38588 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 138 / Thursday, July 22, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

recommendations for 2022 if new 

information is available. 

TABLE 6—ILLEX SQUID FINAL 2021 

AND PROJECTED 2022 SPECIFICATIONS IN METRIC TON

OFL ....................................... Unknown 

ABC ...................................... 33,000 

IOY ........................................ 31,478 

DAH/DAP .............................. 31,478 

Illex Squid In-Season Management 

Measures 

This action modifies the current 

weekly reporting for commercial dealers 

after July 15 to a 48-hour reporting 

requirement for accurate landings 

monitoring during the fishing season. 

This action also modifies the closure 

threshold from 95 percent to 94 percent. 

Both measures are designed to help 

avoid quota overages, which occurred in 

2018 and 2019. 

Reaffirmation of 2021–2022 Atlantic 

Chub Mackerel Specifications 

Amendment 21 to the FMP previously 

implemented chub mackerel 

specifications for the 2020–2022 fishing 

years. The Council reevaluated these 

specifications at its October 2020 

meeting and decided to make no 

adjustments for the 2021–2022 fishing 

years. This action reaffirms the 

previously implemented specifications. 

TABLE 7—REAFFIRMED ATLANTIC

CHUB MACKEREL FINAL 2021 AND

PROJECTED 2022 SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATIONS IN METRIC TONS

Specification 2021–2022 

ABC ...................................... 2,300 

Annual Catch Limit (ACL) ..... 2,262 

Annual Catch Target ............ 2,171 

Total Allowable Landings ..... 2,041 

Comments 

We received four comments on the 

proposed rule; one comment from the 

MAFMC, one from a commercial fishing 

industry member, and two from 

environmental organizations. The 

MAFMC and commercial fishing 

industry member recommended we 

increase the Illex squid ABC. We are 

increasing the Illex squid ABC from 

30,000 mt to 33,000 mt in this action 

based on updated information 

considered by the Council. The two 

environmental organizations mentioned 

the poor stock status of Atlantic 

mackerel in Canada and the actions 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has taken 

to manage mackerel. The Council will 

be addressing Atlantic mackerel 

management at its meeting in August 

2021, following the updated 

management track assessment and the 

July SSC meeting. 

Classification 

Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, the NMFS 

Assistant Administrator has determined 

that this final rule is consistent with the 

Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish 

FMP, other provisions of the MagnusonStevens Act, and other applicable law. 

There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in 

effective date. The start of the fishing 

year began on January 1, 2021. This rule 

increases the Illex squid ABC and 

adjusts the reporting requirements and 

in-season closure trigger to avoid 

another overage. A delay in 

implementing final measures would 

prevent the economic benefits from this 

rule from being realized and prevent 

achieving optimal yield in the summer 

fishing season. In addition, this rule 

reduces the butterfish ABC below the 

current specifications based on a recent 

butterfish stock assessment. Past 

performance suggests that this will not 

limit the fishery as recent landings have 

been lower than the reduced ABC, but 

there remains a risk of overages with the 

fishery operating under the current 

higher specifications. Therefore, it is in 

the public interest to implement this 

final action as soon as possible. 

This final rule has been determined to 

be not significant for purposes of 

Executive Order 12866. 

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of 

the Department of Commerce certified 

to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 

Small Business Administration during 

the proposed rule stage that this action 

would not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. The factual basis for the 

certification was published in the 

proposed rule and is not repeated here. 

No comments were received regarding 

this certification and no other 

information has been obtained that 

suggests any other conclusion. As a 

result, a regulatory flexibility analysis 

was not required and none was 

prepared. 

This final rule does not contain a 

change to a collection of information 

requirement for purposes of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The 

existing collection of information 

requirements would continue to apply 

under the following OMB Control 

Number: 0648–0229. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 648 

Fisheries, Fishing, Recordkeeping and 

reporting requirements. 

Dated: July 16, 2021. 

Carrie Robinson, 

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, 50 CFR part 648 is amended 

as follows: 

PART 648—FISHERIES OF THE 

NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 648 

continues to read as follows: 

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

■ 2. In § 648.7, add paragraph (f)(1)(ii) to 

read as follows: 

§ 648.7 Recordkeeping and reporting 

requirements. 

* * * * * 

(f) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(ii) From July 15 through December 

31, dealer or processor reports 

documenting Illex squid landings 

greater than 10,000 pounds (4.5 mt) 

must be received with 48 hours of 

landing. 

* * * * * 

■ 3. In § 648.24, revise paragraph (a)(2) 

to read as follows: 

§ 648.24 Fishery closures and 

accountability measures. 

(a) * * * 

(2) Illex. NMFS shall close the 

directed Illex fishery in the EEZ when 

the Regional Administrator projects that 

94 percent of the Illex DAH is harvested. 

The closure of the directed fishery shall 

be in effect for the remainder of that 

fishing period, with incidental catches 

allowed as specified at § 648.26. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2021–15538 Filed 7–21–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 210217–0022] 

RTID 0648–XB064 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Kamchatka Flounder 

in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 138 / Thursday, July 22, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 38589 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for Kamchatka flounder in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

management area (BSAI). This action is 

necessary to prevent exceeding the 2021 

Kamchatka flounder initial total 

allowable catch (ITAC) in the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), July 19, 2021, through 

2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI according to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area (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. 

The 2021 Kamchatka flounder ITAC 

in the BSAI is 7,635 metric tons (mt) as 

established by the final 2021 and 2022 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the BSAI (86 FR 11449, February 25, 

2021). In accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Administrator, 

Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional 

Administrator), has determined that the 

2021 Kamchatka flounder ITAC in the 

BSAI will soon be reached. Therefore, 

the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 3,635 mt, and is setting 

aside the remaining 4,000 mt as 

incidental catch to support other 

anticipated groundfish fisheries. In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the 

Regional Administrator finds that this 

directed fishing allowance has been 

reached. Consequently, NMFS is 

prohibiting directed fishing for 

Kamchatka flounder in the BSAI. 

While this closure is effective the 

maximum retainable amounts at 

§ 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time 

during a trip. 

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 delay the closure of 

Kamchatka flounder in the BSAI. NMFS 

was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of July 16, 

2021. 

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. 

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

Dated: July 19, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–15602 Filed 7–19–21; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1