68374 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 221 / Monday, November 17, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

without opportunity for prior notice and 

comment. 

This action responds to the best 

scientific information available recently 

obtained from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds that the need to immediately 

implement this action to close the 

commercial sector for gag constitutes 

good cause to waive the requirements to 

provide prior notice and opportunity for 

public comment pursuant to the 

authority set forth in 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), 

as such procedures are unnecessary and 

contrary to the public interest. Such 

procedures are unnecessary because the 

rule itself has been subject to notice and 

comment, and all that remains is to 

notify the public of the closure. 

Additionally, 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 gag since the 

capacity of the fishing fleet allows for 

rapid harvest of the quota. Prior notice 

and opportunity for public comment 

would require time and would 

potentially result in a harvest well in 

excess of the established quota. 

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: November 10, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–27051 Filed 11–12–14; 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–XD623 

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; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the 

Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea 

and Aleutian Islands management area 

(BSAI). This action is necessary to 

prevent exceeding the 2014 Pacific 

ocean perch total allowable catch (TAC) 

in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), November 12, 2014, 

through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 

2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7269. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

BSAI 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. 

The 2014 Pacific ocean perch TAC in 

the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI is 

7,684 metric tons (mt) as established by 

the final 2014 and 2015 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (79 FR 12108, March 4, 2014). In 

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i) and 

(ii)(B), the Administrator, Alaska 

Region, NMFS, has determined that the 

2014 Pacific ocean perch TAC in the 

Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI will be 

needed as incidental catch to support 

other groundfish fisheries. Therefore, 

the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 7,184 mt, and is setting 

aside the remaining 500 mt as incidental 

catch. 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 Pacific ocean perch 

in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI. 

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 directed fishing closure of 

Pacific ocean perch 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 November 10, 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: November 12, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–27162 Filed 11–12–14; 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–XD624 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Several Groundfish 

Species 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; apportionment 

of reserves; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS apportions amounts of 

the non-specified reserve to the initial 

total allowable catch (ITAC) of Bering 

Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) 

northern rockfish and BSAI skates, and 

the total allowable catch (TAC) of 

Bering Sea (BS) ‘‘other rockfish’’ and 

BSAI octopuses in the BSAI 

management area. This action is 

necessary to allow the fisheries to 

continue operating. It is intended to 

promote the goals and objectives of the 

fishery management plan for the BSAI 

management area. 

DATES: Effective November 12, 2014, 

through 2400 hrs, Alaska local time, 

December 31, 2014. Comments must be 

received at the following address no 

later than 4:30 p.m., Alaska local time, 

November 28, 2014. 


rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with RULES