Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 35 / Thursday, February 21, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 9493 

reserved assignment for Station WKUS, 

Channel 287B at Windsor, Virginia in 

lieu of Norfolk, Virginia. The 

Commission will not send a copy of this 

Memorandum Opinion and Order 

pursuant to the Congressional Review 

Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A), because 

the adopted rules are rules of particular 

applicability. 

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73 

Radio, Radio broadcasting. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

John A. Karousos, 

Assistant Chief, Audio Division, Media 

Bureau. 

[FR Doc. E8–3263 Filed 2–20–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket Nos. 070213032–7032–01 and 

070213033–7033–01] 

RIN 0648–XF29 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish Managed 

Under the Individual Fishing Quota 

Program 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; opening. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for sablefish with fixed gear 

managed under the Individual Fishing 

Quota (IFQ) Program. The season will 

open 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), 

March 8, 2008, and will close 1200 hrs, 

A.l.t., November 15, 2008. This period 

is the same as the 2008 IFQ and 

Community Development Quota season 

for Pacific halibut adopted by the 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission (IPHC). The IFQ halibut 

season is specified by a separate 

publication in the Federal Register of 

annual management measures. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 

8, 2008, until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., November 

15, 2008. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Hogan, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning 

in 1995, fishing for Pacific halibut 

(Hippoglossus stenolepis) and sablefish 

(Anoplopoma fimbria) with fixed gear 

in the IFQ regulatory areas defined in 

§ 679.2 has been managed under the IFQ 

Program. The IFQ Program is a 

regulatory regime designed to promote 

the conservation and management of 

these fisheries and to further the 

objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act and the Northern Pacific Halibut 

Act. Persons holding quota share receive 

an annual allocation of IFQ. Persons 

receiving an annual allocation of IFQ 

are authorized to harvest IFQ species 

within specified limitations. Further 

information on the implementation of 

the IFQ Program, and the rationale 

supporting it, are contained in the 

preamble to the final rule implementing 

the IFQ Program published in the 

Federal Register, November 9, 1993 (58 

FR 59375) and subsequent amendments. 

This announcement is consistent with 

§ 679.23(g)(1), which requires that the 

directed fishing season for sablefish 

managed under the IFQ Program be 

specified by the Administrator, Alaska 

Region, and announced by publication 

in the Federal Register. This method of 

season announcement was selected to 

facilitate coordination between the 

sablefish season, chosen by the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, and the 

halibut season, chosen by the IPHC. The 

directed fishing season for sablefish 

with fixed gear managed under the IFQ 

Program will open 1200 hrs, A.l.t., 

March 8, 2008, and will close 1200 hrs, 

A.l.t., November 15, 2008. This period 

runs concurrently with the IFQ season 

for Pacific halibut announced by the 

IPHC. The IFQ halibut season will be 

specified by a separate publication in 

the Federal Register of annual 

management measures pursuant to 50 

CFR 300.62. 

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 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 the sablefish 

fishery thereby increasing bycatch and 

regulatory discards between the 

sablefish fishery and the halibut fishery, 

and preventing the accomplishment of 

the management objective for 

simultaneous opening of these two 

fisheries. NMFS was unable to publish 

a notice providing time for public 

comment because the most recent, 

relevant data only became available as 

of February 13, 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. 

This action is required by § 679.23 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 14, 2008. 

Emily H. Menashes 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–787 Filed 2–15–08; 2:38 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


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