[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 14, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17111-17112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8511]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 0910091344-9056-02]
RIN 0648-XO32


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in 
the West Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of a closure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS is reopening directed fishing for pollock in the West 
Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary 
to fully use the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock specified 
for the West Yakutat District of the GOA.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), April 8, 2009, 
through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2009. Comments must be received 
at the following address no later than 4:30 p.m., A.l.t., April 28, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional 
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, 
Attn: Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648-
XO32, by any one of the following methods:

[[Page 17112]]

    <bullet> Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at http://www.regulations.gov.
    <bullet> Mail: P. O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802.
    <bullet> Fax: (907) 586-7557.
    <bullet> Hand delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9\th\ 
Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK.
    All comments received are a part of the public record and will 
generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All 
Personal Identifying Information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily 
submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit 
Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected 
information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments. Enter ``N/A'' in the required 
fields, if you wish to remain anonymous. Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or 
Adobe portable document file (pdf) formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh Keaton, 907-586-7228.

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 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.
    NMFS closed the directed fishery for pollock in the West Yakutat 
District of the GOA under Sec.  679.20(d)(1)(iii) on March 21, 2009, 
was announced in the Federal Register on April 14, 2009.
    NMFS has determined that approximately 286 mt of pollock remain in 
the directed fishing allowance in the West Yakutat District of the GOA. 
Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C) and 
(a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the 2009 TAC of pollock in the 
West Yakutat District, NMFS is terminating the previous closure and is 
reopening directed fishing for pollock in the West Yakutat District of 
the GOA.

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 a 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 opening of pollock in the West Yakutat District 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 April 6, 2009. 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.
    Without this inseason adjustment, NMFS could not allow the TAC of 
pollock in the West Yakutat District of the GOA to be harvested in an 
expedient manner and in accordance with the regulatory schedule. Under 
Sec.  679.25(c)(2), interested persons are invited to submit written 
comments on this action to the above address until April 28, 2009.
    This action is required by Sec.  679.20 and Sec.  679.25 and is 
exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: April 8, 2009.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E9-8511 Filed 4-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S