Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 30 / Friday, February 13, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 7979 

* * * * * 

Dated: February 10, 2015. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03087 Filed 2–11–15; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 130925836–4174–02] 

RIN 0648–XD761 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Big Skate in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of 

Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting retention 

of big skate in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary because the 2015 

total allowable catch of big skate in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA will 

be reached. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), February 11, 2015, 

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

2015. 

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 

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 2015 total allowable catch (TAC) 

of big skate in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the GOA is 1,532 metric tons 

(mt) as established by the final 2014 and 

2015 harvest specifications for 

groundfish of the GOA (79 FR 12890, 

March 6, 2014). 

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

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2015 TAC of big 

skate in the Central Regulatory Area of 

the GOA will be reached. Therefore, 

NMFS is requiring that big skate caught 

in the Central 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. 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 prohibiting the retention of big 

skate in the Central Regulatory Area of 

the GOA. NMFS was unable to publish 

a notice providing time for public 

comment because the most recent, 

relevant data only became available as 

of February 9, 2015. 

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 § 679.21 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 10, 2015. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03051 Filed 2–10–15; 4:15 pm] 

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