Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 164 / Thursday, August 23, 2018 / Rules and Regulations 42609 

these reasons, there is good cause under 

5 U.S.C. 553(d) to waive the 30-day 

delay in effectiveness. 

This action is being taken under 

§ 635.23(a)(4), and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 

et seq. 

Dated: August 20, 2018. 

Margo B. Schulze-Haugen, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18196 Filed 8–20–18; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 170816769–8162–02] 

RIN 0648–XG378 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment 

to the 2018 Gulf of Alaska Pollock 

Seasonal Apportionments 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason 

adjustment. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is adjusting the 2018 C 

seasonal apportionments of the total 

allowable catch (TAC) for pollock in the 

Gulf of Alaska (GOA) by re-apportioning 

unharvested pollock TAC in Statistical 

Area 630 of the GOA. This action is 

necessary to provide opportunity for 

harvest of the 2018 pollock TAC, 

consistent with the goals and objectives 

of the Fishery Management Plan for 

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), August 20, 2018, until 

2400 hours A.l.t., December 31, 2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 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 

(Council) under authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens 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 annual pollock TACs in 

Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630 of 

the GOA are apportioned among four 

seasons, in accordance with 

§ 679.23(d)(2). Regulations at 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B) allow the 

underharvest of a seasonal 

apportionment to be added to 

subsequent seasonal apportionments, 

provided that any revised seasonal 

apportionment does not exceed 20 

percent of the seasonal apportionment 

for a given statistical area. Therefore, 

NMFS is increasing the C season 

apportionment of pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 of the GOA to reflect the 

underharvest of pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 during the B season. In 

addition, any underharvest remaining 

beyond 20 percent of the originally 

specified seasonal apportionment in a 

particular area may be further 

apportioned to other statistical areas. 

Therefore, NMFS also is increasing the 

C season apportionment of pollock to 

Statistical Areas 610 and 620 based on 

the underharvest of pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. These 

adjustments are described below. 

The C seasonal apportionment of the 

2018 pollock TAC in Statistical Area 

610 of the GOA is 13,777 metric tons 

(mt) as established by the final 2018 and 

2019 harvest specifications for 

groundfish of the GOA (83 FR 8768, 

March 1, 2018). In accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B), the Administrator, 

Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional 

Administrator), hereby increases the C 

season apportionment for Statistical 

Area 610 by 611 mt to account for the 

underharvest of the TAC in Statistical 

Area 630 in the B season. This increase 

is in proportion to the estimated pollock 

biomass and is not greater than 20 

percent of the C seasonal apportionment 

of the TAC in Statistical Area 610. 

Therefore, the revised C seasonal 

apportionment of the pollock TAC in 

Statistical Area 610 is 14,388 mt (13,777 

mt plus 611 mt). 

The C seasonal apportionment of the 

2018 pollock TAC in Statistical Area 

620 of the GOA is 10,013 mt as 

established by the final 2018 and 2019 

harvest specifications for groundfish of 

the GOA (83 FR 8768, March 1, 2018). 

In accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B), 

the Regional Administrator hereby 

increases the C seasonal apportionment 

for Statistical Area 620 by 443 mt to 

account for the underharvest of the TAC 

in Statistical Area 630 in the B season. 

This increase is not greater than 20 

percent of the C seasonal apportionment 

of the TAC in Statistical Area 620. 

Therefore, the revised C seasonal 

apportionment of the pollock TAC in 

Statistical Area 620 is 10,456 mt (10,013 

mt plus 443 mt). 

The C seasonal apportionment of the 

2018 pollock TAC in Statistical Area 

630 of the GOA is 13,865 mt as 

established by the final 2018 and 2019 

harvest specifications for groundfish of 

the GOA (83 FR 8768, March 1, 2018). 

In accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B), 

the Regional Administrator hereby 

increases the C seasonal apportionment 

for Statistical Area 630 by 2,773 mt to 

account for the underharvest of the TAC 

in Statistical Area 630 in the B season. 

This increase is in proportion to the 

estimated pollock biomass and is not 

greater than 20 percent of the C seasonal 

apportionment of the TAC in Statistical 

Area 630. Therefore, the revised C 

seasonal apportionment of pollock TAC 

in Statistical Area 630 is 16,638 mt 

(13,865 mt plus 2,773 mt). 

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 

provide opportunity to harvest 

increased pollock seasonal 

apportionments. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of August 15, 2018. 

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 § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: August 20, 2018. 

Margo B. Schulze-Haugen, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18218 Filed 8–20–18; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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