021, 

through 2400 hours, Alaska local time 

(A.l.t.), December 31, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Krista Milani, 907–581–2062. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (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. vessels in accordance with the FMP 

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 

and 50 CFR part 679. 

The A season apportionment of the 

2021 Pacific cod total allowable catch 

(TAC) specified for vessels using jig gear 

in the BSAI is 939 metric tons (mt) as 

established by the final 2020 and 2021 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the BSAI (85 FR 13553, March 9, 2020) 

and inseason adjustment (85 FR 83473, 

December 22, 2020). 

The 2021 Pacific cod TAC allocated to 

catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 

meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using 

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

2,222 mt as established by final 2020 

and 2021 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, 

March 9, 2020) and inseason adjustment 

(85 FR 83473, December 22, 2020). 

The Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has 

determined that jig vessels will not be 

able to harvest 900 mt of the A season 

apportionment of the 2021 Pacific cod 

TAC allocated to those vessels under 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(A)(1). Therefore, in 

accordance with § 679.20(a)(7)(iv)(C), 

NMFS apportions 900 mt of Pacific cod 

from the A season jig gear 

apportionment to the annual amount 

specified for catcher vessels less than 60 

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

or pot gear. 

The harvest specifications for 2021 

Pacific cod included in final 2020 and 

2021 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (85 FR 13553, 

March 9, 2020) and inseason adjustment 

(85 FR 83473, December 22, 2020) are 

revised as follows: 39 mt to the A season 

apportionment and 665 mt to the annual 

amount for vessels using jig gear, and 

3,122 mt to catcher vessels less than 60 

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

or pot gear. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

part 679, which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(b), and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 

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

is good cause to waive prior notice and 

an opportunity for public comment on 

this action, as notice and comment 

would be 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 reallocation of 

Pacific cod specified from jig vessels to 

catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) 

LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear. 

NMFS was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of December 

30, 2020. 

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

Dated: January 4, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00079 Filed 1–7–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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