[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 58 (Monday, March 26, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 16409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7414]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 000211039-0039-01; I.D. 032001B]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in 
the West Yakutat District in the Gulf of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Modification of a closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in the West 
Yakutat District in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary 
to fully use the 2001 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time, March 21, 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 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 amount of the 2001 pollock TAC in the West Yakutat District of 
the GOA was established as 2,235 metric tons by the Final 2001 Harvest 
Specifications and Associated Management Measures for the Groundfish 
Fisheries Off Alaska (66 FR 7276, January 22, 2001).
    NMFS closed the directed fishery for pollock in the West Yakutat 
District of the GOA under Sec.  679.20(d)(1)(iii) on March 15, 2001 (66 
FR 15359, March 19, 2001).
    NMFS has determined that currently, approximately 500 mt remain in 
the directed fishing allowance. Therefore, NMFS is terminating the 
previous closure and is opening directed fishing for pollock in the 
West Yakutat District of the GOA.

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 allow 
full use of the pollock TAC 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 allow full use of the pollock TAC 
constitutes good cause to find that the effective date of this action 
cannot be delayed for 30 days. In addition, this action relieves a 
restriction on the harvest of pollock in the West Yakutat District of 
the Gulf of Alaska. Accordingly, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d), a delay in the 
effective date is hereby waived.
    This action is required by Sec.  679.20 and is exempt from review 
under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: March 21, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-7414 Filed 3-21-01; 2:49 pm]
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