54604 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 26, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 

This action is required by § 679.21 

and § 679.25 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: September 20, 2007. 

Alan D. Risenhoover 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–4728 Filed 9–21–07; 1:52 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01] 

RIN 0648–XC89 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 

630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary to fully use the C 

season allowance of the 2007 total 

allowable catch (TAC) of pollock 

specified for Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), September 21, 2007, 

through 1200 hrs, A.l.t., September 23, 

2007. Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., October 9, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue 

Salveson, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be 

submitted by: 

• Mail to: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 

99802; 

• Hand delivery to the Federal 

Building, 709 West 9th Street, Room 

420A, Juneau, Alaska; 

• FAX to 907–586–7557; 

• E-mail to inseason-fakr@noaa.gov 

and include in the subject line and body 

of the e-mail the document identifier: 

g63plkro4 (E-mail comments, with or 

without attachments, are limited to 5 

megabytes). 

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. 

NMFS prohibited directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on August 

28, 2007 (72 FR 48946, August 27, 

2007). NMFS reopened the directed 

fishery for pollock under 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii) for 72 hours on 

September 15, 2007. The fishery closed 

again on September 18, 2007 (72 FR 

53169, September 18, 2007). 

NMFS has determined that 

approximately 2,750 mt of pollock 

remain in the directed fishing 

allowance. Therefore, in accordance 

with § 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C) and 

(a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the C 

season allowance of pollock in 

Statistical Area 630, NMFS is 

terminating the previous closure and is 

reopening directed fishing for pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. In 

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

Regional Administrator finds that this 

directed fishing allowance will be 

reached after 48 hours. Consequently, 

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., 

September 23, 2007. 

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 opening of pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 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 September 

18, 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. 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow the pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA to be 

harvested in an expedient manner and 

in accordance with the regulatory 

schedule. Under § 679.25(c)(2), 

interested persons are invited to submit 

written comments on this action to the 

above address until October 9, 2007. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and § 679.25 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: September 20, 2007. 

Alan D. Risenhoover 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–4729 Filed 9–21–07; 1:52 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01] 

RIN 0648–XC90 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 

620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary to fully use the C 

season allowance of the 2007 total 

allowable catch (TAC) of pollock in 

Statistical Area 620 in the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), September 21, 2007, 

through 1200 hrs, A.l.t., October 1, 

2007. Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., October 9, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue 

Salveson, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be 

submitted by: 

• Mail to: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 

99802; 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with RULES