Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 174 / Monday, September 13, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 50861 

electronically as an official document of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Michael P. Shores, 

Director, Office of Regulation Policy & 

Management, Office of General Counsel, 

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Accordingly, the interim final rule 

amending 38 CFR part 17, which was 

published at 84 FR 21668 on May 14, 

2019, is adopted as final with the 

following technical amendments: 

PART 17—MEDICAL 

■ 1. The general authority citation for 

part 17 continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, and as noted in 

specific sections 

* * * * * 

§ § 17.4110, 17.4130, and 17.4135 

[Amended] 

■ 2. In §§ 17.4110, 17.4130, and 

17.4135, remove the OMB statement 

‘‘(The information collection 

requirements have been submitted to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) and are pending OMB 

approval.)’’ and add in its place ‘‘(Office 

of Management and Budget approved 

the collection of information under 

control number 2900–0872.)’’. 

[FR Doc. 2021–19470 Filed 9–10–21; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

[Docket No. 121004515–3608–02; RTID 

0648–XB398] 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; 2021 

Commercial Closure for South Atlantic 

Red Snapper 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS implements an 

accountability measure for red snapper 

in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 

the South Atlantic. NMFS projects 

commercial landings of red snapper 

have reached the commercial annual 

catch limit (ACL) for the 2021 fishing 

year. Therefore, NMFS is closing the 

commercial sector for red snapper in the 

South Atlantic EEZ. This closure is 

necessary to protect the red snapper 

resource. 

DATES: This temporary rule is effective 

from 12:01 a.m., eastern time, on 

September 14, 2021, through December 

31, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mary Vara, NMFS Southeast Regional 

Office, telephone: 727–824–5305, email: 

mary.vara@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

snapper-grouper fishery of the South 

Atlantic includes red snapper and is 

managed under the Fishery 

Management Plan for the SnapperGrouper Fishery of the South Atlantic 

Region (FMP). The FMP was prepared 

by the South Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council and is 

implemented by NMFS under the 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by 

regulations at 50 CFR part 622. 

The commercial ACL for red snapper 

in the South Atlantic is 124,815 lb 

(56,615 kg), round weight, as specified 

in 50 CFR 622.193(y)(1). 

Under 50 CFR 622.193(y)(1), NMFS is 

required to close the commercial sector 

for red snapper when the commercial 

ACL is reached, or is projected to be 

reached, by filing a notification to that 

effect with the Office of the Federal 

Register. NMFS has determined that the 

commercial ACL for South Atlantic red 

snapper will be reached by September 

14, 2021. Accordingly, the commercial 

sector for South Atlantic red snapper is 

closed effective at 12:01 a.m., eastern 

time, on September 14, 2021. For the 

2022 fishing year, unless otherwise 

specified, the commercial season will 

begin on the second Monday in July (50 

CFR 622.183(b)(5)(i)). 

The operator of a vessel with a valid 

commercial vessel permit for South 

Atlantic snapper-grouper having red 

snapper on board must have landed and 

bartered, traded, or sold such red 

snapper prior to 12:01 a.m., eastern 

time, on September 14, 2021. Because 

the recreational sector closed on July 12, 

2021 (86 FR 30393, June 8, 2021), after 

the commercial sector closure that is 

effective on September 14, 2021, all 

harvest and possession of red snapper in 

or from the South Atlantic EEZ is 

prohibited for the remainder of the 2021 

fishing year. 

On and after the effective date of the 

closure notification, all sale or purchase 

of red snapper is prohibited. This 

prohibition on the harvest, possession, 

sale or purchase applies in the South 

Atlantic on a vessel for which a valid 

Federal commercial or charter vessel/ 

headboat permit for South Atlantic 

snapper-grouper has been issued, 

regardless if such species were 

harvested or possessed in state or 

Federal waters (50 CFR 622.193(y)(1) 

and 622.181(c)(2)). 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

622.193(y)(1), which was issued 

pursuant to section 304(b) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is exempt 

from review under Executive Order 

12866. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the 

NMFS Assistant Administrator (AA) 

finds good cause to waive prior notice 

and an opportunity for public comment 

on this action, as notice and comment 

are unnecessary and contrary to the 

public interest. Such procedures are 

unnecessary because the rule that 

established the commercial season, 

ACL, and accountability measure for red 

snapper has already been subject to 

notice and comment, and all that 

remains is to notify the public of the 

closure. Such procedures are contrary to 

the public interest because of the need 

to immediately implement this action to 

protect red snapper because the capacity 

of the fishing fleet allows for rapid 

harvest of the commercial ACL. Prior 

notice and opportunity for public 

comment would require time and could 

potentially result in a harvest well in 

excess of the established commercial 

ACL. 

For the aforementioned reasons, the 

AA also finds good cause to waive the 

30-day delay in the effectiveness of this 

action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

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

Dated: September 8, 2021. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–19687 Filed 9–9–21; 8:45 am] 

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