Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 163 / Thursday, August 26, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 47597 

date for attributing 2021 bigeye tuna 

catch to the CNMI is August 30, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: The Fishery Ecosystem Plan 

for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western 

Pacific (FEP) describes specified fishing 

agreements and is available from the 

Western Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council), 1164 Bishop St., 

Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, tel. 

808–522–8220, fax 808–522–8226, or 

http://www.wpcouncil.org. 

NMFS prepared environmental 

analyses that describe the potential 

impacts on the human environment that 

would result from the action. The 

analyses, identified by NOAA–NMFS– 

2020–0010, are available from https://

www.regulations.gov/search/ 

docket?filter=NOAA-NMFS-2020-0010, 

or from Michael D. Tosatto, Regional 

Administrator, NMFS Pacific Islands 

Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 

176, Honolulu, HI 96818. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynn Rassel, NMFS PIRO Sustainable 

Fisheries, 808–725–5184. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a final 

rule published on January 12, 2021, 

NMFS specified a 2021 limit of 2,000 t 

of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each 

of the U.S. Pacific Island territories of 

American Samoa, Guam, and the CNMI 

(86 FR 2297). NMFS allows each 

territory to allocate up to 1,500 t of the 

2,000 t limit to U.S. longline fishing 

vessels identified in a valid specified 

fishing agreement, but the total 

allocation among all territories may not 

exceed 3,000 t. 

On June 25, 2021, NMFS received 

from the Council a specified fishing 

agreement between the CNMI and the 

Hawaii Longline Association. The 

Council’s Executive Director advised 

that the agreement is consistent with the 

FEP and its implementing regulations. 

On July 15, 2021, NMFS reviewed the 

agreement and determined that it is 

consistent with the FEP, implementing 

regulations, the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, and other applicable laws. 

In accordance with 50 CFR 300.224(d) 

and 50 CFR 665.819(c)(9), vessels in the 

agreement may retain and land bigeye 

tuna in the western and central Pacific 

Ocean under the CNMI attribution 

specified in the fishing agreement. On 

August 30, 2021, NMFS began 

attributing bigeye tuna caught by vessels 

in the agreement to the CNMI. If NMFS 

determines that the fishery will reach 

the 1,500 t allocation specified in the 

CNMI agreement, we will restrict the 

retention of bigeye tuna caught by 

vessels in the agreement, unless the 

vessels are included in a subsequent 

specified fishing agreement with 

another U.S. territory. 

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

Dated: August 20, 2021. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–18365 Filed 8–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 210210–0018; RTID 0648– 

XB337] 

Fisheries of the Economic Exclusive 

Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fishery 

by Non-Rockfish Program Catcher 

Vessels Using Trawl Gear in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Area 

of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of 

closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for groundfish, other than 

pollock, by non-Rockfish Program 

catcher vessels using trawl gear in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 

necessary to fully use the 2021 

groundfish total allowable catch 

available for non-Rockfish Program 

catcher vessels directed fishing for 

groundfish, other than pollock, using 

trawl gear in the Western and Central 

Regulatory Areas of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), August 24, 2021, 

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

2021. Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., September 7, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by NOAA– 

NMFS–2020–0140, 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–2020–0140 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Records Office. 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 NMFS will post the comments for 

public viewing on 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: 

Obren Davis, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

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 MagnusonStevens 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. 

NMFS prohibited directed fishing for 

groundfish, other than pollock, by nonRockfish Program catcher vessels using 

trawl gear in the Western and Central 

Regulatory Areas of the GOA, effective 

1200 hours, A.l.t., March 26, 2021 (86 

FR 16677, March 31, 2021) under 

§ 679.21(i)(8)(ii). 

On August 20, 2021, NMFS published 

an inseason adjustment (86 FR 46792, 

August 20, 2021) that reapportioned 

1,350 Chinook salmon prohibited 

species catch limit to the non-Rockfish 

Program catcher vessel sector 

participating in the directed fishery for 

groundfish, other than pollock, in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the GOA that is available from August 

18, 2021 until December 31, 2021 

(§ 679.21(h)(5)(iii)). Therefore, in 

accordance with § 679.25(a)(1)(i)), 

(a)(2)(i)(C), and (a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully 

utilize the 2021 groundfish total 

allowable catch available for nonRockfish Program catcher vessels 

directed fishing for groundfish, other 

than pollock, using trawl gear in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the GOA, NMFS is terminating the 

previous closure and is opening 

directed fishing for non-Rockfish 

Program catcher vessels directed fishing 

for groundfish, other than pollock, using 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with RULES
47598 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 163 / Thursday, August 26, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

trawl gear in the Western and Central 

Regulatory Areas of the 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 delay opening directed 

fishing for groundfish, other than 

pollock, by non-Rockfish Program 

catcher vessels using trawl gear in the 

Western and Central Regulatory Areas of 

the GOA. NMFS was unable to publish 

a notice providing time for public 

comment because the most recent, 

relevant data only became available as 

of August 20, 2021. 

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: August 23, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–18371 Filed 8–23–21; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with RULES