66298 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 27, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 6—FINAL 2023 SEASONAL AND SPATIAL ALLOWANCES, GEAR SHARES, CDQ RESERVE, INCIDENTAL CATCH

ALLOWANCE, AND AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE BSAI ATKA MACKEREL TAC 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 1 Season 234

2023 Allocation by area 

Eastern Aleutian 

District/Bering Sea 

Central 

Aleutian District 5

Western 

Aleutian District 

TAC ............................................................... n/a .............................. 27,260 17,351 24,671 

CDQ reserve ................................................. Total ........................... 2,917 1,857 2,640 

A ................................. 1,458 928 1,320 

Critical Habitat ............ n/a 557 792 

B ................................. 1,458 928 1,320 

Critical Habitat ............ n/a 557 792 

Non-CDQ TAC .............................................. n/a .............................. 24,343 15,494 22,031 

ICA ................................................................ Total ........................... 100 75 20 

Jig 6 ................................................................ Total ........................... 118 ...................................... ..................................

BSAI trawl limited access ............................. Total ........................... 2,343 1,542 ..................................

A ................................. 1,171 771 ..................................

Critical Habitat ............ n/a 463 ..................................

B ................................. 1,171 771 ..................................

Critical Habitat ............ n/a 463 ..................................

Amendment 80 sector ................................... Total ........................... 21,783 13,877 22,011 

A ................................. 10,892 6,939 11,006 

Critical Habitat ............ n/a 4,163 6,603 

B ................................. 10,892 6,939 11,006 

Critical Habitat ............ n/a 4,163 6,603 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 1Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii) allocates the Atka mackerel TACs, after subtracting the CDQ reserves, ICAs, and jig gear allocation, to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors. The allocation of the ITAC for Atka mackerel to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors is established in Table 33 to 50 CFR part 679 and § 679.91. The CDQ reserve is 10.7 percent of the TAC for use by CDQ participants (see §§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C)). 2Sections 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for the Atka mackerel fishery. 

3The seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel are 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season. 

4Section 679.23(e)(3) authorizes directed fishing for Atka mackerel with trawl gear during the A season from January 20 to June 10 and the B 

season from June 10 to December 31. 5Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(i) limits no more than 60 percent of the annual TACs in Areas 542 and 543 to be caught inside of Steller sea 

lion protection areas; section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(ii) equally divides the annual TACs between the A and B seasons as defined at 

§ 679.23(e)(3); and section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(2) requires that the TAC in Area 543 shall be no more than 65 percent of ABC in Area 543. 6Sections 679.2 and 679.20(a)(8)(i) require that up to 2 percent of the Eastern Aleutian Islands District and the Bering Sea subarea TAC be 

allocated to jig gear after subtracting the CDQ reserve and the ICA. NMFS sets the amount of this allocation for 2023 at 0.5 percent. The jig 

gear allocation is not apportioned by season. 

This will enhance the socioeconomic 

well-being of harvesters dependent 

upon Atka mackerel in this area. The 

Regional Administrator considered the 

following factors in reaching this 

decision: (1) the current catch of Atka 

mackerel ICA in the BS/EAI; and, (2) the 

harvest capacity and stated intent on 

future harvesting patterns of the 

Amendment 80 cooperative that 

participates in this BS/EAI fishery. 

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 harvest of Atka 

mackerel in the BS/EAI fishery. NMFS 

was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of September 

21, 2023. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

Fisheries, NOAA 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. 

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

Dated: September 21, 2023. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20976 Filed 9–22–23; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 230224–0053; RTID 0648– 

XD069] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch 

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 ocean perch in the 

Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of 

Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary 

to prevent exceeding the 2023 total 

allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch 

in the Western Regulatory Area of the 

GOA. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 27, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 66299 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), September 22, 2023, 

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

2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 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 2023 total allowable catch (TAC) 

of Pacific ocean perch in the Western 

Regulatory Area of the GOA is 2,529 

metric tons (mt) as established by the 

final 2023 and 2024 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(88 FR 13238, March 2, 2023). 

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

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2023 TAC of Pacific 

ocean perch in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA will soon be reached. 

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 2,429 mt, and is setting 

aside the remaining 100 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 ocean perch 

in the Western Regulatory Area of the 

GOA. 

While this closure is in effect, 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 directed 

fishing of Pacific ocean perch in 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 September 

21, 2023. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

Fisheries, NOAA 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. 

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

Dated: September 22, 2023. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–21074 Filed 9–22–23; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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