20960 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 81 / Friday April 27, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 

area, for purposes of determining the 

incidental catch limit, will be 

determined through the vessel’s VMS 

unit. 

* * * * * 

■ 6. In § 648.95, paragraphs (a)(2), (g)(2), 

and (g)(3) are suspended and paragraphs 

(a)(4), (g)(4), and (g)(5) are added to read 

as follows: 

§ 648.95 Offshore Fishery Program in the 

SFMA. 

(a) * * * 

(4) When not fishing on a monkfish 

DAS, a Category F vessel may fish under 

the regulations applicable to the 

monkfish incidental catch (Category E) 

permit, specified under § 648.94 . When 

fishing on a NE multispecies DAS in the 

NFMA, a Category F vessel that also 

possesses a NE multispecies limited 

access permit is subject to the 

possession limits applicable to vessels 

issued an incidental catch permit as 

described in § 648.94(c)(9)(i). 

* * * * * 

(g) * * * 

(4) The monkfish DAS allocation for 

vessels issued a Category F permit shall 

be equal to the trip limit applicable to 

the vessel’s limited access monkfish 

permit category divided by the fixed 

daily possession limit specified in 

paragraph (g)(1) of this section, and then 

multiplied by the DAS allocation for 

limited access monkfish vessels fishing 

in the SFMA and not issued Category F 

permits, specified under 

§ 648.92(b)(10)(ii). For example, if a 

vessel has a limited access monkfish 

Category C permit, and the applicable 

trip limit is 550 lb (363 kg) for this 

category, and the vessel has an annual 

allocation of 12 monkfish DAS for the 

SFMA, then the monkfish DAS 

allocated to that vessel when issued a 

Category F permit would be 4.13 

monkfish DAS (550 lb divided by 1,600 

lb, multiplied by 12 monkfish DAS, 

equals 4.13 DAS). 

(5) Vessels issued a Category F permit 

that are fishing under a NE multispecies 

DAS in the NFMA are subject to the 

incidental catch limit specified in 

paragraph (c)(9)(i) of this section. 

* * * * * 

■ 7. In § 648.96, paragraphs (a), (b)(1)–

(4) are suspended and paragraphs 

(b)(5)–(7) are added to read as follows: 

§ 648.96 Monkfish annual adjustment 

process and framework specifications. 

(b) * * * 

(5) Annual review process. The 

Monkfish Monitoring Committee 

(MFMC) shall meet on or before 

November 15 of each year to develop 

options for the upcoming fishing year, 

as needed, and options for NEFMC and 

MAFMC consideration on any changes, 

adjustment, or additions to DAS 

allocations, trip limits, size limits, or 

other measures necessary to achieve the 

Monkfish FMP’s goals and objectives. 

The MFMC shall review available data 

pertaining to discards and landings, 

DAS, and other measures of fishing 

effort; stock status and fishing mortality 

rates; enforcement of and compliance 

with management measures; and any 

other relevant information. 

(6) Annual Target TACs for FY 2007—

(i) NFMA. The annual target TAC for the 

NFMA is 5,000 mt for FY 2007, unless 

otherwise recommended by the MFMC 

through its annual review procedure 

specified in paragraph (b)(5) of this 

section, and adopted through the 

procedures outlined in paragraph (b)(7) 

of this section. 

(ii) SFMA. The annual target TAC for 

the SFMA is 3,667 mt for FY 2007, 

unless otherwise recommended by the 

MFMC through its annual review 

procedure specified in paragraph (b)(5) 

of this section, and adopted through the 

procedures outlined in paragraph (b)(7) 

of this section. 

(7) Council TAC recommendations. 

The Councils shall consider any target 

TAC(s) and/or other management 

measures recommended by the MFMC 

as part of its annual review specified in 

paragraph (b)(5) of this section, and then 

forward their recommendation to the 

Regional Administrator. If the Councils 

recommend target TAC(s) and/or other 

management measures to the Regional 

Administrator, and the Regional 

Administrator concurs with this 

recommendation, the Regional 

Administrator shall promulgate the 

target TAC(s) and/or management 

measures through rulemaking consistent 

with the APA. If the Regional 

Administrator does not concur with the 

Councils’ recommendation, then the 

Councils shall be notified in writing of 

the reasons for the non-concurrence. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. E7–8117 Filed 4–26–07; 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. 

042307B] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Northern Rockfish, 

Pacific Ocean Perch, and Pelagic Shelf 

Rockfish in the Western Regulatory 

Area and West Yakutat District 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 northern rockfish, Pacific 

ocean perch, and pelagic shelf rockfish 

for catcher vessels subject to sideboard 

limits established under the Central 

GOA Rockfish Program in the Western 

Regulatory Area and West Yakutat 

District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). 

This action is necessary to prevent 

exceeding the sideboard limits of 

northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, 

and pelagic shelf rockfish established 

for catcher vessels in the Western 

Regulatory Area and West Yakutat 

District of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), July 1, 2007, through 2400 

hrs, A.l.t., July 31, 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 2007 sideboard limits established 

for catcher vessels subject to sideboard 

limits in the Central GOA Rockfish 

Program in the West Yakutat District are 

33 mt for Pacific ocean perch and 5 mt 

for pelagic shelf rockfish. The 2007 

sideboard limit established for catcher 

vessels subject to sideboard limits in the 

Central GOA Rockfish Program in the 

Western Regulatory Area are zero mt. 

The sideboard limits are established by 

the 2007 and 2008 harvest specifications 

for groundfish of the GOA (72 FR 9676, 

March 5, 2007). 


cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 81 / Friday April 27, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 20961 

In accordance with § 679.82(d)(7)(ii), 

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the directed fishing 

sideboard limits have been reached for 

northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, 

and pelagic shelf rockfish established 

for catcher vessels subject to sideboard 

limits in the Central GOA Rockfish 

Program in the Western Regulatory Area 

and West Yakutat District of the GOA. 

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting 

directed fishing for northern rockfish, 

Pacific ocean perch, and pelagic shelf 

rockfish for catcher vessels subject to 

sideboard limits in the Central GOA 

Rockfish Program in the Western 

Regulatory Area and West Yakutat 

District of the GOA, effective 1200 hrs, 

A.l.t, July 1, 2007, through 2400 hrs, 

A.l.t., July 31, 2007. 

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. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 

553 (b)(B), the Assistant Administrator 

for Fisheries, NOAA (AA) finds good 

cause to waive prior notice and an 

opportunity for public comment on this 

action, as notice and comment is 

unnecessary. Notice and comment is 

unnecessary because the closure is nondiscretionary; pursuant to 

§ 679.82(d)(7)(ii), the Regional 

Administrator has no choice but to 

prohibit directed fishing once it is 

determined that the directed fishing 

sideboard limit has been attained. 

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 § 679.82 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: April 23, 2007. 

James P. Burgess 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–8123 Filed 4–26–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


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