Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska: Atka Mackerel in Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area

Federal Register: October 9, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 195)

Rules and Regulations

Page 52152-52153

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr09oc09-16

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 679

Docket No. 0810141351-9087-02

RIN 0648-XS11

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Atka

Mackerel in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of a closure.

SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the

Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery. This action is necessary to fully use the 2009 total allowable catch (TAC) of Atka mackerel in these areas specified for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery.

DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), October 6, 2009, through 2400 hrs A.l.t., December 31, 2009. Comments must be received at the following address no later than 4:30 p.m., A.l.t.,

October 26, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS,

Attn: Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, identified by 0648-

XS11, by any one of the following methods:

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at http:// www.regulations.gov.

Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802.

Fax: (907) 586-7557.

Hand delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9th

Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK.

All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All

Personal Identifying Information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit

Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required

Page 52153

fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or

Adobe portable document file (pdf) formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7269.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the

BSAI exclusive economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management 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 50 CFR part 679.

NMFS closed the directed fishery for Atka mackerel by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery in the Eastern

Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea on September 10, 2009 (74

FR 46021, September 8, 2009).

NMFS has determined that approximately 470 mt of the 2009 Atka mackerel TAC for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea remain in the directed fishing allowance. Therefore, in accordance with

Sec. 679.25(a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i)(C), and (a)(2)(iii)(D), and to fully utilize the 2009 TAC of Atka mackerel in these areas specified for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery, NMFS is terminating the previous closure and is reopening directed fishing for

Atka mackerel by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., October 6, 2009, through 2400 hrs A.l.t.,

December 31, 2009. Pursuant to Sec. 679.25(b), the Regional

Administrator considered the following factors in reaching this decision: (1) the catch per unit of effort and the rate of harvest and,

(2) the economic impacts on fishing businesses affected in the BSAI trawl limited access sector.

Classification

This action responds to the best available information recently obtained from the fishery. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

NOAA, (AA) finds 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)(B) as such a requirement is impracticable and contrary to the public interest. This requirement is impracticable and contrary to the public interest as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries data in a timely fashion and would delay the opening of the Atka mackerel fishery in the Eastern

Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became available as of October 1, 2009. The AA also finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the effective date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This finding is based upon the reasons provided above for waiver of prior notice and opportunity for public comment.

Without this inseason adjustment, NMFS could not allow the fishery for Atka mackerel fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District and the

Bering Sea subarea for vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access fishery to be harvested in an expedient manner and in accordance with the regulatory schedule. Under Sec. 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are invited to submit written comments on this action to the above address until October 26, 2009.

This action is required by Sec. 679.20 and Sec. 679.25 and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.

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

Dated: October 5, 2009.

Emily H. Menashes,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

FR Doc. E9-24425 Filed 10-6-09; 4:15 pm

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