5054 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 20 / Monday, February 1, 2016 / Rules and Regulations 

amended, subject to Commission 

approval. 

[FR Doc. 2016–00060 Filed 1–29–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 140918791–4999–02] 

RIN 0648–XE414 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 in 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 pollock in Statistical Area 

630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary to fully use the A 

season allowance of the 2016 total 

allowable catch of pollock in Statistical 

Area 630 of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), January 29, 2016, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 10, 2016. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., February 16, 2016. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by FDMS 

Docket Number NOAA–NMFS–2013– 

0147 by any of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2013- 

0147, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Address written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Mail comments to P.O. 

Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). Attachments to 

electronic comments will be accepted in 

Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF 

file formats only. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 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 A season allowance of the 2016 

total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock in 

Statistical Area 630 of the GOA is 

12,456 metric tons (mt) as established 

by the final 2015 and 2016 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(80 FR 10250, February 25, 2015) and 

inseason adjustment (81 FR 188, January 

5, 2016). 

NMFS closed directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA under § 679.20(d)(1)(iii) on 

January 27, 2016 (81 FR 4594, January 

27, 2016). 

As of January 25, 2016, NMFS has 

determined that approximately 11,700 

metric tons of pollock remain in the A 

season directed fishing allowance for 

pollock 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 2016 TAC of 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA, NMFS is terminating the previous 

closure and is reopening directed 

fishing pollock in Statistical Area 630 of 

the GOA, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., 

January 29, 2016. 

The Administrator, Alaska Region 

(Regional Administrator) considered the 

following factors in reaching this 

decision: (1) The current catch of 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA and, (2) the harvest capacity and 

stated intent on future harvesting 

patterns of vessels in participating in 

this fishery. 

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 directed fishing for 

pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the 

GOA. NMFS was unable to publish a 

document providing time for public 

comment because the most recent, 

relevant data only became available as 

of January 25, 2016. 

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 16, 2016. 

This action is required by § 679.25 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: January 27, 2016. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–01751 Filed 1–29–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 141021887–5172–02] 

RIN 0648–XE415 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Atka Mackerel in 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. 


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