Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 202 / Monday, October 20, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 62575 

[FR Doc. 2014–24759 Filed 10–17–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 622 

[Docket No. 100120037–1626–02] 

RIN 0648–XD549 

Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and South Atlantic; 2014 

Accountability Measures and Closure 

for Commercial Wrasses in the U.S. 

Caribbean Off Puerto Rico 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; accountability 

measure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS implements 

accountability measures (AMs) for 

commercial wrasses in the exclusive 

economic zone of the U.S. Caribbean 

(EEZ) off Puerto Rico for the 2014 

fishing year through this temporary rule. 

NMFS has determined that the 

commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for 

wrasses off Puerto Rico, as estimated by 

the Science and Research Director 

(SRD), was exceeded based on average 

landings during the 2011–2012 fishing 

years. This temporary rule reduces the 

length of the 2014 commercial fishing 

season for wrasses off Puerto Rico by the 

amount necessary to ensure that 

landings do not exceed the commercial 

ACL in 2014. NMFS implements AMs 

and closes the commercial sector for 

wrasses off Puerto Rico at 12:01 a.m., 

local time, on October 20, 2014, through 

the end of the fishing year, December 

31, 2014. These AMs are necessary to 

protect the Caribbean wrasses resource. 

DATES: The AMs for commercial wrasses 

in the EEZ off Puerto Rico are effective 

12:01 a.m., local time, October 20, 2014, 

until 12:01 a.m., local time, January 1, 

2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William S. Arnold, telephone: 727–824– 

5305, email: Bill.Arnold@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The reef 

fish fishery of the Caribbean, which 

includes wrasses (i.e., hogfish 

(Lachnolaimus maximus), puddingwife 

(Halichoeres radiatus), and Spanish 

hogfish (Bodianus rufus)), is managed 

under the Fishery Management Plan for 

the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and 

the U.S. Virgin Islands (FMP). The FMP 

was prepared by the Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council and is 

implemented under the authority of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations 

at 50 CFR part 622. The ACLs specified 

in this temporary rule are given in 

round weight. 

The commercial ACL for wrasses in 

the Puerto Rico management area is 

54,147 lb (24,561 kg), as specified at 50 

CFR 622.12(a)(1)(i)(L). 

In accordance with regulations at 50 

CFR 622.12(a), if landings from a 

Caribbean island management area, as 

specified in Appendix E to part 622, are 

estimated by the SRD to have exceeded 

the applicable ACL, the Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, 

(AA), will file a notification with the 

Office of the Federal Register to reduce 

the length of the fishing season for the 

applicable species or species groups that 

year by the amount necessary to ensure 

landings do not exceed the applicable 

ACL, as specified at 50 CFR 622.12(a)(1) 

for Puerto Rico management area 

species or species groups. Landings will 

be evaluated relative to the applicable 

ACL based on a moving multi-year 

average of landings, as described in the 

FMP. The most recent data is from the 

2011 and 2012 fishing years. Data from 

2013 are not available at this time. 

Therefore, NMFS has determined the 

commercial ACL for wrasses based on 

2011–2012 data has been exceeded. This 

temporary rule implements AMs for the 

commercial sector for wrasses to reduce 

the 2014 fishing season to ensure 

landings do not exceed the commercial 

ACL for wrasses in the 2014 fishing 

year. The 2014 fishing season for the 

commercial sector for wrasses in or from 

the Puerto Rico management area of the 

EEZ ends at 12:01 a.m., local time, on 

October 20, 2014. The 2015 fishing 

season begins 12:01 a.m., local time, 

January 1, 2015. 

Classification 

The Regional Administrator, 

Southeast Region, NMFS, has 

determined this temporary rule is 

necessary for the conservation and 

management of wrasses in the U.S. 

Caribbean off Puerto Rico and is 

consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, the FMP, and other applicable 

laws. 

This action is taken under 50 CFR 

622.12(a) and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

These measures are exempt from the 

procedures of the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act because the temporary rule is issued 

without opportunity for prior notice and 

comment. 

This action responds to the best 

scientific information available. The 

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 

NOAA (AA), finds good cause to waive 

the requirements 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 prior notice 

and opportunity for public comment is 

unnecessary and contrary to the public 

interest. Such procedures are 

unnecessary because the rules 

implementing the ACLs and AMs for 

these species and species groups have 

been subject to notice and comment, 

and all that remains is to notify the 

public that the ACLs were exceeded and 

that the AMs for wrasses are being 

implemented for the 2014 fishing year. 

Allowing prior notice and opportunity 

for public comment is contrary to the 

public interest because of the need to 

immediately implement this action to 

protect the wrasses resource. The 

capacity of the fishing fleet allows for 

rapid harvest of the ACL and prior 

notice and opportunity for public 

comment would result in a harvest well 

in excess of the established commercial 

ACL. 

For the aforementioned reasons, the 

AA also finds good cause to waive the 

30-day delay in the effectiveness of this 

action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). 

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

Dated: October 15, 2014. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–24924 Filed 10–16–14; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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