Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 200 / Thursday, October 16, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 62053 

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

Dated: October 10, 2014. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–24621 Filed 10–10–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 131021878–4158–02] 

RIN 0648–XD544 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch 

in the Bering Sea Subarea of 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 

a closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed 

fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the 

Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands management area. 

This action is necessary to fully use the 

2014 total allowable catch of Pacific 

ocean perch specified for the Bering Sea 

subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands management area. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), October 15, 2014, through 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2014. 

Comments must be received at the 

following address no later than 4:30 

p.m., A.l.t., October 31, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on this document, identified by FDMS 

Docket Number 2013–0152 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- 

0152, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit 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. 

• Fax: Address written comments to 

Glenn Merrill, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Ellen Sebastian. Fax comments to 907– 

586–7557. 

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, etc.), 

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 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

management area (BSAI) exclusive 

economic zone according to the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 

management area (FMP) prepared by the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council under authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens 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 

Pacific ocean perch (POP) in the Bering 

Sea subarea of the BSAI under 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii) (79 FR 12108, March 

4, 2014). 

NMFS has determined that 

approximately 4,500 metric tons of POP 

remain in the directed fishing 

allowance. Therefore, in accordance 

with § 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C), and 

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

2014 total allowable catch of POP in the 

Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI, NMFS 

is terminating the previous closure and 

is opening directed fishing for POP in 

Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI, effective 

1200 hrs, A.l.t., October 15, 2014, 

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

2014. This will enhance the 

socioeconomic well-being of harvesters 

dependent on POP in this area. 

The Administrator, Alaska Region 

considered the following factors in 

reaching this decision: (1) The current 

catch of POP in the BSAI and, (2) the 

harvest capacity and stated intent on 

future harvesting patterns of vessels 

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 POP directed 

fishing in the Bering Sea subarea of the 

BSAI. NMFS was unable to publish a 

notice providing time for public 

comment because the most recent, 

relevant data only became available as 

of September 11, 2014. 

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 

POP in the Bering Sea subarea of the 

BSAI 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 

October 31, 2014. 

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: October 10, 2014. 

James P. Burgess, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–24620 Filed 10–10–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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