12912 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 41 / Thursday, March 1, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

allowed to be landed within a 24-hour

period (calendar day).

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 01–4973 Filed 2–26–01; 4:00 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.

022601B]

Fisheries of the Economic Exclusive

Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Fisheries

by Vessels Using Hook-and-Line Gear

in the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed

fishing for groundfish by vessels using

hook-and-line gear in the Gulf of Alaska

(GOA), except for sablefish or demersal

shelf rockfish. This action is necessary

because the first seasonal bycatch

mortality allowance of Pacific halibut

apportioned to hook-and-line gear

targeting groundfish other than sablefish

or demersal shelf rockfish in the GOA

has been caught.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local

time (A.l.t.), February 26, 2000, until

1200 hrs, A.l.t., May 17, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Furuness, 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

under authority of the MagnusonStevens 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 Pacific halibut bycatch mortality

allowance for groundfish included in

the other hook-and-line fishery, which

is defined at § 679.21(d)(4)(iii)(C), was

established by the Final 2001 Harvest

Specifications and Associated

Management Measures for the

Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska (66 FR

7276, January 22, 2001) for the first

season, the period January 1, 2001,

through May 17, 2001, as 175 metric

tons. The other hook-and-line fishery

includes all groundfish except sablefish

or demersal shelf rockfish.

In accordance with § 679.21(d)(7)(ii),

the Administrator, Alaska Region,

NMFS (Regional Administrator), has

determined that the first seasonal

apportionment of the 2001 Pacific

halibut bycatch mortality allowance

specified for the hook-and-line

groundfish fisheries other than sablefish

or demersal shelf rockfish in the GOA

has been caught. Consequently, NMFS

is prohibiting directed fishing for

groundfish other than sablefish or

demersal shelf rockfish by vessels using

hook-and-line gear in 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 because the first

seasonal bycatch mortality allowance of

Pacific halibut apportioned to hook-andline gear in the GOA has been caught

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 because the first seasonal

bycatch mortality allowance of Pacific

halibut apportioned to hook-and-line

gear in the GOA has been caught

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 26, 2001.

Dean Swanson,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–5001 Filed 2–26–01; 4:40 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S