Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 93221 

have landed and bartered, traded, or 

sold such lane snapper prior to 12:01 

a.m., local time, on November 26, 2024. 

The prohibition on the sale or purchase 

of lane snapper does not apply to fish 

that were harvested, landed, and sold 

prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, on 

November 26, 2024, and were held in 

cold storage by a dealer or processor. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

622.41(k), which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, 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 

opportunity for public comment on this 

action, as prior notice and public 

comment are unnecessary and contrary 

to the public interest. Such procedures 

are unnecessary because the regulation 

authorizing this temporary closure, 50 

CFR 622.41(k), has already been subject 

to prior notice and public comment, and 

all that remains is to notify the public 

of the closure. Prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment are 

contrary to the public interest because 

there is a need to immediately 

implement this action to protect the 

lane snapper stock. Prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment would 

require time and allow for additional 

harvest in excess of the stock ACL. 

For the aforementioned reasons, the 

Assistant Administrator also finds good 

cause to waive the 30-day delay in the 

effectiveness of this action under 5 

U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

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

Dated: November 21, 2024. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27699 Filed 11–21–24; 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– 

XD948] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch 

in 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 Pacific ocean perch in the 

Eastern Aleutian district (EAI) 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 Pacific 

ocean perch in the EAI allocated to 

vessels participating in the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector fishery. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), November 21, 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 BSAI FMP appear 

at subpart H of 50 CFR parts 600 and 

679. 

The 2024 TAC of Pacific ocean perch, 

in the EAI, allocated to vessels 

participating in the BSAI trawl limited 

access sector fishery was established as 

a directed fishing allowance of 702 

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 Pacific 

ocean perch in the EAI 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 Pacific 

ocean perch directed fishery in the EAI 

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 November 

20, 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: November 21, 2024. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27700 Filed 11–21–24; 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–XD956 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Atka Mackerel in the 

Bering Sea Subarea and Eastern 

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 Bering 

Sea subarea and Eastern Aleutian 

District (BS/EAI) 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 BS/EAI 

allocated to vessels participating in the 

BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), November 21, 2024, 

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

2024. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1