Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 36 / Thursday, February 22, 2001 / Rules and Regulations 11123

[FR Doc. 01–4492 Filed 2–20–01; 1:44 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22 –C

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

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

021601A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish by

Vessels Using Non-pelagic Trawl Gear

in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing directed

fishing for groundfish with non-pelagic

trawl gear in the red king crab savings

subarea (RKCSS) of the Bering Sea and

Aleutian Islands management area

(BSAI). This action is necessary to

prevent exceeding the amount of the

2001 red king crab bycatch limit

specified for the RKCSS.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 18, 2001, until

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

2001.

11124 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 36 / Thursday, February 22, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

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 CFR part 679.

The 2001 red king crab bycatch limit

for the RKCSS is 22,674 animals as

established by the Final 2001 Harvest

Specifications and Associated

Management Measures for the

Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska (66 FR

7276, January 22, 2001).

In accordance with §

679.21(e)(7)(ii)(B), the Administrator,

Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined

that the amount of the 2001 red king

crab bycatch limit specified for the

RKCSS will be caught. Consequently,

NMFS is closing the RKCSS to directed

fishing for groundfish with non-pelagic

trawl gear.

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 red

king crab bycatch limit specified for the

RKCSS 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 prevent exceeding the

amount of the 2001 red king crab

bycatch limit specified for the RKCSS

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 § 679.21

and is exempt from review under

Executive Order 12866.

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

Dated: February 16, 2001.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4411 Filed 2–16–01; 3:57 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S