7818 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 20 / Tuesday, February 2, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

Dated: January 27, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02127 Filed 1–29–21; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 200227–0066; RTID 0648– 

XA783] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

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 

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 meters (m)) length 

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 2021 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. 

DATES: This inseason action became 

applicable at 1200 hours, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), January 26, 2021, and 

remains in effect through 1200 hours, 

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Krista Milani, 907–581–2062. 

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 2021 Pacific cod TAC allocated to 

catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) 

LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear in 

the BSAI is 3,122 metric tons as 

established by the final 2020 and 2021 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

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

inseason adjustment (85 FR 83473, 

December 22, 2020), and reallocation 

(86 FR 1301, January 8, 2021). 

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

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2021 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 

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 catcher vessels less than 60 feet 

(18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line 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 January 25, 2021. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. 

Dated: January 27, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–02133 Filed 1–29–21; 8:45 am] 

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