11332 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

Area 1 and 2 Exempted Areas, as 

described at 50 CFR 648.80(a)(9). 

Because these areas were omitted from 

the regulatory text, groundfish vessels 

would be unable to fish in the portions 

of the Small Mesh 1 and 2 Exemption 

Areas that overlap with the GOM cod 

seasonal interim closure areas. This 

correction adds the Small Mesh Area 1 

and 2 Exempted Areas to the list of 

exempted fishery areas that are exempt 

from the GOM cod seasonal interim 

closure areas. As a result, vessels can 

now fish with small mesh nets with 

raised footrope trawls in the Small Mesh 

Area 2 Exemption Area in March and 

April, and, if the interim rule were to be 

extended another six months, in the 

Small Mesh Area 1 Exemption Area July 

15 through November 15. This 

correction is consistent with the original 

intent of the GOM cod interim rule. 

Classification 

The Assistant Administrator (AA) for 

Fisheries, NOAA, finds that 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 

contrary to the public interest. This 

temporary rule adds the Small Mesh 

Area 1 and 2 Exempted Areas to the list 

of exempted fisheries that are exempt 

from the GOM cod seasonal interim 

closure areas. These two areas were 

inadvertently left out of the GOM cod 

interim action and adding these areas 

does not substantively change the 

regulations. Providing notice and 

comment on these changes is contrary to 

the public interest because any 

additional delay would cause economic 

harm to fishery participants by denying 

them opportunities to fish in the 

specified areas, which would have been 

permitted but for the previous 

inadvertent omission. Moreover, this 

action reduces a regulatory restriction 

and provides fishermen with greater 

fishing opportunities while maintaining 

the goals and objectives of the GOM cod 

interim rule and the groundfish fishery 

management plan. 

The Assistant Administrator also 

finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in 

effectiveness and makes this rule 

effective immediately upon filing for 

public inspection. In addition to the 

reasons stated above, an area within 

Small Mesh Area 2 will close on March 

1, 2015. Vessels fishing with raised 

footrope trawls would then be 

prohibited from fishing in that area 

unnecessarily. Waiving the 30-day delay 

avoids this unnecessary closure and 

allows fishery participants to fish in 

Small Mesh Area 2 without 

interruption, as was originally intended 

when the interim management measures 

were published. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 648 

Fisheries, Fishing, Recordkeeping and 

reporting requirements. 

Dated: February 24, 2015. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

Therefore, NOAA amends 50 CFR part 

648 as follows: 

PART 648—FISHERIES OF THE 

NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 648 

continues to read as follows: 

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

■ 2. Section 648.81 is amended by: 

■ A. Suspending from February 26, 

2015, unti May 12, 2015, paragraph 

(o)(2)(iv), and 

■ B. Temporarily adding from February 

26, 2015, until May 12, 2015, paragraph 

(o)(2)(vi). 

The addition reads as follows: 

§ 648.81 NE multispecies closed area and 

measures to protect EFH. 

* * * * * 

(o) * * * 

(2) * * * 

(vi) That are fishing in the Raised 

Footrope Trawl Exempted Whiting 

Fishery, ass specified in § 648.80(a)(15), 

or the Small Mesh Area 1 and 2 

Exemption Areas as specified in 

§ 648.80(a)(9). 

[FR Doc. 2015–04319 Filed 2–26–15; 4:15 pm] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 131021878–4158–02] 

RIN 0648–XD803 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone off Alaska; Pacific Cod 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 directed 

fishing for Pacific cod, except for the 

Community Development Quota 

program (CDQ), in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands management area (BSAI). This 

action is necessary to prevent exceeding 

the non-CDQ allocation of the 2015 

Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) 

in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the 

BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), February 27, 2015, through 

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 907–586–7269. 

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 non-CDQ allocation of the 2015 

Pacific cod TAC in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea of the BSAI is 8,414 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 non-CDQ 

allocation 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 6,414 mt, and is setting 

aside the remaining 2,000 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 

Aleutian Islands subarea 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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 11333 

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 

non-CDQ Pacific cod in the Aleutian 

Islands subarea 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 25, 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 26, 2015. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–04378 Filed 2–26–15; 4:15 pm] 

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