Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 47403 

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 

and 50 CFR part 679. 

The 2017 sculpins ITAC in the BSAI 

is 3,825 metric tons (mt) as established 

by the final 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (82 FR 11826, February 27, 2017). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(2), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2017 sculpins ITAC 

in the BSAI has been reached. 

Therefore, NMFS is requiring that 

sculpins caught in the BSAI be treated 

as prohibited species in accordance 

with § 679.21(b). 

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 prohibiting retention of sculpins 

in the BSAI. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as September 28, 2017. 

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 § 679.21 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: October 6, 2017. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22081 Filed 10–6–17; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 161020985–7181–02] 

RIN 0648–XF736 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Other Rockfish in the 

Aleutian Islands 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 retention 

of ‘‘other rockfish’’ in the Aleutian 

Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands management area 

(BSAI). This action is necessary because 

the 2017 ‘‘other rockfish’’ total 

allowable catch (TAC) in the Aleutian 

Islands subarea of the BSAI has been 

reached. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local 

time (A.l.t.), October 6, 2017, through 

2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 907–586–7228. 

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 2017 ‘‘other rockfish’’ TAC in the 

Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI is 

550 metric tons (mt) as established by 

the final 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications for groundfish in the 

BSAI (82 FR 11826; February 27, 2017). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(2), the 

Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), has 

determined that the 2017 ‘‘other 

rockfish’’ TAC in the Aleutian Islands 

subarea of the BSAI has been reached. 

Therefore, NMFS is requiring that 

‘‘other rockfish’’ caught in the Aleutian 

Islands subarea of the BSAI be treated 

as prohibited species in accordance 

with § 679.21(b) and be discarded at sea 

with a minimum of injury. ‘‘Other 

rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and 

Sebastolobus species except for Pacific 

ocean perch, northern rockfish, 

shortraker rockfish, and rougheye 

rockfish. 

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 prohibiting retention of ‘‘other 

rockfish’’ in the Aleutian Islands 

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 September 28, 2017. 

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 § 679.21 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: October 6, 2017. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22090 Filed 10–6–17; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 160920866–7167–02] 

RIN 0648–XF725 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment 

to the 2017 Gulf of Alaska Pollock 

Seasonal Apportionments 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 


jstallworth on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with RULES
47404 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason 

adjustment. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is adjusting the 2017 D 

seasonal apportionments of the total 

allowable catch (TAC) for pollock in the 

Gulf of Alaska (GOA) by re-apportioning 

unharvested pollock TAC in Statistical 

Areas 610, 620, and 630 of the GOA. 

This action is necessary to provide 

opportunity for harvest of the 2017 

pollock TAC, consistent with the goals 

and objectives of the Fishery 

Management Plan for Groundfish of the 

Gulf of Alaska. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), October 6, 2017, until 

2400 hours A.l.t., December 31, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh 

Keaton, 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 

(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 annual pollock TACs in 

Statistical Areas 610, 620, and 630 of 

the GOA are apportioned among four 

seasons, in accordance with 

§ 679.23(d)(2). Regulations at 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B) allow the 

underharvest of a seasonal 

apportionment to be added to 

subsequent seasonal apportionments, 

provided that any revised seasonal 

apportionment does not exceed 20 

percent of the seasonal apportionment 

for a given statistical area. Therefore, 

NMFS is increasing the D season 

apportionment of pollock in Statistical 

Areas 610, 620, and 630 of the GOA to 

reflect the underharvest of pollock in 

those areas during the C season. In 

addition, any underharvest remaining 

beyond 20 percent of the originally 

specified seasonal apportionment in a 

particular area may be further 

apportioned to other statistical areas. 

Therefore, NMFS also is increasing the 

D season apportionment of pollock to 

Statistical Areas 610 and 630 based on 

the underharvest of pollock in 

Statistical Areas 620 of the GOA. These 

adjustments are described below. 

The D seasonal apportionment of the 

2017 pollock TAC in Statistical Area 

610 of the GOA is 19,569 metric tons 

(mt) as established by the final 2017 and 

2018 harvest specifications for 

groundfish of the GOA (82 FR 12032; 

February 27, 2017). In accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iv)(B), the Administrator, 

Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional 

Administrator), hereby increases the D 

season apportionment for Statistical 

Area 610 by 653 mt to account for the 

overharvest of the TAC in Statistical 

Area 610 and the underharvest of the 

TAC in Statistical Area 620 in the C 

season. This increase is in proportion to 

the estimated pollock biomass and is 

not greater than 20 percent of the D 

seasonal apportionment of the TAC in 

Statistical Area 610. Therefore, the 

revised D seasonal apportionment of the 

pollock TAC in Statistical Area 610 is 

20,222 mt (19,569 mt plus 653 mt). 

The D seasonal apportionment of the 

pollock TAC in Statistical Area 620 of 

the GOA is 12,341 mt as established by 

the final 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(82 FR 12032; February 27, 2017). In 

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

the Regional Administrator hereby 

increases the D seasonal apportionment 

for Statistical Area 620 by 2,468 mt to 

account for the underharvest of the TAC 

in Statistical Areas 620 in the C season. 

This increase is not greater than 20 

percent of the D seasonal apportionment 

of the TAC in Statistical Area 620. 

Therefore, the revised D seasonal 

apportionment of the pollock TAC in 

Statistical Area 620 is 14,809 mt (12,341 

mt plus 2,468 mt). 

The D seasonal apportionment of 

pollock TAC in Statistical Area 630 of 

the GOA is 15,886 mt as established by 

the final 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(82 FR 12032; February 27, 2017). In 

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

the Regional Administrator hereby 

increases the D seasonal apportionment 

for Statistical Area 630 by 2,435 mt to 

account for the underharvest of the TAC 

in Statistical Areas 620 and 630 in the 

C season. This increase is in proportion 

to the estimated pollock biomass and is 

not greater than 20 percent of the D 

seasonal apportionment of the TAC in 

Statistical Area 630. Therefore, the 

revised D seasonal apportionment of 

pollock TAC in Statistical Area 630 is 

18,321 mt (15,886 mt plus 2,435 mt). 

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 

provide opportunity to harvest 

increased pollock seasonal 

apportionments. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of October 1, 2017. 

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 5, 2017. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21970 Filed 10–6–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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