103698 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 244 / Thursday, December 19, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Dated: December 13, 2024. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30083 Filed 12–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 240227–0061; RTID 0648– 

XE542] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment 

to the 2025 Gulf of Alaska Pollock and 

Pacific Cod Total Allowable Catch 

Amounts 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason 

adjustment; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is adjusting the 2025 

total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for 

the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock and 

Pacific cod fisheries. This action is 

necessary because NMFS has 

determined these TACs are incorrectly 

specified, as they are not informed by 

the most recent specifications 

recommended by the Council for the 

start of the 2025 fishing year. This 

action will ensure the GOA pollock and 

Pacific cod TACs are the correct, 

appropriate amount based on the best 

scientific information available for 

pollock and Pacific cod in the GOA. 

This action is consistent with the goals 

and objectives of the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Gulf of Alaska (FMP). 

DATES: Effective 0001 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), January 1, 2025, until 

the effective date of the final 2025 and 

2026 harvest specifications for GOA 

groundfish, unless otherwise modified 

or superseded through publication of a 

notification in the Federal Register. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., January 3, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by docket 

number NOAA–NMFS–2023–0133 by 

any of the following methods: 

Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and enter 

NOAA–NMFS–2023–0133 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

Mail: Submit written comments to 

Gretchen Harrington, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS. Mail 

comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 

AK 99802–1668. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on https://www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Abby Jahn, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the FMP prepared by the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council) under authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act). Regulations 

governing fishing by U.S. vessels in 

accordance with the FMP appear at 50 

CFR part 679 and at subpart H of 50 CFR 

part 600. 

The final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

(89 FR 15484, March 4, 2024) set the 

2025 pollock TAC at 163,494 metric 

tons (mt) in the GOA. In December 

2024, the Council recommended a 2025 

pollock TAC of 186,245 mt for the GOA, 

which is greater than the 163,494 mt 

established by the final 2024 and 2025 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA. The Council’s recommended 

2025 TACs and the area and seasonal 

apportionments are based on the 

Science and Statistical Committee’s 

(SSC’s) overfishing limit (OFL) and 

allowable biological catch (ABC) 

recommendations. The SSC 

recommendations are informed by the 

Groundfish Plan Team’s recommended 

OFLs and ABCs as well as a review of 

the Stock Assessment and Fishery 

Evaluation (SAFE) report dated 

November 2024. 

The final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

set the 2025 Pacific cod TAC at 20,757 

mt in the GOA. In December 2024, the 

Council recommended a 2025 Pacific 

cod TAC of 23,670 mt for the GOA, 

which is greater than the 20,757 mt 

established by the final 2024 and 2025 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA. The Council’s recommended 

2025 TACs and the area and seasonal 

apportionments are based on the SSC’s 

OFL and ABC recommendations. The 

SSC recommendations are informed by 

the Groundfish Plan Team’s 

recommended OFLs and ABCs as well 

as a review of the SAFE report dated 

November 2024. 

Steller sea lions occur in the same 

location as the pollock and Pacific cod 

fisheries and are listed as endangered 

under the Endangered Species Act. 

Pollock and Pacific cod are principal 

prey species for Steller sea lions in the 

GOA. The seasonal apportionment of 

pollock and Pacific cod harvests are 

necessary to ensure the groundfish 

fisheries are not likely to cause jeopardy 

of extinction or adverse modification of 

critical habitat for Steller sea lions. The 

regulations at § 679.20(a)(5)(iv) specify 

how the pollock TAC will be 

apportioned and the regulations at 

§ 679.20(a)(6)(ii) and (a)(12)(i) specify 

how the Pacific cod TAC will be 

apportioned. 

In accordance with § 679.25(a)(1)(iii), 

(a)(2)(i)(B), and (a)(2)(iv) the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that, based on the best 

scientific information available for this 

fishery, the current GOA pollock and 

Pacific cod TACs are incorrectly 

specified, as they are not using the most 

recent data available. Consequently, 

pursuant to § 679.25(a) the Regional 

Administrator is adjusting the 2025 

GOA pollock TAC to 186,245 mt and the 

2025 Pacific cod TAC to 23,670 mt. 

Therefore, tables 4 and 6 of the final 

2024 and 2025 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the GOA are revised 

consistent with this adjustment. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iv), table 4 

of the final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

is revised for the 2025 TACs of pollock 

in the Central and Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 244 / Thursday, December 19, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 103699 

TABLE 4—FINAL 2025 DISTRIBUTION OF POLLOCK IN THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL REGULATORY AREAS OF THE GULF OF

ALASKA; AREA APPORTIONMENTS; AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF ANNUAL TAC 

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Season 1 Shumigan 

(Area 610) 

Chirikof 

(Area 620) 

Kodiak 

(Area 630) Total 2

A (January 20–May 31) ................................................................................... 5,589 63,267 16,751 85,607 

B (September 1–November 1) ........................................................................ 31,755 18,998 34,854 85,607 

Annual Total ..................................................................................................... 37,344 82,265 51,605 171,214 

1As established by § 679.23(d)(2)(i) through (ii), the A and B season allowances are available from January 20 through May 31 and September 1 through November 1, respectively. The amounts of pollock for processing by the inshore and offshore components are not shown in 

this table. 2The West Yakutat and Southeast Outside District pollock TACs are not allocated by season and are not included in the total pollock TACs 

shown in this table. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(6)(ii) and 

(a)(12)(i), table 6 of the final 2024 and 

2025 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the GOA is revised for the 

2025 TACs of Pacific cod in the GOA. 

TABLE 6—FINAL 2025 SEASONAL APPORTIONMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PACIFIC COD TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH

AMOUNTS IN THE GOA; ALLOCATIONS IN THE WESTERN GOA AND CENTRAL GOA SECTORS, AND THE EASTERN

GOA INSHORE AND OFFSHORE PROCESSING COMPONENTS

[Values are rounded to the nearest metric ton] 

Regulatory area 

and sector 

Annual allocation 

(mt) 

A Season B Season 

Sector 

percentage of 

annual non-jig 

TAC 

Seasonal 

allowances 

(mt) 

Sector 

percentage of 

annual non-jig 

TAC 

Seasonal 

allowances 

(mt) 

Western GOA: 

Jig (3.5% of TAC) ........................... 213 n/a 128 n/a 85 

Hook-and-line CV ........................... 82 0.7 41 0.7 41 

Hook-and-line CP ........................... 1,165 10.9 641 8.9 524 

Trawl CV ......................................... 2,259 31.54 1,856 6.86 404 

Trawl CP ......................................... 141 0.9 53 1.5 88 

All Pot CV and Pot CP ................... 2,236 19.8 1,165 18.2 1,071 

Total ......................................... 6,097 63.84 3,884 36.1 2,213 

Central GOA: 

Jig (3% of TAC) .............................. 461 n/a 277 n/a 185 

Hook-and-line <50 CV .................... 2,178 9.32 1,390 5.29 789 

Hook-and-line ≥50 CV .................... 1,000 5.61 837 1.1 164 

Hook-and-line CP ........................... 761 4.11 613 0.9975 149 

Trawl CV1 ....................................... 6,203 25.29 3,773 16.29 2,430 

Trawl CP ......................................... 626 2 299 2.19 327 

All Pot CV and Pot CP ................... 4,148 17.83 2,660 9.98 1,488 

Total ......................................... 15,379 64.16 9,848 35.84 5,531 

Eastern GOA ......................................... .............................. Inshore (90% of Annual TAC) Offshore (10% of Annual TAC) 

Total ................................................ 2,194 1,975 219 

1Trawl catcher vessels participating in Rockfish Program cooperatives receive 3.81 percent, or 586 mt, of the annual Central GOA TAC (see 

table 28c to 50 CFR part 679), which is deducted from the Trawl CV B season allowance. This inseason adjustment updates the apportionment 

found in table 13 of the 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications (i.e., Final 2025 Apportionments of Rockfish Secondary Species in the Central 

GOA). 

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 allow for harvests that 

exceed the appropriate allocation for 

pollock and Pacific cod based on the 

best scientific information available. 

NMFS was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of December 

13, 2024. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
103700 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 244 / Thursday, December 19, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow the fishery for 

pollock and Pacific cod in the GOA to 

be harvested in an expedient manner 

and in accordance with the regulatory 

schedule. Under § 679.25(c)(2), 

interested persons are invited to submit 

written comments on this action to the 

above address until January 3, 2025. 

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

Dated: December 16, 2024. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30247 Filed 12–16–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1