11052 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 41 / Friday, February 29, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 

This action is required by § 680.22 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 25, 2008. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–894 Filed 2–26–08; 3:12 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01] 

RIN 0648–XF94 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by NonAmerican Fisheries Act Crab Vessels 

Catching Pacific Cod for Processing 

by the Offshore Component in the 

Western 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 directed 

fishing for the A season allowance of the 

2008 Pacific cod sideboard limits 

apportioned to non-American Fisheries 

Act (AFA) crab vessels catching Pacific 

cod for processing by the offshore 

component in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary to prevent exceeding 

the A season allowance of the 2008 

Pacific cod sideboard limits apportioned 

to non-AFA crab vessels catching 

Pacific cod for processing by the 

offshore component in the Western 

Regulatory Area of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), February 27, 2008, until 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., September 1, 2008. 

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. 

Regulations governing sideboard 

protections for GOA groundfish 

fisheries appear at subpart B of 50 CFR 

part 680. 

The A season allowance of 2008 

Pacific cod sideboard limits apportioned 

to non-AFA crab vessels catching 

Pacific cod for processing by the 

offshore component in the Western 

Regulatory Area of the GOA is 239 

metric tons (mt) for the GOA, as 

established by the 2008 and 2009 

harvest specifications for groundfish of 

the GOA (published on February 27, 

2008). 

In accordance with § 680.22(e)(2)(i), 

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the A season allowance 

of the 2008 Pacific cod sideboard limits 

apportioned to non-AFA crab vessels 

catching Pacific cod for processing by 

the offshore component in the Western 

Regulatory Area of the GOA will soon 

be reached. Therefore, the Regional 

Administrator is establishing a 

sideboard directed fishing allowance for 

Pacific cod as 229 mt in the offshore 

component in the Western Regulatory 

Area of the GOA. The remaining 10 mt 

in the offshore component in the 

Western Regulatory Area of the GOA 

will be set aside as bycatch to support 

other anticipated groundfish fisheries. 

In accordance with § 680.22(e)(3), the 

Regional Administrator finds that this 

sideboard directed fishing allowance 

has been reached. Consequently, NMFS 

is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific 

cod by non-AFA crab vessels catching 

Pacific cod for processing by the 

offshore component in the Western 

Regulatory Area of the GOA. 

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 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 sideboard directed fishing 

closure of Pacific cod apportioned to 

non-AFA crab vessels catching Pacific 

cod for processing by the offshore 

component in the Western 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 February 25, 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 § 680.22 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: February 26, 2008. 

James P. Burgess 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 08–895 Filed 2–26–08; 3:12 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 070213032–7032–01] 

RIN 0648–XF90 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Vessels Catching Pacific Cod for 

Processing by the Inshore Component 

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; modification of 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by vessels 

catching Pacific cod for processing by 

the inshore component in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska 

(GOA) for 24 hours. This action is 

necessary to fully use the A season 

allowance of the 2008 total allowable 

catch (TAC) of Pacific cod apportioned 

to vessels catching Pacific cod for 

processing by the inshore component of 

the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), February 29, 2008, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 1, 2008. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., March 12, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue 

Salveson, Assistant Regional 


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