2358 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 10 / Friday, January 14, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

(1) Descending device. A descending 

device is an instrument capable of 

releasing a fish at the depth from which 

the fish was caught. 

(i) The descending device must be a 

weighted hook, lip clamp, or container 

that will hold the fish while it is 

lowered to depth. The device must be 

capable of releasing the fish 

automatically, by actions of the operator 

of the device, or by allowing the fish to 

escape on its own when at depth. 

(ii) The descending device must use a 

minimum of a 16-ounce (454-gram) 

weight and a minimum of a 60-ft (15.2- 

m) length of line. 

(2) Venting tool. A venting tool is a 

device capable of penetrating the 

abdomen of a fish to release the excess 

gases accumulated in the body cavity 

when a fish is retrieved from depth. A 

venting tool must be a sharpened, 

hollow instrument that allows air to 

escape, such as a hypodermic syringe 

with the plunger removed. A 16–gauge 

needle, which has an outside diameter 

of 0.065 inches (1.65 mm), is the 

minimum diameter hollow tube that 

must be used. A larger diameter hollow 

needle is preferred to allow more air to 

escape from a fish rapidly. A device that 

is not hollow, such as a knife or an ice 

pick, is not a venting tool and will cause 

additional damage to a fish. 

[FR Doc. 2022–00720 Filed 1–13–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 210217–0022; RTID 0648– 

XB720] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of 

Pacific Cod 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; reallocation. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the 

projected unused amount of Pacific cod 

from vessels using jig gear to catcher 

vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters) 

length overall using hook-and-line or 

pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands management area. This action is 

necessary to allow the A season 

apportionment of the 2022 total 

allowable catch of Pacific cod to be 

harvested. 

DATES: Effective January 10, 2022, 

through 2400 hours, Alaska local time 

(A.l.t.), December 31, 2022. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Krista Milani, 907–581–2062. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (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 A season apportionment of the 

2022 Pacific cod total allowable catch 

(TAC) specified for vessels using jig gear 

in the BSAI is 1,127 metric tons (mt) as 

established by the final 2021 and 2022 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the BSAI (86 FR 11449, February 25, 

2021) and inseason adjustment (86 FR 

74389, December 30, 2021). 

The 2022 Pacific cod TAC allocated to 

catcher vessels less than 60 feet 

(18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) 

using hook-and-line or pot gear in the 

BSAI is 2,671 mt as established by final 

2021 and 2022 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (86 FR 11449, 

February 25, 2021) and inseason 

adjustment (86 FR 74389, December 30, 

2021). 

The Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has 

determined that jig vessels will not be 

able to harvest 1,075 mt of the A season 

apportionment of the 2022 Pacific cod 

TAC allocated to those vessels under 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(A)(1). Therefore, in 

accordance with § 679.20(a)(7)(iv)(C), 

NMFS apportions 1,027 mt of Pacific 

cod from the A season jig gear 

apportionment to the annual amount 

specified for catcher vessels less than 60 

feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line 

or pot gear. 

The harvest specifications for 2022 

Pacific cod included in final 2021 and 

2022 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (86 FR 11449, 

February 25, 2021) and inseason 

adjustment (86 FR 74389, December 30, 

2021) are revised as follows: 52 mt to the 

A season apportionment and 804 mt to 

the annual amount for vessels using jig 

gear, and 3,746 mt to catcher vessels less 

than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hookand-line or pot gear. 

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 reallocation of 

Pacific cod specified from jig vessels to 

catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) 

LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear. 

NMFS was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of January 10, 

2022. 

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: January 10, 2022. 

Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–00640 Filed 1–10–22; 4:15 pm] 

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