78678 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 220 / Thursday, November 16, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 

information available and the stocks’ 

status determination criteria that are 

defined in the FMP. 

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

Dated: November 9, 2023. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25268 Filed 11–15–23; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 230224–0053] 

RTID 0648–XD210 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; ‘‘Other Rockfish’’ in 

the Western and Central Regulatory 

Areas 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 retention 

of ‘‘other’’ rockfish in the Western and 

Central Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of 

Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary 

to prevent exceeding the 2023 total 

allowable catch of ‘‘other’’ rockfish in 

the Western and Central Regulatory 

Areas of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), November 13, 2023, 

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

2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 907–586–7241. 

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 2023 total allowable catch (TAC) 

of ‘‘other rockfish’’ in the Western and 

Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA is 

940 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)(2), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2023 ‘‘other 

rockfish’’ TAC in the Western and 

Central Regulatory Areas of the GOA 

will soon be reached. Therefore, NMFS 

is requiring that ‘‘other rockfish’’ in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the GOA be treated as prohibited 

species in accordance with § 679.21(a), 

except ‘‘other rockfish’’ species in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the GOA caught by catcher vessels using 

hook-and-line, pot, or jig gear as 

described in § 679.20(j). 

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 prohibiting retention 

of ‘‘other rockfish’’ in the Western and 

Central Regulatory Areas 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 November 9, 

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: November 13, 2023. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25318 Filed 11–13–23; 4:15 pm] 

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