9398 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 35 / Monday, February 23, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

the Gulf of Alaska from Point Manby 

southeast to and including Dry Bay): 

(i) Season: Glaucous-winged gull egg 

gathering: May 15–June 30. 

(ii) Closure: July 1–August 31. 

■ 4. Amend subpart D by adding § 92.32 

to read as follows: 

§ 92.32 Emergency regulations to protect 

Steller’s eiders. 

Upon finding that continuation of 

these subsistence regulations would 

pose an imminent threat to the 

conservation of threatened Steller’s 

eiders (Polysticta stelleri), the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service Alaska Regional 

Director, in consultation with the Comanagement Council, will immediately 

under § 92.21 take action as is necessary 

to prevent further take. Regulation 

changes implemented could range from 

a temporary closure of duck hunting in 

a small geographic area to large-scale 

regional or Statewide long-term closures 

of all subsistence migratory bird 

hunting. These closures or temporary 

suspensions will remain in effect until 

the Regional Director, in consultation 

with the Co-management Council, 

determines that the potential for 

additional Steller’s eiders to be taken no 

longer exists. 

Dated: February 9, 2015. 

Michael J. Bean, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish 

and Wildlife and Parks. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03602 Filed 2–20–15; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 131021878–4158–02] 

RIN 0648–XD780 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the 

Western Aleutian Islands 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 Pacific cod, including for the 

Community Development Quota 

program (CDQ), in the Western Aleutian 

Islands district (Area 543) of the Bering 

Sea and Aleutian Islands management 

area (BSAI). This action is necessary to 

prevent exceeding the Area 543 Pacific 

cod harvest limit of the 2015 total 

allowable catch (TAC) in the Aleutian 

Islands subarea of the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), February 18, 2015, through 

2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mary Furuness, 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. 

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 Area 543 Pacific cod harvest limit 

of the 2015 TAC in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea of the BSAI is 2,478 metric tons 

(mt) as established by the final 2014 and 

2015 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (79 FR 12108, 

March 4, 2014) and inseason adjustment 

(80 FR 188, January 5, 2015). In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, 

has determined that the Area 543 Pacific 

cod harvest limit of the 2015 Pacific cod 

TAC in the Aleutian Islands subarea of 

the BSAI will soon be reached. 

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 2,178 mt, and is setting 

aside the remaining 300 mt as incidental 

catch in directed fishing for other 

species. 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 cod in the 

Western Aleutian Islands district of the 

BSAI. 

After the effective date of this closure 

the maximum retainable amounts at 

§ 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time 

during a trip. 

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 directed fishing closure of 

Pacific cod in the Western Aleutian 

Islands district of the BSAI. NMFS was 

unable to publish a notice providing 

time for public comment because the 

most recent, relevant data only became 

available as of February 16, 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 is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 18, 2015. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03554 Filed 2–18–15; 4:15 pm] 

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