5128 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 19 / Tuesday, January 29, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 

(4) Texas zone. The Texas zone is 

bounded by rhumb lines connecting, in 

order, the following points: 

Point North lat. West long. 

A 29°09.1′ 93°41.4′ 

B 28°44′ 95°15′ 

C 28°11′ 96°17′ 

D 27°44′ 96°53′ 

E 27°02′ 97°11′ 

F 26°00.5′ 96°57.3′ 

G 26°00.5′ 96°35.85′ 

H 26°24′ 96°36′ 

I 26°49′ 96°52′ 

J 27°12′ 96°51′ 

K 27°39′ 96°33′ 

L 27°55′ 96°04′ 

M 28°21.7′ 93°28.4′ 

A 29°09.1′ 93°41.4′ 

(m)*** 

The recreational fishery for red 

snapper in or from the Gulf EEZ is 

closed from January 1 through May 31 

and from October 1 through December 

31, each year. * * * 

* * * * * 

■ 4. In § 622.37, paragraph (d)(1)(vi) is 

removed and paragraph (d)(1)(iv) is 

revised to read as follows: 

§ 622.37 Size limits. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(iv) Red snapper -16 inches (40.6 cm), 

TL, for a fish taken by a person subject 

to the bag limit specified in § 622.39 

(b)(1)(iii) and 13 inches (38.1 cm), TL, 

for a fish taken by a person not subject 

to the bag limit. 

* * * * * 

■ 5. In § 622.39, paragraphs (b)(1)(viii) 

through (b)(1)(x) are removed, and 

paragraphs (b)(1)(iii) and (b)(1)(v) are 

revised to read as follows: 

§ 622.39 Bag and possession limits. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(iii) Red snapper -2. However, no red 

snapper may be retained by the captain 

or crew of a vessel operating as a charter 

vessel or headboat. The bag limit for 

such captain and crew is zero. 

* * * * * 

(v) Gulf reef fish, combined, 

excluding those specified in paragraphs 

(b)(1)(i) through (b)(1)(iv) and 

paragraphs (b)(1)(vi) through (b)(1)(vii) 

of this section and excluding dwarf sand 

perch and sand perch -20. 

* * * * * 

■ 6. In § 622.41, paragraph (m) is added 

to read as follows: 

§ 622.41 Species specific limitations. 

* * * * * 

(m) Required gear in the Gulf reef fish 

fishery. For a person on board a vessel 

to fish for Gulf reef fish in the Gulf EEZ, 

the vessel must possess on board and 

such person must use the gear as 

specified in paragraphs (m)(1) through 

(m)(3) of this section. 

(1) Non-stainless steel circle hooks. 

Non-stainless steel circle hooks are 

required when fishing with natural 

baits. 

(2) Dehooking device. At least one 

dehooking device is required and must 

be used to remove hooks embedded in 

Gulf reef fish with minimum damage. 

The hook removal device must be 

constructed to allow the hook to be 

secured and the barb shielded without 

re-engaging during the removal process. 

The dehooking end must be blunt, and 

all edges rounded. The device must be 

of a size appropriate to secure the range 

of hook sizes and styles used in the Gulf 

reef fish fishery. 

(3) Venting tool. At least one venting 

tool is required and must be used to 

deflate the swim bladders of Gulf reef 

fish to release the fish with minimum 

damage. This tool must be a sharpened, 

hollow instrument, such as a 

hypodermic syringe with the plunger 

removed, or a 16–gauge needle fixed to 

a hollow wooden dowel. A tool such as 

a knife or an ice-pick may not be used. 

The venting tool must be inserted into 

the fish at a 45–degree angle 

approximately 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 

5.08 cm) from the base of the pectoral 

fin. The tool must be inserted just deep 

enough to release the gases, so that the 

fish may be released with minimum 

damage. 

■ 7. In § 622.42, paragraphs (a)(1)(v) and 

(a)(3) are removed, and paragraphs 

(a)(1)(i) and (a)(2) are revised to read as 

follows: 

§ 622.42 Quotas. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(i) Red snapper -2.55 million lb (1.16 

million kg), round weight. 

* * * * * 

(2) Recreational quota for red 

snapper. The following quota applies to 

persons who harvest red snapper other 

than under commercial vessel permits 

for Gulf reef fish and the commercial 

quota specified in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of 

this section -2.45 million lb (1.11 

million kg), round weight. 

* * * * * 

■ 8. In § 622.48, paragraph (i) is revised 

to read as follows: 

§ 622.48 Adjustment of management 

measures. 

* * * * * 

(i) Gulf shrimp. Closed seasons and 

areas, target effort and fishing mortality 

reduction levels, bycatch reduction 

criteria, BRD certification and 

decertification criteria, BRD testing 

protocol, certified BRDs, and BRD 

specification. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. E8–1547 Filed 1–28–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01] 

RIN 0648–XF34 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reopening directed 

fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 

630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 48 

hours. This action is necessary to fully 

use the A season allowance of the 2008 

total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock 

specified for Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), January 25, 2008, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., January 27, 2008. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., February 8, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by 0648–XF34, by any one of 

the following methods: 

• Electronic Submissions: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal website at 

http://www.regulations.gov; 

• Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 

99802; 

• FAX: (907) 586–7557; or 

• Hand delivery to the Federal 

Building: 709 West 9th Street, Room 

420A, Juneau, AK. Send comments to 

Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. 

Instructions: All comments received 

are a part of the public record and will 

generally be posted to http:// 

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All Personal Identifying Information (for 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 19 / Tuesday, January 29, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 5129 

example, name, address, etc.) 

voluntarily submitted by the commenter 

may be publicly accessible. Do not 

submit Confidential Business 

Information or otherwise sensitive or 

protected information. 

NMFS will accept anonymous 

comments. Attachments to electronic 

comments will be accepted in Microsoft 

Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe 

PDF file formats only. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Hogan, 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. 

NMFS closed the directed fishery for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on 

January 22, 2008, and which published 

in the Federal Register on January 25, 

2008. 

NMFS has determined that 

approximately 3,069 mt of pollock 

remain in the directed fishing allowance 

in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C) and 

(a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the A 

season allowance of the 2008 TAC of 

pollock in Statistical Area 630, NMFS is 

terminating the previous closure and is 

reopening directed fishing for pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the 

Regional Administrator finds that this 

directed fishing allowance will be 

reached after 48 hours. Consequently, 

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA for 48 hours, effective 1200 hrs, 

A.l.t., January 27, 2008. 

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) and 679.25(c)(1)(ii) as 

such 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 

opening of pollock in Statistical Area 

630 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 January 23, 2008. 

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 630 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 8, 2008. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and § 679.25 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: January 24, 2008. 

Emily H. Menashes 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–376 Filed 1–24–08; 1:38 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES