26694 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 96 / Thursday, May 18, 1995 / Rules and Regulations

section 603(b) of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act, an initial Regulatory

Flexibility Analysis is not required.

This action has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of E.O.

12866.

Pursuant to section 553(b)(B) of the

APA, the AA finds there is good cause

to waive prior notice and opportunity to

comment on this action. It is

unnecessary because this action is in

response to comments received on the

temporary requirement published May

3, 1995 (60 FR 21741). It is also

impracticable and contrary to the public

interest because current restrictions

placed upon fishermen are

unnecessarily burdensome, and any

delay in this action imposes additional

unnecessary fishing restrictions.

Because this rule relieves a

restriction, under section 553(d) of the

APA a 30-day delay in effective date is

not required.

The AA prepared an EA for the final

rule (57 FR 57348, December 4, 1992)

requiring TED use in shrimp trawls and

establishing the 30-day notice

procedures. An EA has been prepared

for this action. Copies of the EA and the

supplemental EA are available (see

ADDRESSES).

Dated: May 12, 1995.

Gary Matlock,

Program Management Officer, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–12180 Filed 5–12–95; 3:47 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 672

[Docket No. 95020641–5041–01; I.D.

050495A]

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska;

Vessels Using Hook-and-Line Gear

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the entire

Gulf of Alaska (GOA) to directed fishing

with hook-and-line gear for all species

that compose the ‘‘other hook-and-line

gear fishery’’. This action is necessary

because the bycatch allowance of Pacific

halibut apportioned to the ‘‘other hookand-line gear fishery’’ in the GOA for

the 1995 fishing year has been caught.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), May 18, 1995, until 12

midnight, A.l.t., December 31, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew N. Smoker, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

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

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act. Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed

by regulations implementing the FMP at

50 CFR parts 620 and 672.

In accordance with

§ 672.20(f)(1)(ii)(A), the 1995 Pacific

halibut bycatch allowance apportioned

to the ‘‘other hook-and-line gear

fishery,’’ which is defined at

§ 672.20(f)(1)(ii)(B)(3), is 290 metric tons

(60 FR 12149, March 6, 1995).

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS,

has determined in accordance with

§ 672.20(f)(3)(ii) that U.S. fishing vessels

participating in the ‘‘other hook-andline gear fishery’’ have caught the entire

Pacific halibut bycatch allowance for

1995. Therefore, NMFS is closing the

entire GOA to directed fishing with

hook-and-line gear for each species and/

or species group composing the ‘‘other

hook-and-line gear fishery’’.

Directed fishing standards for

applicable gear types may be found in

the regulations at § 672.20(g).

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

672.20 and is exempt from OMB review

under E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: May 12, 1995.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–12212 Filed 5–17–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 950206040–5040–01; I.D.

051595C]

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands Area; Sharpchin/

Northern Rockfish Species Category in

the Aleutian Islands Subarea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed

fishery for the sharpchin/northern

rockfish species category in the Aleutian

Islands subarea (AI) of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands management area

(BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the sharpchin/

northern rockfish species category total

allowable catch (TAC) in the AI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), May 17, 1995, until 12

midnight, A.l.t., December 31, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew N. Smoker, 907–586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (FMP)

prepared by the North Pacific Fishery

Management Council under authority of

the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and

Management Act. Fishing by U.S.

vessels is governed by regulations

implementing the FMP at 50 CFR parts

620 and 675.

In accordance with § 675.20(a)(7)(ii)

the sharpchin/northern rockfish species

category TAC for the AI was established

by the final groundfish specifications

(60 FR 8479, February 14, 1995) as 4,338

metric tons (mt).

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS

(Regional Director), has determined, in

accordance with § 675.20(a)(8), that the

sharpchin/northern rockfish species

category TAC in the AI soon will be

reached. Therefore, the Regional

Director has established a directed

fishing allowance of 4,038 mt, with

consideration that 300 mt will be taken

as incidental catch in directed fishing

for other species in the AI. The Regional

Director has determined that the

directed fishing allowance has been

reached. Consequently, NMFS is

prohibiting directed fishing for the

sharpchin/northern rockfish species

category in the AI.

Directed fishing standards for

applicable gear types may be found in

the regulations at § 675.20(h).

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

675.20 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: May 15, 1995.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries

Conservation and Management, National

Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95–12276 Filed 5–15–95; 2:15 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F