55288 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 175 / Friday, September 10, 2010 / Rules and Regulations 

open to public comment during the 

proposed rule stage of FW44. 

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

Dated: September 3, 2010. 

Eric C. Schwaab, 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22634 Filed 9–7–10; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 0910131362–0087–02] 

RIN 0648–XY88 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical 

Area 620 in 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 pollock in Statistical Area 

620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This 

action is necessary to prevent exceeding 

the C season allowance of the 2010 total 

allowable catch (TAC) of pollock for 

Statistical Area 620 in the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), September 7, 2010, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., October 1, 2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 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 C season allowance of the 2010 

TAC of pollock in Statistical Area 620 

of the GOA is 4,878 metric tons (mt) as 

established by the final 2010 and 2011 

harvest specifications for groundfish of 

the GOA (75 FR 11749, March 12, 2010). 

In accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B) 

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), hereby 

decreases the C season pollock 

allowance by NNN mt to reflect the total 

amount of pollock TAC that has been 

caught prior to the C season in 

Statistical Area 620. Therefore, the 

revised C season allowance of the 

pollock TAC in Statistical Area 620 is 

NNN mt (4,878 mt minus NNN mt). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i), 

the Regional Administrator has 

determined that the C season allowance 

of the 2010 TAC of pollock in Statistical 

Area 620 of the GOA will soon be 

reached. Therefore, the Regional 

Administrator is establishing a directed 

fishing allowance of NNN mt, and is 

setting aside the remaining 10 mt as 

bycatch to support other anticipated 

groundfish fisheries. In accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional 

Administrator finds that this directed 

fishing allowance has been reached. 

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting 

directed fishing for pollock in Statistical 

Area 620 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 closure of pollock in 

Statistical Area 620 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 September 

6, 2010. 

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 § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: September 7, 2010. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22637 Filed 9–7–10; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 0910131363–0087–02] 

RIN 0648–XY87 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Northern Rockfish 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; modification 

of closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for northern rockfish in the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

Management Area (BSAI). This action is 

necessary to fully use the 2010 total 

allowable catch (TAC) of northern 

rockfish in the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), September 7, 2010, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2010. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., September 27, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue 

Salveson, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. You may submit 

comments, identified by 0648–XY87, 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. 

• Hand delivery to the Federal 

Building: 709 West 9th Street, Room 

420A, Juneau, AK. 

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 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. Enter ‘‘N/A’’ in the required 

fields, if you wish to remain 

anonymous. Attachments to electronic 

comments will be accepted in Microsoft 

Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe 

portable document file (pdf) file formats 

only. 

WReier-Aviles on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with RULES