17196 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 59 / Monday, March 28, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

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

■ 2. In § 665.211 revise the section 

heading and paragraphs (a) and (b), 

redesignate paragraph (f) as paragraph 

(g), add a new paragraph (f), and 

republish newly redesignated paragraph 

(g) to read as follows: 

§ 665.211 Annual Catch Limits (ACL) and 

Annual Catch Targets (ACT). 

(a) In accordance with § 665.4, the 

ACLs and ACTs for MHI bottomfish 

fisheries for each fishing year are as 

follows: 

Fishery 2021–22 ACT 

(lb) 

2022–23 ACT 

(lb) 

2023–24 ACT 

(lb) 

Deep 7 bottomfish ....................................................................................................................... 492,000 492,000 492,000 

Fishery 2022 ACT 

(lb) 

2023 ACT 

(lb) 

2024 ACT 

(lb) 

2025 ACT 

(lb) 

Uku ................................................................................................................... 295,419 295,419 295,419 295,419 

Fishery 2022 ACT 

(lb) 

2023 ACT 

(lb) 

2024 ACT 

(lb) 

2025 ACT 

(lb) 

Uku ................................................................................................................... 291,010 291,010 291,010 291,010 

(b) When a bottomfish ACL or ACT is 

projected to be reached based on 

analyses of available information, the 

Regional Administrator shall publish a 

document to that effect in the Federal 

Register and shall use other means to 

notify permit holders. The document 

will include an advisement that the 

fishery will be closed beginning at a 

specified date, which is not earlier than 

seven days after the date of filing the 

closure notice for public inspection at 

the Office of the Federal Register, until 

the end of the fishing year in which the 

ACL or ACT is reached. 

* * * * * 

(f) If the average total landings of uku 

in the most recent three years exceed 

the specified ACL in a fishing year, the 

Regional Administrator will reduce the 

uku ACL and ACT for the subsequent 

year by the amount of the overage in a 

separate rulemaking. 

(g) Fishing for, and the resultant 

possession or sale of, any bottomfish 

MUS by vessels legally registered to 

Mau Zone, Ho’omalu Zone, or PRIA 

bottomfish fishing permits and 

conducted in compliance with all other 

laws and regulations, is exempted from 

this section. 

[FR Doc. 2022–06285 Filed 3–25–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 220216–0049; RTID 0648– 

XB790] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Catcher/Processors Using Hook-andLine Gear in the Western 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 directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/ 

processors using hook-and-line (HAL) 

gear in the Western Regulatory Area of 

the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 

necessary to prevent exceeding the A 

season allowance of the 2022 Pacific 

cod total allowable catch (TAC) 

apportioned to catcher/processors using 

HAL gear in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), March 23, 2022, 

through 1200 hours, A.l.t., June 10, 

2022. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 907–586–7241. 

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 A season allowance of the 2022 

Pacific cod TAC apportioned to catcher/ 

processors using HAL gear in the 

Western Regulatory Area of the GOA is 

732 metric tons (mt) as established by 

the final 2022 and 2023 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

(87 FR 11599, March 2, 2022). 

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

the Regional Administrator has 

determined that the A season allowance 

of the 2022 Pacific cod TAC 

apportioned to catcher/processors using 

HAL gear in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA will soon be reached. 

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 722 mt and is setting aside 

the remaining 10 mt as bycatch to 

support other anticipated groundfish 

fisheries. 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 by 

catcher/processors using HAL gear in 

the Western Regulatory Area of the 

GOA. 

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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 59 / Monday, March 28, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 17197 

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 

cod by catcher/processors using HAL 

gear in the Western 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 March 22, 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: March 23, 2022. 

Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–06459 Filed 3–23–22; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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