6178 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 27 / Friday, February 9, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 

only became available as of February 2, 

2007. 

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. 

Without this inseason adjustment, 

NMFS could not allow the fishery for 

pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the 

GOA to be harvested in an expedient 

manner and in accordance with the 

regulatory schedule. Under 

§ 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments on 

this action to the above address until 

February 26, 2007. 

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

Dated: February 2, 2007. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–568 Filed 2–5–07; 2:31 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 060216045–6045–01; I.D. 

020507D] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Non-Community 

Development Quota Pollock with Trawl 

Gear in the Chinook Salmon Savings 

Areas of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands Management Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for non-Community 

Development Quota (CDQ) pollock with 

trawl gear in the Chinook Salmon 

Savings Areas of the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands management area 

(BSAI). This action is necessary to 

prevent exceeding the 2007 limit of 

chinook salmon caught by vessels using 

trawl gear while directed fishing for 

non-CDQ pollock in the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 12 noon, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), February 6, 2007, through 

12 noon, A.l.t., April 15, 2007, and from 

12 noon, A.l.t., September 1, 2007, 

through 12 midnight, A.l.t., December 

31, 2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Hogan, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands Management Area 

(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council under 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

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 2007 chinook salmon PSC limit 

for the pollock fishery is set at 29,000 

fish (§ 679.21(e)(1)(vii). Of that limit, 7.5 

percent is allocated to the groundfish 

CDQ program as prohibited species 

quota reserve (§ 679.21(e)(1)(i)). 

Consequently, the 2007 non-CDQ limit 

of chinook salmon caught by vessels 

using trawl gear while directed fishing 

for pollock in the BSAI is 26,825 

animals. 

In accordance with 

§ 679.21(e)(7)(viii), the Administrator, 

Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional 

Administrator), has determined that the 

2007 non-CDQ limit of chinook salmon 

caught by vessels using trawl gear while 

directed fishing for non-CDQ pollock in 

the BSAI has been reached. 

Consequently, the Regional 

Administrator is prohibiting directed 

fishing for non-CDQ pollock with trawl 

gear in the Chinook Salmon Savings 

Areas defined at Figure 8 to 50 CFR part 

679. 

After the effective date of this closure 

the maximum retainable amounts at 

§ 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time 

during a trip. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such a requirement 

is impracticable and contrary to the 

public interest. This requirement is 

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 directed fishing for 

non-CDQ pollock with trawl gear in the 

Chinook Salmon Savings Areas. NMFS 

was unable to publish a notice 

providing time for public comment 

because the most recent, relevant data 

only became available as of February 5, 

2007. 

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. 

This action is required by § 679.21 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 6, 2007. 

James P. Burgess 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–591 Filed 2–6–07; 2:25 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


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