9680 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 28 / Friday, February 9, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

Specifications and Associated

Management Measures for the

Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska (66 FR

7276, January 22, 2001).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the A season allowance

of the pollock TAC in Statistical Area

610 will soon be reached. Therefore, the

Regional Administrator is establishing a

directed fishing allowance of 6,707 mt,

and is setting aside the remaining 1,000

mt as bycatch to support other

anticipated groundfish fisheries. In

accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the

Regional Administrator finds that this

directed fishing allowance will soon be

reached. Consequently, NMFS is

prohibiting directed fishing for pollock

in Statistical Area 610 of the GOA.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

may be found in the regulations at

§ 679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

This action responds to the best

available information recently obtained

from the fishery. The Assistant

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA,

finds that the need to immediately

implement this action to prevent

exceeding the amount of the 2001 A

season pollock TAC specified for

Statistical Area 610 of the GOA

constitutes 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)(3)(B) and 50 CFR

679.20(b)(3)(iii)(A), as such procedures

would be unnecessary and contrary to

the public interest. Similarly the need to

implement these measures in a timely

fashion to prevent exceeding the 2001 A

season pollock TAC specified for

Statistical Area 610 of the GOA

constitutes good cause to find that the

effective date of this action cannot be

delayed for 30 days. Accordingly, under

5 U.S.C. 553(d), a delay in the effective

date is hereby waived.

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: February 5, 2001

Bruce C. Morehead

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–3369 Filed 2–6–01; 2:52 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 010112013-1013-01; I.D.

012201D]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Atka Mackerel in the

Eastern Aleutian District and Bering

Sea Subarea of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for Atka mackerel with gears

other than jig in the Eastern Aleutian

District and the Bering Sea subarea of

the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to prevent exceeding the A

season allowance of the 2001 total

allowable catch (TAC) of Atka mackerel

in these areas.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 6, 2001, until

1200 hrs, A.l.t., September 1, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew Smoker, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS

manages the groundfish fishery in the

BSAI exclusive economic zone

according to the Fishery Management

Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands 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

at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50

CFR part 679.

The A season allowance of Atka

mackerel TAC for non-jig gear in the

Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering

Sea subarea was specified as 3,572

metric tons (mt) (66 FR 7327, January 22

2001). See § 679.20(a)(8)(ii).

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the A season allowance

of TAC for non-jig gear Atka mackerel

in the Eastern Aleutian District and the

Bering Sea subarea will be reached.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

establishing a directed fishing

allowance of 3,372 mt, and is setting

aside the remaining 200 mt as bycatch

to support other anticipated groundfish

fisheries. In accordance with

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional

Administrator finds that this directed

fishing allowance soon will be reached.

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting

directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the

Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering

Sea subarea of the BSAI.

Maximum retainable bycatch amounts

may be found in the regulations at

§ 679.20(e) and (f).

Classification

This action responds to the Initial

TAC limitations and other restrictions

on the fisheries established in the 2001

Harvest Specifications for Groundfish

for the BSAI. Pursuant to 5 USC

553(b)(3)(B), the Acting Assistant

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA,

finds good cause exists to waive the

prior notice and opportunity for public

comment as such procedures are

unnecessary and contrary to public

interest. This action must be

implemented immediately to prevent

overharvesting the A season allowance

of the 2001 TAC of Atka mackerel in the

Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering

Sea subarea of the BSAI. Similarly good

cause exists to waive the delay in the

effective date as it would only result in

overharvest. NMFS finds for good cause

that the implementation of this action

should not be delayed for 30 days.

Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a

delay in the effective date is hereby

waived.

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: February 5, 2001.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–3368 Filed 2–6–01; 2:52 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-S