Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 182 / Thursday, September 19, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 76743 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 240304–0068; RTID 0648– 

XD955] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone off Alaska; Atka Mackerel in the 

Central Aleutian District of the Bering 

Sea and Aleutian Islands Management 

Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for Atka mackerel in the Central 

Aleutian district (CAI) of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands management area 

(BSAI) by vessels participating in the 

BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. 

This action is necessary to prevent 

exceeding the 2024 total allowable catch 

(TAC) of Atka mackerel in the CAI 

allocated to vessels participating in the 

BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), September 16, 2024, 

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

2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the BSAI 

prepared by the North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council under authority of 

the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens 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 2024 TAC of Atka mackerel, in 

the CAI, allocated to vessels 

participating in the BSAI trawl limited 

access sector fishery was established as 

a directed fishing allowance of 1,489 

metric tons by the final 2024 and 2025 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the BSAI (89 FR 17287, March 11, 

2024). 

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

the Regional Administrator finds that 

this directed fishing allowance has been 

reached. Consequently, NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for Atka 

mackerel in the CAI by vessels 

participating in the BSAI trawl limited 

access sector fishery. While this closure 

is effective, the maximum retainable 

amounts at § 679.20(e) and (f) apply at 

any time during a trip. 

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 the closure of the Atka 

mackerel directed fishing in the CAI for 

vessels participating in the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector fishery. NMFS was 

unable to publish a notice providing 

time for public comment because the 

most recent, relevant data only became 

available as of September 13, 2024. 

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: September 16, 2024. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21448 Filed 9–16–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 240304–0068; RTID 0648– 

XD945] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; ‘‘Other Rockfish’’ in 

the Aleutian Islands Subarea of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area 

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 Aleutian 

Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands management area 

(BSAI). This action is necessary because 

the 2024 ‘‘other rockfish’’ total 

allowable catch (TAC) in the Aleutian 

Islands subarea of the BSAI has been 

reached. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), September 16, 2024, 

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

2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI according to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area (FMP) prepared by 

the North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council under authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens 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 2024 ‘‘other rockfish’’ TAC in the 

Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI is 

380 metric tons (mt) as established by 

the final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (89 FR 17287, March 11, 2024). In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(2), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator) has 

determined that the 2024 ‘‘other 

rockfish’’ TAC in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea of the BSAI has been reached. 

Therefore, NMFS is requiring that 

‘‘other rockfish’’ in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea of the BSAI be treated in the 

same manner as a prohibited species, as 

described under § 679.21(a), for the 

remainder of the year, except ‘‘other 

rockfish’’ species in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea 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 Aleutian 

Islands subarea of the BSAI. NMFS was 


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