24882 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 27, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

This action is exempt from the 

procedures of Executive Order (E.O.) 

12866. 

This final rule does not contain 

policies with Federalism or ‘‘takings’’ 

implications as those terms are defined 

in E.O. 13132 and E.O. 12630, 

respectively. 

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. As a result, a 

regulatory flexibility analysis was not 

required and none was prepared. 

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

Dated: April 21, 2022. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–08901 Filed 4–26–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 660 

[Docket No. 210505–0101; RTID 0648– 

XB912] 

Fisheries Off West Coast States; 

Modification of the West Coast Salmon 

Fisheries; Inseason Actions #1 and #2 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Inseason modification of 2022 

management measures. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces two 

inseason actions in the 2022 ocean 

salmon fisheries. These inseason actions 

modify the commercial and recreational 

ocean salmon fisheries in the area from 

Cape Falcon, OR, to Point Arena, CA. 

DATES: The effective dates for the 

inseason actions are set out in this 

document under the heading Inseason 

Actions and the actions remain in effect 

until superseded or modified. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shannon Penna at 562–676–2148, 

Email: shannon.penna@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The 2021 annual management 

measures for ocean salmon fisheries (86 

FR 26425, May 14, 2021), announced 

management measures for the 

commercial and recreational fisheries in 

the area from the U.S./Canada border to 

the U.S./Mexico border, effective from 

0001 hours Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), 

May 16, 2021, until the effective date of 

the 2022 management measures, as 

published in the Federal Register. 

NMFS is authorized to implement 

inseason management actions to modify 

fishing seasons and quotas as necessary 

to provide fishing opportunity while 

meeting management objectives for the 

affected species (50 CFR 660.409). 

Inseason actions in the salmon fishery 

may be taken directly by NMFS (50 CFR 

660.409(a)—Fixed inseason 

management provisions) or upon 

consultation with the Chairman of the 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

(Council), and the appropriate State 

Directors (50 CFR 660.409(b)—Flexible 

inseason management provisions). 

Management of the salmon fisheries is 

divided into two geographic areas: 

North of Cape Falcon (NOF) (U.S./ 

Canada border to Cape Falcon, OR), and 

south of Cape Falcon (SOF) (Cape 

Falcon, OR, to the U.S./Mexico border). 

The actions described in this document 

affect only the SOF recreational salmon 

fishery, as set out under the heading 

Inseason Action below. 

Consultation on these inseason 

actions occurred on March 11, 2022, 

and March 14, 2022. Representatives 

from NMFS, Oregon Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (ODFW), California 

Department of Fish and Wildlife 

(CDFW), and Council staff participated 

in the consultations. The Council may 

consider further inseason action at its 

April 6–13, 2022, meeting. 

These inseason actions were 

announced on NMFS’ telephone hotline 

and U.S. Coast Guard radio broadcast on 

the date of the consultations (50 CFR 

660.411(a)(2)). 

Inseason Actions 

At its March 8–14, 2022, meeting, the 

Council’s Salmon Technical Team (STT) 

presented updated stock abundance 

forecasts for salmon stocks managed 

under the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery 

Management Plan (FMP). Based on the 

STT’s report, SOF ocean salmon 

fisheries will be constrained in 2022 by 

the abundance forecast for Klamath 

River fall-run Chinook salmon (KRFC), 

which was determined to be overfished 

under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(MSA) in 2018. The forecast of potential 

spawner abundance is derived from the 

ocean abundance forecasts, ocean 

natural mortality rates, age-specific 

maturation rates, stray rates, and the 

proportion of escapement expected to 

spawn in natural areas. 

Inseason Action #1 

Description of the action: Inseason 

action #1 modifies the SOF commercial 

salmon fishery from the Heceta Bank 

Line (latitude 43°58′00′′ N), OR, to 

Humbug Mountain, OR, previously 

scheduled to open on March 15. This 

fishery is closed through April 30, 2022. 

This area is scheduled to re-open to 

commercial troll fishing on May 1, 2022. 

Effective date: Inseason action #1 took 

effect on March 15, 2021, and remains 

in effect until superseded. 

Reason and authorization for the 

action: NMFS is taking inseason action 

in the commercial salmon fisheries to 

manage and conserve SOF ocean salmon 

fishery impacts on KRFC and to provide 

additional fishing opportunity in 

adjacent areas. In Oregon, this inseason 

action takes place in the area from Cape 

Falcon to Humbug Mountain at the 

Heceta Bank Line, which is the port area 

analysis boundary used by the STT. 

This allows for finer-scale management 

of fisheries in the Northern Oregon (NO) 

(Cape Falcon to Heceta Bank Line) and 

Central Oregon (CO) (Heceta Bank Line 

to Humbug Mountain) port areas. The 

NO and CO port area impacts are 

analyzed separately by the STT and the 

environmental assessment prepared 

under the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) Final Environmental 

Assessment for 2021 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries Management Measures 

(https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/ 

fisheries-west-coast-states-west-coastsalmon-fisheries-2021-managementmeasures) and have different impacts on 

salmon stocks; e.g., the NO port area has 

lower impacts on KRFC than the CO 

port area. 

The West Coast Region Regional 

Administer (RA) considered the 

landings of Chinook salmon to date, 

fishery catch and effort to date, and the 

timing of the action relative to the 

length of the season, and determined 

that this inseason action was necessary 

to meet management goals set 

preseason. Inseason action to modify 

quotas and/or fishing seasons is 

authorized by 50 CFR 660.409(b)(1)(i). 

Consultation date and participants: 

Consultation on inseason action #1 

occurred on March 11, 2022. 

Representatives from NMFS, CDFW, 

ODFW, and the Council participated in 

this consultation. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 27, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 24883 

Inseason Action #2 

Description of the action: Inseason 

action #2 modifies the ocean salmon 

recreational fishery from latitude 40°10′ 

N to Point Arena, CA, previously 

scheduled to open on April 2, 2022. 

This fishery is closed through April 30, 

2022.This area is schedule to re-open for 

recreational fishing on May 1, 2022. 

Effective date: Inseason #2 took effect 

on March 14, 2022, and remains in 

effect until superseded. 

Reason and authorization for the 

action: NMFS is taking inseason action 

in the recreational salmon fisheries to 

manage and conserve SOF ocean salmon 

fishery impacts on KRFC and to provide 

additional fishing opportunity in 

adjacent areas. This modification is 

needed to attain escapement goals and 

conservation objectives given 2022 

preseason forecasts previously 

mentioned. 

The RA considered Chinook salmon 

landings and fishery catch and effort to 

date in the SOF area from latitude 

40°10′ N to Point Arena, CA, and 

determined that this inseason action 

was necessary to meet management 

objectives set preseason. Inseason action 

to modify quotas and/or fishing seasons 

is authorized by 50 CFR 660.409(b)(1)(i). 

Consultation date and participants: 

Consultation on inseason action #2 

occurred on March 14, 2022. 

Representatives from NMFS, CDFW, 

ODFW, and the Council participated in 

this consultation. 

All other restrictions and regulations 

remain in effect as announced for the 

2021 ocean salmon fisheries (86 FR 

26425, May 14, 2021), as modified by 

previous inseason action (86 FR 34161, 

June 29, 2021; 86 FR 37249, July 15, 

2021; 86 FR 40182, July 28, 2021; 86 FR 

43967, August 11, 2021; 86 FR 48343, 

August 30, 2021; 86 FR 54407, October 

1, 2021; 86 FR 64082, November 17, 

2021). 

The RA determined that these 

inseason actions were warranted based 

on the best available information on 

Pacific salmon abundance forecasts, 

landings to date, anticipated fishery 

effort and projected catch, and the other 

factors and considerations set forth in 

50 CFR 660.409. The states manage the 

fisheries in state waters adjacent to the 

areas of the U.S. exclusive economic 

zone (3–200 nautical miles (5.6–370.4 

kilometers) off the coasts of the states of 

Washington, Oregon, and California) 

consistent with these Federal actions. 

As provided by the inseason notice 

procedures at 50 CFR 660.411, actual 

notice of the described regulatory action 

was given, prior to the time the action 

was effective, by telephone hotline 

numbers 206–526–6667 and 800–662– 

9825, and by U.S. Coast Guard Notice to 

Mariners broadcasts on Channel 16 

VHF–FM and 2182 kHz. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (MSA). This action is authorized by 

50 CFR 660.409, which was issued 

pursuant to section 304(b) of the MSA, 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(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. Prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment on this 

action was impracticable because NMFS 

had insufficient time to provide for 

prior notice and the opportunity for 

public comment between the time 

Chinook salmon abundance, catch, and 

effort information were developed and 

fisheries impacts were calculated, and 

the time the fishery modifications had 

to be implemented in order to ensure 

that fisheries are managed based on the 

best scientific information available and 

that fishery participants can take 

advantage of the additional fishing 

opportunity these changes provide. As 

previously noted, actual notice of the 

regulatory actions was provided to 

fishers through telephone hotline and 

radio notification. These actions comply 

with the requirements of the annual 

management measures for ocean salmon 

fisheries (86 FR 26425, May 14, 2021), 

the Fishery Management Plan (FMP), 

and regulations implementing the FMP 

under 50 CFR 660.409 and 660.411. 

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

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

effective date, as a delay in effectiveness 

of this action would restrict fishing at 

levels inconsistent with the goals of the 

FMP and the current management 

measures. 

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

Dated: April 21, 2022. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–08887 Filed 4–26–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 22016–0049; RTID 0648–XB773] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 in 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 Statistical Area 

630 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary to prevent exceeding 

the A season allowance of the 2022 total 

allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for 

Statistical Area 630 in the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1,200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), April 22, 2022, 

through 1,200 hours, A.l.t., May 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 A season allowance of the 2022 

TAC of pollock in Statistical Area 630 

of the GOA is 8,080 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 Regional Administrator has 

determined that the A season allowance 

of the 2022 TAC of pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 of the GOA will soon be 

reached. Therefore, the Regional 

Administrator is establishing a directed 

fishing allowance of 7,580 mt and is 

setting aside the remaining 500 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 Statistical 

Area 630 of the GOA. 

While this closure is effective the 

maximum retainable amounts at 


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