Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 49143 

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 19, 2017. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–23026 Filed 10–19–17; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 665 

RIN 0648–XF156 

Pacific Island Pelagic Fisheries; 2017 

U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna 

Catch Limits for the Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Announcement of a valid 

specified fishing agreement. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces a valid 

specified fishing agreement that 

allocates up to 1,000 metric tons (t) of 

the 2017 bigeye tuna limit for the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands (CNMI) to identified U.S. 

longline fishing vessels. The agreement 

supports the long-term sustainability of 

fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific 

Islands, and fisheries development in 

the CNMI. 

DATES: October 23, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: NMFS prepared 

environmental analyses that describe 

the potential impacts on the human 

environment that would result from the 

action. Copies of those analyses, 

identified by NOAA–NMFS–2017–0004, 

are available from www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2017- 

0004, or from Michael D. Tosatto, 

Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific 

Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd., 

Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818. 

Copies of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan 

for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western 

Pacific Region (Pelagic FEP) are 

available from the Western Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council), 

1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, 

HI 96813, tel 808–522–8220, fax 808– 

522–8226, or www.wpcouncil.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jarad Makaiau, NMFS PIRO Sustainable 

Fisheries, 808–725–5176. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a final 

rule published on October 13, 2017, 

NMFS specified a 2017 limit of 2,000 t 

of longline-caught bigeye tuna for the 

U.S. Pacific Island territories of 

American Samoa, Guam and the CNMI 

(82 FR 47642). Of the 2,000 t limit, 

NMFS allows each territory to allocate 

up to 1,000 t to U.S. longline fishing 

vessels identified in a valid specified 

fishing agreement. 

On October 6, 2017, NMFS received 

from the Council a specified fishing 

agreement between the CNMI and Quota 

Management, Inc. (QMI). In the 

transmittal memorandum, the Council’s 

Executive Director advised that the 

specified fishing agreement was 

consistent with the criteria set forth in 

50 CFR 665.819(c)(1). On October 10, 

2017, NMFS reviewed the agreement 

and determined that it is consistent with 

the Pelagic FEP, the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, implementing regulations, and 

other applicable laws. 

In accordance with 50 CFR 300.224(d) 

and 50 CFR 665.819(c)(9), vessels 

identified in the agreement may retain 

and land bigeye tuna in the western and 

central Pacific Ocean under the CNMI 

limit. NMFS began attributing bigeye 

tuna caught by vessels identified in the 

agreement to the CNMI starting on 

October 10, 2017. If NMFS determines 

that the fishery will reach the 

attribution limit of 1,000 t, we will 

restrict the retention of bigeye tuna 

caught by vessels identified in the 

agreement, unless the vessels are 

included in a subsequent specified 

fishing agreement with another U.S. 

territory. 

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

Dated: October 19, 2017. 

Alan D. Risenhoover, 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–23028 Filed 10–23–17; 8:45 am] 

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