Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 33 / Friday, February 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations 10637

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

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

020201A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Trawling in Steller

Sea Lion Protection Areas in the

Central Aleutian District of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands Management

Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting trawling

within Steller sea lion protection areas

in the Central Aleutian District of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to prevent exceeding the A

season critical habitat limit of the 2001

total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka

mackerel allocated to the Central

Aleutian District.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 13, 2001, until the

directed fishery for Atka mackerel

closes within the Central Aleutian

District, which will be published in the

Federal Register.

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

appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600

and 50 CFR part 679.

The 2001 A season apportionment of

TAC for Atka mackerel in the Central

Aleutian District is 15,540 metric tons

(mt), of which no more than 7,148 mt

may be harvested from Steller Sea lion

protection areas (66 FR 7276, January

22, 2001). See § 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) and

679.22(a)(12)(iii)(B).

In accordance with §

679.22(a)(12)(iii), the Administrator,

Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional

Administrator), has determined that the

allowable harvest of Atka mackerel in

the Steller Sea lion protection areas in

the Central Aleutian District has been

reached. Consequently, NMFS is

prohibiting trawling in selected rookery

and haul out sites, as defined at Table

21 to 50 CFR Part 679 in the Central

Aleutian District of the BSAI.

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 avoid jeopardy

to the continued existence of Steller sea

lions constitutes good cause to waive

the requirement to provide prior notice

opportunity for public comment

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5

USC 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 avoid jeopardy to the

continued existence of Steller sea lions

constitutes good cause to find that the

effective date of this action cannot be

delayed for 30 days.

This action is required by § 679.20

and 679.22 and is exempt from review

under Executive Order 12866.

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

Dated: February 12, 2001.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–3996 Filed 2–13–01; 3:20 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.

021301B]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Trawling in Steller

Sea Lion Protection Areas in the

Western Aleutian District of the Bering

Sea and Aleutian Islands Management

Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting trawling

within Steller sea lion protection areas

in the Western Aleutian District of the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to prevent exceeding the A

season critical habitat limit of the 2001

total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka

mackerel allocated to the Central

Aleutian District.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 13, 2001, until the

directed fishery for Atka mackerel

closes within the Western Aleutian

District, which will be published in the

Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew Smoker, 907-586-7228.