2640 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 7 / Monday, January 13, 2025 / Rules and Regulations 

providing opportunities equitably across 

all time periods. 

Monitoring and Reporting 

NMFS will continue to monitor the 

BFT fishery closely. Per 

§ 635.5(b)(2)(i)(A), dealers are required 

to submit landing reports within 24 

hours of a dealer receiving BFT. Late 

reporting by dealers compromises 

NMFS’ ability to timely implement 

actions such as quota and retention 

limit adjustments, as well as closures, 

and may result in enforcement actions. 

Additionally, and separate from the 

dealer reporting requirement, General 

and HMS Charter/Headboat category 

vessel owners are required per 

§ 635.27(a)(4) to report their own catch 

of all BFT retained or discarded dead 

within 24 hours of the landing(s) or end 

of each trip, by accessing https://

hmspermits.noaa.gov by using the HMS 

Catch Reporting app, by using other 

apps approved by NMFS for HMS 

reporting, or calling (888) 872–8862 

(Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 

until 4:30 p.m.). 

Depending on the level of fishing 

effort and catch rates of BFT, NMFS 

may determine that additional 

adjustments are necessary to ensure 

available quota is not exceeded or to 

enhance scientific data collection from, 

and fishing opportunities in, all 

geographic areas. If needed, subsequent 

adjustments will be published in the 

Federal Register. In addition, fishermen 

may access https://

hmspermits.noaa.gov, for updates on 

quota monitoring and inseason 

adjustments. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1855(d)) and regulations 

at 50 CFR part 635 and this action is 

exempt from review under Executive 

Order 12866. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

NMFS (AA) finds that pursuant to 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to 

waive prior notice and opportunity to 

provide comment on this action, as 

notice and comment would be 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. Specifically, the regulations 

implementing the 2006 Consolidated 

HMS FMP and amendments provide for 

inseason adjustments and quota 

transfers to respond to the unpredictable 

nature of BFT availability on the fishing 

grounds, the migratory nature of this 

species, and the regional variations in 

the BFT fishery. Providing prior notice 

and opportunity for public comment is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as this fishery is currently 

underway. Based on current landings 

information, the available time period 

subquota is projected to be reached 

shortly. Delaying this action could 

result in BFT landings exceeding the 

January through March time period 

subquota. Additionally, a delay in 

implementing this transfer would 

preclude the fishery from harvesting 

BFT that are currently available on the 

fishing grounds and that might 

otherwise become unavailable. This 

action does not raise conservation and 

management concerns and would 

support effective management of the 

BFT fishery. Transferring quota from the 

General category December time period 

to the General category January through 

March time period does not affect the 

overall ICCAT-allocated U.S. BFT quota. 

NMFS notes that the public had an 

opportunity to comment on the 

underlying rulemakings that established 

the U.S. BFT quota and the inseason 

adjustment criteria. 

For all of the above reasons, the AA 

finds that pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d), 

there is good cause to waive the 30-day 

delay in effective date. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 

et seq. 

Dated: January 8, 2025. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2025–00625 Filed 1–8–25; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No: 230316–0077] 

RTID 0648–XE604 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Atlantic Herring Fishery; 2025 

Management Area 1B Possession Limit 

Adjustment 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; possession 

limit adjustment. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is implementing a 

2,000-lb (907.2-kg) possession limit for 

Atlantic herring for Management Area 

1B. This is required because NMFS 

projects that herring catch from Area 1B 

will reach 92 percent of the Area’s subannual catch limit before the end of the 

fishing year. This action is intended to 

prevent overharvest of herring in Area 

1B, which would result in additional 

catch limit reductions in a subsequent 

year. 

DATES: Effective 00:01 hours (hr) local 

time, January 8, 2025, through 

December 31, 2025. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Colette Tweeddale, Fishery 

Management Specialist, 978–281–9335. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Regional Administrator of the Greater 

Atlantic Regional Office monitors 

Atlantic herring fishery catch in each 

Management Area based on vessel and 

dealer reports, state data, and other 

available information. Regulations at 50 

CFR 648.201(a)(1)(i)(A) require 

implementation of a 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) 

possession limit for herring for Area 1B 

beginning on the date that catch is 

projected to reach 92 percent of the subannual catch limit (ACL) for that area. 

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

provides authority to implement the 

possession limit only to the Secretary of 

Commerce, which has been delegated to 

the Regional Administrator. 

Based on vessel reports, dealer 

reports, and other available information, 

the Regional Administrator projects that 

the herring fleet will have caught 92 

percent of the Area 1B sub-ACL by 

January 8, 2025. Therefore, effective 

00:01 hr local time January 8, 2025, 

through December 31, 2025, a person 

may not attempt or do any of the 

following: Fish for; possess; transfer; 

purchase; receive; land; or sell more 

than 2,000 lb of herring per trip or more 

than once per calendar day in or from 

Area 1B except as provided in 

§§ 648.201(b) and (c). 

Vessels that enter port before 00:01 hr 

local time on January 8, 2025, may land 

and sell more than 2,000 lb (907.2 kg) 

of herring from Area 1B from that trip, 

provided that catch is landed in 

accordance with state management 

measures. Vessels may transit or land in 

Area 1B with more than 2,000 lb (907.2 

kg) of herring on board, provided that: 

The herring were caught in an area not 

subject to a 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) limit; all 

fishing gear is stowed and not available 

for immediate use; and the vessel is 

issued a permit appropriate to the 

amount of herring on board and the area 

where the herring was harvested. 

Also effective 00:01 hr local time, 

January 8, 2025, through 24:00 hr local 

time, December 31, 2025, federally 

permitted dealers may not attempt or do 

any of the following: Purchase; receive; 

possess; have custody or control of; sell; 

barter; trade; or transfer more than 2,000 

lb (907.2 kg) of herring per trip or 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 7 / Monday, January 13, 2025 / Rules and Regulations 2641 

calendar day from Area 1B, unless it is 

from a vessel that enters port before 

00:01 hr local time on January 8, 2025 

and catch is landed in accordance with 

state management measures. 

Classification 

This action is required by 50 CFR part 

648 and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

NMFS finds good cause pursuant to 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) to waive prior notice 

and the opportunity for public comment 

because it is unnecessary, contrary to 

the public interest, and impracticable. 

Ample prior notice and opportunity for 

public comment has been provided for 

the required implementation of this 

action. The requirement to implement 

this possession limit was developed by 

the New England Fishery Management 

Council using public meetings that 

invited public comment on the 

measures when they were developed 

and considered along with alternatives. 

Further, the regulations requiring 

implementation of this possession limit 

also were subject to public notice and 

opportunity to comment, when they 

were first adopted in 2014. Herring 

fishing industry participants monitor 

catch closely and anticipate potential 

possession limit adjustments as catch 

totals approach Area sub-ACLs. The 

regulation is not discretionary and is 

designed for implementation as quickly 

as possible to prevent catch from 

exceeding limits designed to prevent 

overfishing while allowing the fishery to 

achieve optimum yield. 

The 2025 herring fishing year began 

on January 1, 2025. Data indicating that 

the herring fleet will have landed at 

least 92 percent of the 2025 sub-ACL 

allocated to Area 1B only recently 

became available. High-volume catch 

and landings in this fishery can increase 

total catch relative to the sub-ACL 

quickly, especially in this fishing year 

where annual catch limits are unusually 

low. If implementation of this 

possession limit adjustment is delayed 

to solicit prior public comment, the 

2025 sub-ACL for Area 1B will likely be 

exceeded; thereby undermining the 

conservation objectives of the Herring 

Fishery Management Plan (FMP). If subACLs are exceeded, the excess must be 

deducted from a future sub-ACL and 

would reduce future fishing 

opportunities. The public expects these 

actions to occur in a timely way 

consistent with the FMP’s objectives. 

For the reasons stated above, NMFS also 

finds good cause to waive the 30-day 

delayed effectiveness in accordance 

with 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

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

Dated: January 7, 2025. 

Karen H. Abrams, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2025–00536 Filed 1–8–25; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1