59380 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 194 / Thursday, October 5, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

§ 391.49 [Amended]

4. Section 391.49 is amended in

paragraph (d)(2) by revising the

erroneous reference ‘‘§ 391.43(e)’’ to

read ‘‘§ 391.43(h)’’.

[FR Doc. 00–25337 Filed 10–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–C

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000211039-0039-01; I.D.

092900A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Shortraker and

Rougheye Rockfish in the Eastern

Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting retention

of shortraker and rougheye rockfish in

the Eastern Regulatory Area of the Gulf

of Alaska (GOA). NMFS is requiring that

catch of shortraker and rougheye

rockfish in this area be treated in the

same manner as prohibited species and

discarded at sea with a minimum of

injury. This action is necessary because

the amount of the 2000 total allowable

catch (TAC) of shortraker and rougheye

rockfish in this area has been reached.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), October 2, 2000, until 2400

hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick

Hindman 907-586-7006 or

nick.hindman@noaa.gov.

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 amount of the 2000 TAC of

shortraker and rougheye rockfish in the

Eastern Regulatory Area of the GOA was

established as 590 metric tons by the

Final 2000 Harvest Specifications of

Groundfish for the GOA (65 FR 8298,

February 18, 2000). See §

679.20(c)(3)(ii).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(2), the

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS,

has determined that the amount of the

2000 TAC for shortraker and rougheye

rockfish in the Eastern Regulatory Area

of the GOA has been reached. Therefore,

NMFS is requiring that further catches

of shortraker and rougheye rockfish in

the Eastern Regulatory Area of the GOA

be treated as prohibited species in

accordance with § 679.21(b).

Classification

This action responds to the best

available information recently obtained

from the fishery. NMFS finds that

implementing this action immediately

to prevent overharvesting the amount of

the 2000 TAC for shortraker and

rougheye rockfish in the Eastern

Regulatory Area of the GOA constitutes

good cause to waive the requirement to

provide prior notice and the

opportunity for public comment

pursuant to authority set forth at 5

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such procedure

would be impracticable and contrary to

the public interest. Moreover, the fleet

has taken the amount of the 2000 TAC

for shortraker and rougheye rockfish in

the Eastern Regulatory Area of the GOA.

As further delay would only result in

overharvest, NMFS finds that this

constitutes good cause under 5 U.S.C.

553(d), to waive the delay in the

effective date.

This action is required by § 679.20

and is exempt from review under E.O.

12866.

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

Dated: October 2, 2000.

Clarence Pautzke,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–25621 Filed 10–2–00; 4:30 pm]

BILLING CODE: 3510–22 –S