41626 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 133 / Wednesday, July 13, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

1A WCPFC Observer means a person authorized 

by the Commission in accordance with any 

procedures established by the Commission to 

undertake vessel observer duties as part of the 

Commission’s Regional Observer Programme, 

including an observer deployed as part of a NMFSadministered observer program or as part of another 

national or sub-regional observer program, provided 

that such program is authorized by the Commission 

to be part of the Commission’s Regional Observer 

Programme. See 50 CFR 300.211. 

observers 1 on all fishing trips in the 

Convention Area. However, the 

regulations at 50 CFR 300.215(c)(1) that 

require all vessels with WCPFC Area 

Endorsements or for which WCPFC 

Area Endorsements are required to carry 

WCPFC observers when directed by 

NMFS remain in effect. 

Revocation of Temporary Specification 

NMFS is using the framework as set 

forth at 50 CFR 300.228 to revoke the 

temporary specification that 

implemented the WCPFC decision dated 

May 13, 2020, to waive the regulations 

on at-sea transshipment observer 

coverage at 50 CFR 300.215(d) and 50 

CFR 300.216(b)(2). 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

the WCPFC Implementation Act and the 

regulations at 50 CFR 300.228. This 

action is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the 

opportunity for public comment on the 

temporary measures included in this 

action, because prior notice and the 

opportunity for public comment is 

unnecessary and would be contrary to 

the public interest. Opportunity for 

public comment is unnecessary because 

the regulations establishing the 

framework and providing notice of the 

Commission’s decisions described 

above have already been subject to 

notice and public comment, and all that 

remains is to notify the public of the 

extension of the Commission decision. 

NMFS has responded to public 

comments received on the interim final 

rule to establish the framework and 

those Commission decisions in a 

separate final rule (87 FR 34580; June 7, 

2022). NMFS will be responding to any 

public comments received on the 

interim final rule to extend the time 

period to implement WCPFC decision 

related to the COVID–19 pandemic in a 

separate final rule (see 87 FR 34584; 

June 7, 2022). 

For the reasons articulated above, 

there is also good cause under 5 U.S.C. 

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

effective dates for the temporary 

measures. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq. 

Dated: July 8, 2022. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–14954 Filed 7–12–22; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 220216–0049; RTID 0648– 

XC095] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the 

Central Regulatory Area 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 retention 

of Pacific cod by catcher/processors 

using trawl gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska 

(GOA). This action is necessary because 

the 2022 total allowable catch of Pacific 

cod allocated to catcher/processors 

using trawl gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the GOA has been 

reached. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), July 8, 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 Pacific cod allocated to catcher/ 

processors using trawl gear in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 

616 metric tons (mt) as established by 

the final 2022 and 2023 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(87 FR 11599, March 2, 2022). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(2), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2022 TAC of Pacific 

cod allocated to catcher/processors 

using trawl gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the GOA has been 

reached. Therefore, NMFS is requiring 

that Pacific cod caught by catcher/ 

processors using trawl gear in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA be 

treated as prohibited species in 

accordance with § 679.21(a)(2). 

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 prohibiting the 

retention of Pacific cod by catcher/ 

processors using trawl gear in the 

Central Regulatory Area 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 July 7, 2022. 

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 8, 2022. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–14950 Filed 7–8–22; 4:15 pm] 

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