[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 7, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 9501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02463]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 902

50 CFR Parts 300 and 679

[Docket No. 151001910-6999-02]
RIN 0648-BF42


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Allow the 
Use of Longline Pot Gear in the Gulf of Alaska Sablefish Individual 
Fishing Quota Fishery; Amendment 101; Correction

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

ACTION: Stay of final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: NMFS published a ``Stay of final rule'' on January 31, 2017--
in accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2017, from the 
Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled ``Regulatory 
Freeze Pending Review,'' published in the Federal Register on January 
24, 2017 (the Memorandum)--to delay the effective date of the final 
rule NMFS published on December 28, 2016. This notification corrects 
the effectiveness date from ``March 12, 2017'' to ``March 11, 2017.'' 
For consistency and clarity, the complete new DATES section has been 
set out below in its entirety.

DATES: Effective February 7, 2017, the final rule amending 15 CFR part 
902, and 50 CFR parts 300 and 679, that published on December 28, 2016, 
at 81 FR 95435, is stayed to March 11, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Baker, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On December 28, 2016, NMFS published this final rule to implement 
Amendment 101 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf 
of Alaska (GOA FMP) for the sablefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) 
fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This final rule authorizes the 
use of longline pot gear in the GOA sablefish IFQ fishery. In addition, 
this final rule establishes management measures to minimize potential 
conflicts between hook-and-line and longline pot gear used in the 
sablefish IFQ fisheries in the GOA. This final rule also includes 
regulations developed under the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 
(Halibut Act) to authorize harvest of halibut IFQ caught incidentally 
in longline pot gear used in the GOA sablefish IFQ fishery. This final 
rule is necessary to improve efficiency and provide economic benefits 
for the sablefish IFQ fleet and minimize potential fishery interactions 
with whales and seabirds. This action is intended to promote the goals 
and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, the Halibut Act, the GOA FMP, and other applicable 
laws.
    On January 20, 2017, the White House issued a memo instructing 
Federal agencies to temporarily postpone the effective date for 60 days 
after January 20, 2017, of any regulations or guidance documents that 
have published in the Federal Register but not yet taken effect, for 
the purpose of ``reviewing questions of fact, law, and policy they 
raise.'' Because its effective date has already passed, we enacted a 
stay of the rule published on December 28, 2016, at 81 FR 95435 (see 
DATES above) until March 12, 2017, in a ``Stay of final rule'' document 
published on January 31, 2017 (82 FR 8810).

Need for Correction

    After the ``Stay of final rule'' published on January 31, 2017, 
NMFS is correcting the effective date of ``March 12, 2017'' to ``March 
11, 2017'' to better align with current fisheries management goals. 
NMFS publishes this notification to correct the stay of effective date.

Corrections

    In the Federal Register of January 31, 2017, in FR Doc. 2017-02055, 
``March 12, 2017'' is corrected to read ``March 11, 2017'' in the 
following places:
    1. In the DATES section on page 8810 in the second column, which is 
also set out in its entirety above for clarity and consistency;
    2. On page 8810, third column, second paragraph, last sentence; and
    3. On page 8811, in the following amendatory instructions: 2, 4, 6, 
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.

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

    Dated: February 2, 2017.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-02463 Filed 2-6-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P