16950 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 111207737–2141–02] 

RIN 0648–XB111 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 

630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 72 

hours. This action is necessary to fully 

use the B season allowance of the 2012 

total allowable catch of pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), March 21, 2012, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 24, 2012. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., April 4, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by NOAA–NMFS–2012–0066, 

by any one of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal 

www.regulations.gov. To submit 

comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, 

first click the ‘‘submit a comment’’ icon, 

then enter NOAA–NMFS–2012–0066 in 

the keyword search. Locate the 

document you wish to comment on 

from the resulting list and click on the 

‘‘Submit a Comment’’ icon on that line. 

• Mail: Address written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. 

Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. 

• Fax: Address written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Fax comments to 907– 

586–7557. 

• Hand delivery to the Federal 

Building: Address written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Deliver comments to 

709 West 9th Street, Room 420A, 

Juneau, AK. 

Instructions: Comments must be 

submitted by one of the above methods 

to ensure that the comments are 

received, documented, and considered 

by NMFS. Comments sent by any other 

method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered. All comments received are 

a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted for public viewing 

on www.regulations.gov without change. 

All personal identifying information 

(e.g., name, address) submitted 

voluntarily by the sender will be 

publicly accessible. Do not submit 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive or protected 

information. NMFS will accept 

anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in 

the required fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). Attachments to electronic 

comments will be accepted in Microsoft 

Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe 

PDF file formats only. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 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. 

NMFS closed directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on March 

10, 2012 (77 FR 14698, March 13, 2012). 

As of March 15, 2012, NMFS has 

determined that approximately 1,389 

metric tons of pollock remain in the 

directed fishing allowance for pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C), and 

(a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the B 

season allowance of the 2012 TAC of 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA, NMFS is terminating the previous 

closure and is reopening directed 

fishing pollock in Statistical Area 630 of 

the GOA, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., 

March 21, 2012. 

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

the Regional Administrator finds that 

this directed fishing allowance will be 

reached after 72 hours. Consequently, 

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 

24, 2012. The Administrator, Alaska 

Region (Regional Administrator) 

considered the following factors in 

reaching this decision: (1) The current 

catch of pollock in Statistical Area 630 

of the GOA and, (2) the harvest capacity 

and stated intent on future harvesting 

patterns of vessels in participating in 

this fishery. 

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 

delay the opening of the directed 

pollock fishery in Statistical Area 630 of 

the GOA. Immediate notification is 

necessary to allow for the orderly 

conduct and efficient operation of this 

fishery, to allow the industry to plan for 

the fishing season, and to avoid 

potential disruption to the fishing fleet 

and processors. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of March 19, 2012. 

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. 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow pollock fishery 

in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA to be 

harvested in an expedient manner and 

in accordance with the regulatory 

schedule. Under § 679.25(c)(2), 

interested persons are invited to submit 

written comments on this action to the 

above address until April 4, 2012. 

This action is required by § 679.25 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: March 20, 2012. 

Steve Thur, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–7046 Filed 3–20–12; 4:15 pm] 

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