18288 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 61 / Wednesday, March 30, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

fishes exclusively in state waters within 

the NGOM, scallop landings from those 

trips will not be deducted from the 

NGOM Set-Aside. 

(3) Scallop landings by all vessels 

issued LAGC IFQ scallop permits and 

fishing in the NGOM scallop 

management area against the NGOM 

Set-Aside, as defined in 

§ 648.53(a)(8)(iii), shall be deducted 

from NGOM Set-Aside specified in 

paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Scallop 

landings by LAGC IFQ scallop vessels 

fishing in the NGOM scallop 

management area shall be deducted 

from their respective scallop IFQs. 

Landings by vessels with incidental 

permits shall not be deducted from the 

NGOM total allowable catch specified in 

paragraph (b) of this section. 

* * * * * 

(5) Scallop landings by all vessels 

issued scallop permits and fishing in the 

NGOM under the scallop RSA program 

(as specified in § 648.56) shall be 

deducted from the overall RSA 

allocation. 

(b) NGOM Scallop Fishery landings 

limits. (1) The following landings limits 

will be effective for the NGOM for the 

2022 and 2023 fishing years. 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (b)(1) 

Landings limits 2022 20231

NGOM TAL ......................................................... 661,387 lb (300,000 kg) ................................... 504,384 (228,785 kg). 

1 percent NGOM ABC for Observers ................ 15,080 lb (6,840 kg) ......................................... 13,404 (6,080 kg).

RSA Contribution ................................................ 25,000 lb (11,340 kg) ....................................... 25,000 lb (11,340 kg). 

NGOM Set-Aside ................................................ 621,307 lb (281,820 kg) ................................... 465,980 lb (211,365 kg). 

NGOM APL ........................................................ 0 lb (0 kg).

1The landings limits for the 2023 fishing year are subject to change through a future specifications action or framework adjustment. 

(2) Unless a vessel has fished for 

scallops outside of the NGOM scallop 

management area and is transiting the 

NGOM scallop management area with 

all fishing gear stowed and not available 

for immediate use as defined in § 648.2, 

no vessel issued an LAGC scallop 

permit pursuant to § 648.4(a)(2) may 

possess, retain, or land scallops in the 

NGOM scallop management area once 

the Regional Administrator has 

provided notification in the Federal 

Register that the NGOM Set-Aside in 

accordance with paragraph (b)(1) of this 

section has been reached, unless the 

vessel is participating in the scallop 

RSA program as specified in § 648.56 

and has been allocated NGOM RSA 

pounds. Once the NGOM Set-Aside is 

reached, a vessel issued a NGOM permit 

may no longer declare a state-only 

NGOM scallop trip and fish for scallops 

exclusively in state waters within the 

NGOM, unless participating in the state 

waters exemption program as specified 

in § 648.54. A vessel that has not been 

issued a Federal scallop permit that 

fishes exclusively in state waters is not 

subject to the closure of the NGOM 

scallop management area. 

(3) If the NGOM Set-Aside is 

exceeded, the amount of NGOM scallop 

landings in excess of the NGOM SetAside specified in paragraph (b)(1) of 

this section shall be deducted from the 

NGOM Set-Aside for the subsequent 

fishing year, or, as soon as practicable, 

once scallop landings data for the 

NGOM management area is available. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2022–06736 Filed 3–29–22; 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– 

XB903] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Catcher/Processors Using Hook-andLine Gear 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 directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher/ 

processors using hook-and-line (HAL) 

gear in the Central 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 Central Regulatory Area 

of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), March 25, 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 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 

602 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 Central Regulatory Area 

of the GOA will soon be reached. 

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 592 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 Central 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. 61 / Wednesday, March 30, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 18289 

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 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 March 24, 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 25, 2022. 

Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–06718 Filed 3–25–22; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 220223–0054; RTID 0648– 

XB911] 

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 March 25, 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 2022 and 2023 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the BSAI (87 FR 11626, March 2, 2022). 

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 2022 

and 2023 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (87 FR 11626, 

March 2, 2022). 

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 the final 2022 

and 2023 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the BSAI (87 FR 11626, 

March 2, 2022) 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 hook-and-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 March 18, 

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 25, 2022. 

Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–06713 Filed 3–25–22; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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