64334 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 29, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

Dated: October 24, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25698 Filed 10–24–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 130925836–4174–02] 

RIN 0648–XD590 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of 

Pacific Cod in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the Gulf of Alaska Management 

Area 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the 

projected unused amount of Pacific cod 

from vessels using jig gear to vessels 

using pot gear in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the Gulf of Alaska management 

area (GOA). This action is necessary to 

allow the 2014 total allowable catch of 

Pacific cod in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the GOA to be harvested. 

DATES: Effective October 24, 2014, 

through 2400 hours, Alaska local time 

(A.l.t.), December 31, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

Gulf of Alaska 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 2014 Pacific cod total allowable 

catch (TAC) specified for vessels using 

jig gear in the Central Regulatory Area 

of the GOA is 797 metric tons (mt), as 

established by the final 2014 and 2015 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA (79 FR 12890, March 6, 2014). 

The Administrator, Alaska Region 

(Regional Administrator) has 

determined that vessels using jig gear 

will not be able to harvest 500 mt of the 

2014 Pacific cod TAC allocated to those 

vessels under § 679.20(a)(12)(i)(A). 

In accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(12)(ii)(B), the Regional 

Administrator has also determined that 

vessels using pot gear currently have the 

capacity to harvest this excess allocation 

and reallocates 500 mt to vessels using 

pot gear. 

The harvest specifications for Pacific 

cod in the Central Regulatory Area of 

the GOA included in the final 2014 

harvest specifications for groundfish in 

the GOA (79 FR 12890, March 6, 2014) 

are revised as follows: 297 mt for vessels 

using jig gear and 11,352 mt for vessels 

using pot gear. 

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 reallocation of Pacific cod 

specified from vessels using jig gear to 

vessels using pot gear. Since the fishery 

is currently ongoing, it is important to 

immediately inform the industry as to 

the revised allocations. Immediate 

notification is necessary to allow for the 

orderly conduct and efficient operation 

of this fishery, to allow the industry to 

plan for the fishing season, and to avoid 

potential disruption to the fishing fleet 

as well as processors. NMFS was unable 

to publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of October 23, 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. 

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: October 24, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–25699 Filed 10–24–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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