Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 22495 

the Federal Register within 30 days of 

the action. 

§§ 217.58–217.59 [Reserved] 

[FR Doc. 2022–08031 Filed 4–14–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 220216–0049; RTID 0648– 

XB770] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in the West 

Yakutat District of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for pollock in the West Yakutat 

District of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). 

This action is necessary to prevent 

exceeding the 2022 total allowable catch 

of pollock in the West Yakutat District 

of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), April 13, 2022, 

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

2022. 

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. 

The 2022 total allowable catch (TAC) 

of pollock in the West Yakutat District 

of the GOA is 6,722 metric tons (mt) as 

established by the final 2022 and 2023 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA (87 FR 11599, March 2, 2022). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i), 

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2022 TAC of 

pollock in the West Yakutat District of 

the GOA will soon be reached. 

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 6,522 mt, and is setting 

aside the remaining 200 mt as bycatch 

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 pollock in the West 

Yakutat District of the GOA. 

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 pollock 

in the West Yakutat District 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 April 12, 

2022. 

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: April 13, 2022. 

Kelly Denit, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–08269 Filed 4–13–22; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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