Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 248 / Friday, December 27, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 105481 

TABLE 10—FINAL 2025 SECTOR ALLOCATIONS AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI PACIFIC COD TAC— 

Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector Percent 

2025 share of 

gear sector 

total 

2025 share of 

sector total 

2025 seasonal allowances 

Season Amount 

C-season trawl catcher vessels ................................................................ .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Nov 1 ..................... 4,212 

AFA trawl catcher/processors .......................................................................... 2.3 2,923 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 2,192 

B-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 731 

C-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Nov 1 ..................... ..............

Amendment 80 ................................................................................................. 13.4 17,027 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 12,771 

B-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 4,257 

C-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Dec 31 ................... ..............

Jig ..................................................................................................................... 1.4 1,779 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 1–Apr 30 ...................... 1,067 

B-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 30–Aug 31 ................... 356 

C-season ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Aug 31–Dec 31 ................... 356 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 1The sector allocations and seasonal allowances for BSAI Pacific cod TAC are based on the sum of the BS and AI Pacific cod TACs, after subtraction of the reserves for the CDQ Program. If the TAC for Pacific cod in either the BS or AI is or will be reached, then directed fishing will be prohibited for non-CDQ Pacific cod in 

that subarea, even if a BSAI allowance remains (§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii)). 2The ICA for the hook-and-line and pot sectors is deducted from the aggregate portion of Pacific cod TAC allocated to the hook-and-line and pot sectors. The Regional Administrator approves an ICA of 500 mt based on anticipated incidental catch by these sectors in other fisheries. 3The A and B season trawl CV Pacific cod allocation is allocated to the Pacific Cod Trawl Cooperative Program after subtraction of the A and B season ICAs 

(§ 679.131(b)(1)). The Regional Administrator approves for the A and B seasons, ICAs of 1,500 mt and 700 mt, respectively, to account for projected incidental catch 

of Pacific cod by trawl catcher vessels engaged in directed fishing for groundfish other than PCTC Program Pacific cod. 

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 allocations for 

pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod 

in the BSAI 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 9, 2024. 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow the fishery for 

pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod 

in the BSAI 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 13, 2025. 

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

Dated: December 19, 2024. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30714 Filed 12–26–24; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 240227–0061; RTID 0648– 

XE563] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of 

Pacific Cod 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; reallocation. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the 

projected unused amount of Pacific cod 

from catcher vessels using trawl gear to 

catcher vessels greater than or equal to 

50 feet (ft) (15.2 meters (m)) length 

overall using hook-and-line gear and to 

catcher/processors using trawl gear in 

the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf 

of Alaska (GOA). This action is 

necessary to allow the 2024 total 

allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to 

be harvested. 

DATES: Effective December 20, 2024, 

through 2400 hours, Alaska local time 

(A.l.t.), December 31, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Abby Jahn, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA 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 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act). Regulations 

governing fishing by U.S. vessels in 

accordance with the FMP appear at 

subpart H of 50 CFR parts 600 and 679. 

The 2024 Pacific cod TAC specified 

for catcher vessels using trawl gear in 

the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA 

is 6,293 metric tons (mt), as established 

by the final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the GOA 

(89 FR 15484, March 4, 2024). 

The 2024 Pacific cod TAC specified 

for catcher vessels greater than or equal 

to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall using 

hook-and-line gear is 1,015 mt as 

established by the final 2024 and 2025 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA (89 FR 15484, March 4, 2024). 

The 2024 Pacific cod TAC specified 

for catcher/processors using trawl gear 

is 635 mt as established by the final 

2024 and 2025 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the GOA (89 FR 15484, 

March 4, 2024). The final 2024 and 2025 

harvest specifications also establishes a 

directed fishing closure for catcher/ 

processors using trawl gear. 

The Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS has determined that catcher 

vessels using trawl gear will not be able 

to harvest 230 mt of the 2024 Pacific cod 

TAC allocated to those vessels under 

§ 679.20(a)(12)(i)(B)(4). 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(12)(ii)(B), NMFS apportions 

100 mt of Pacific cod from catcher 

vessels using trawl gear to the annual 

amount specified for catcher vessels 


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105482 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 248 / Friday, December 27, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

greater than or equal to 50 feet (15.2 m) 

length overall using hook-and-line gear 

and 130 mt of Pacific cod from catcher 

vessels using trawl gear to the annual 

amount specified for catcher/processors 

using trawl gear. 

The harvest specifications for 2024 

Pacific cod included in the final 2024 

and 2025 harvest specifications for 

groundfish in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the GOA (89 FR 15484, March 

4, 2024) is revised as follows: 6,063 mt 

to catcher vessels using trawl gear, 1,115 

mt to catcher vessels greater than or 

equal to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall 

using hook-and-line gear, and 765 mt to 

catcher/processors using trawl 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. 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 

allow for harvests that exceed the 

originally specified apportionment of 

the Pacific cod TAC. NMFS was unable 

to publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of December 19, 2024. 

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: December 20, 2024. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30977 Filed 12–20–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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