Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 47 / Monday, March 12, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 10937 

HMS Vessel Permit Application is 

estimated to average 0.42 hours per 

vessel, including the time for reviewing 

instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the 

data needed, and completing and 

reviewing the collection-of-information. 

Send comments regarding these burden 

estimates or any other aspect of this data 

collection, including suggestions for 

reducing the burden, to NMFS (see 

ADDRESSES) and by e-mail to David 

Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or fax to (202) 

395–7285. 

Notwithstanding any other provision 

of the law, no person is required to 

respond to, and no person shall be 

subject to a penalty for failure to comply 

with a collection-of-information subject 

to the requirements of the PRA, unless 

that collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB control number. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 660 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Permits. 

Dated: March 6, 2007. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

■ For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, NMFS amends 50 CFR part 

660 as follows: 

PART 660—FISHERIES OFF WEST 

COAST STATES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 660 

continues to read as follows: 

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

■ 2. In § 660.707, paragraphs (b)(4) and 

(b)(5) are revised to read as follows: 

§ 660.707 Permits. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(4) Permits issued under this subpart 

will remain valid until the first date of 

renewal, and permits may be 

subsequently be renewed for 2-year 

terms. The first date of renewal will be 

the last day of the vessel owner’s birth 

month in the second calendar year after 

the permit is issued (e.g., if the birth 

month is March and the permit is issued 

on October 3, 2007, the permit will 

remain valid through March 31, 2009). 

(5) Replacement permits may be 

issued without charge to replace lost or 

mutilated permits. Replacement permits 

may be obtained by submitting to the 

SFD c/o the Regional Administrator a 

complete, signed vessel permit 

application. An application for a 

replacement permit is not considered a 

new application. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. E7–4429 Filed 3–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01; I.D. 

030607F] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Vessels Catching Pacific Cod for 

Processing by the Inshore Component 

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; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by vessels 

catching Pacific cod for processing by 

the inshore component in the Western 

Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska 

(GOA). This action is necessary to 

prevent exceeding the 2007 total 

allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod 

apportioned to vessels catching Pacific 

cod for processing by the inshore 

component of the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), March 8, 2007, until 1200 

hrs, A.l.t., September 1, 2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Hogan, 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 A season allocation of the 2007 

TAC of Pacific cod apportioned to 

vessels catching Pacific cod for 

processing by the inshore component of 

the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA 

is 7,813 metric tons (mt) as established 

by the 2007 and 2008 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(72 FR 9676, March 5, 2007). 

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

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2007 TAC of Pacific 

cod apportioned to vessels catching 

Pacific cod for processing by the inshore 

component of the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA will soon be reached. 

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 7,613 mt, and is setting 

aside the remaining 200 mt as bycatch 

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 

vessels catching Pacific cod for 

processing by the inshore component in 

the Western Regulatory Area of the 

GOA. 

After the effective date of this closure 

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 Pacific cod 

apportioned to vessels catching Pacific 

cod for processing by the inshore 

component of the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of March 6, 2007. 

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. 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES
10938 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 47 / Monday, March 12, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 

Dated: March 6, 2007. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–1147 Filed 3–7–07; 2:38 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES