Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 201 / Thursday, October 19, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 72007 

such approved claims divided by the 

provider’s projected minutes for the 

Fund Year. An exogenous cost 

adjustment shall be paid if a VRS 

provider incurs well-documented costs 

that: 

(1) Belong to a category of costs that 

the Commission has deemed allowable; 

(2) Result from new TRS requirements 

or other causes beyond the provider’s 

control; 

(3) Are new costs that were not 

factored into the applicable 

compensation formula; and 

(4) If unrecovered, would cause a 

provider’s current allowable-expensesplus-operating margin to exceed its 

revenues. 

[FR Doc. 2023–22936 Filed 10–18–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 230224–0053; RTID 0648– 

XD276] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 610 in 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 pollock in Statistical Area 

610 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary to prevent exceeding 

the annual 2023 total allowable catch of 

pollock for Statistical Area 610 in the 

GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), October 17, 2023, 

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

2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Krista Milani, 907–581–2062. 

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 parts 600 and 679. 

The annual 2023 total allowable catch 

(TAC) of pollock in Statistical Area 610 

of the GOA is 26,958 metric tons (mt) 

as established by the final 2023 and 

2024 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the GOA (88 FR 13238, 

March 2, 2023). 

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

the Regional Administrator has 

determined that the annual 2023 TAC of 

pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the 

GOA will soon be reached. Therefore, 

the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 26,758 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 pollock in Statistical 

Area 610 of the GOA. 

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, it would prevent 

NMFS from responding to the most 

recent fisheries data in a timely fashion, 

and would delay the closure of directed 

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 

610 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 October 15, 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: October 16, 2023. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23095 Filed 10–16–23; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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