[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 15126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7646]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 011218304-1304-01; I.D. 032502E]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in 
Statistical Area 620 of the Gulf of Alaska

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

ACTION: Closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in 
Statistical Area 620 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 
necessary to prevent exceeding the B season allowance of the pollock 
total allowable catch (TAC) for Statistical Area 620 of the GOA.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 26, 2002, 
until 1200 hrs, A.l.t., August 25, 2002.

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.
    Within any fishing year, underage or overage of a seasonal 
allowance may be added to or subtracted from subsequent seasonal 
allowances in a manner to be determined by the Administrator, Alaska 
Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), provided that the sum of the 
revised seasonal allowances does not exceed 30 percent of the annual 
TAC apportionment for the Central and Western Regulatory Areas in the 
GOA (Sec.  679.20(a)(5)(ii)(C)). For 2002, 30 percent of the annual TAC 
for the Central and Western Regulatory Areas is 15,187 mt. For 2002, 
the Regional Administrator has determined that within each area for 
which a seasonal allowance is established, any overage or underage of 
harvest at the beginning of the next season(s) shall be subtracted from 
or added to the following season provided that the resulting sum of 
seasonal allowances in the Central and Western Regulatory Areas does 
not exceed 15,187 mt in any single season. The B season allowance of 
the pollock TAC in Statistical Area 620 of the GOA is 8,618 metric tons 
(mt) as established by an emergency rule implementing 2002 harvest 
specifications and associated management measures for the groundfish 
fisheries off Alaska (67 FR 956, January 8, 2002). The Regional 
Administrator hereby increases the B season pollock TAC by 2,291 mt. 
This amount is the portion of the A season pollock under harvest in 
Statistical Area 620 which provides for an aggregate B season allowance 
in the Central and Western Regulatory Areas that does not exceed 15,187 
mt. In accordance with Sec.  679.20(a)(5)(ii)(C), the B season 
allowance of pollock TAC in Statistical Area 620 is 10,909 mt.
    In accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Regional Administrator 
has determined that the B season allowance of the pollock TAC in 
Statistical Area 620 will soon be reached. Therefore, the Regional 
Administrator is establishing a directed fishing allowance of 10,809 
mt, and is setting aside the remaining 100 mt as bycatch to support 
other anticipated groundfish fisheries. In accordance with 
Sec. 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 620 of the 
GOA.
    Maximum retainable bycatch amounts may be found in the regulations 
at Sec.  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 2002 B season pollock TAC specified 
for Statistical Area 620 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 2002 B season 
pollock TAC specified for Statistical Area 620 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 Sec.  679.20 and is exempt from review 
under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: March 25, 2002.
John H. Dunnigan,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 02-7646 Filed 3-26-02; 3:19 pm]
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