Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment to the 2009 Bering Sea Pollock Total Allowable Catch Amount, 38-40 [E8-31224]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 2009 / Rules and Regulations
rmajette on PRODPC74 with RULES
reviewed information regarding stock
status. This stock status information was
not available when the Council
deliberated 2009 TAL options in
August, nor was the information
available when NMFS published the
proposed rule in October. The DPWG
concluded its work in early December.
As previously stated in the preamble,
when final DPWG reports regarding
stock are available in early 2009, NMFS
may take additional action to modify the
2009 scup specifications implemented
by this final rule. The Alternative 1 TAL
for summer flounder is sufficiently riskaverse, providing a high probability that
the rebuilding F rate and an even higher
probability that the overfishing
threshold (F35 percent ) will not be
exceeded in 2009. Given the regulatory
and statutory requirements, Alternative
1 minimizes, to the extent practicable,
the economic impacts on small entities
that participate in the summer flounder
fishery. The black sea bass quota in
Alternative 1 was selected because it is
consistent with the TAL calculation
methodology of the rebuilding plan and
results in a measure that will adequately
constrain harvest in 2009, and provide
continued rebuilding of the overfished
stock. The scup TAL contained in
Alternative 3 provides the maximum
harvest level analyzed by the Council
and is consistent with the revised stock
status information verbally endorsed for
management advice by the DPWG peer
review panel. In addition, the scup
Alternative 3 TAL remains consistent
with F rate contained in the
Amendment 14 scup rebuilding plan,
which remains effective until formal
advice is conveyed in the final DPWG
reports.
The revenue decreases associated
with the RSA program are expected to
be minimal, and are expected to yield
important benefits associated with
improved fisheries data. It should also
be noted that fish harvested under the
RSA program would be sold, and the
profits would be used to offset the costs
of research. As such, total gross
revenues to the industry will not
decrease substantially, if at all, as a
result of this final rule authorizing RSA
for 2009.
Small Entity Compliance Guide
Section 212 of the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996 states that, for each rule or group
of related rules for which an agency is
required to prepare a FRFA, the agency
shall publish one or more guides to
assist small entities in complying with
the rule, and shall designate such
publications as ‘‘small entity
compliance guides.’’ The agency shall
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:01 Dec 31, 2008
Jkt 217001
explain the actions a small entity is
required to take to comply with a rule
or group of rules. As part of this
rulemaking process, a small entity
compliance guide will be sent to all
holders of Federal permits issued for the
summer flounder, scup, and black sea
bass fisheries. In addition, copies of this
final rule and guide (i.e., permit holder
letter) are available from NMFS (see
ADDRESSES) and at the following Web
site: https://www.nero.noaa.gov.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 24, 2008.
John Oliver,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Operations, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. E8–31236 Filed 12–31–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 071106673–8011–02]
RIN 0648–XM47
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment
to the 2009 Bering Sea Pollock Total
Allowable Catch Amount
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason
adjustment; request for comments.
SUMMARY: NMFS is adjusting the 2009
total allowable catch amount (TAC) for
the Bering Sea pollock fishery. This
action is necessary because NMFS has
determined this TAC is incorrectly
specified. This action will ensure the
Bering Sea pollock TAC does not exceed
the appropriate amount based on the
best available scientific information for
pollock in the Bering Sea subarea. This
action is consistent with the goals and
objectives of the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands Management Area
(FMP).
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local
time (A.l.t.), December 29, 2008,
through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31,
2009, unless otherwise modified or
superceded through publication of a
notification in the Federal Register.
Comments must be received at the
following address no later than 4:30
p.m., A.l.t., December 29, 2008.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4700
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ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue
Salveson, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian. You may submit
comments, identified by ‘‘RIN 0648–
XM47,’’ by any one of the following
methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal eRulemaking Portal website at
https://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 https://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
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:
Mary Furuness, 907–586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI)
according to the FMP prepared by the
North Pacific Fishery Management
Council (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 2009 pollock TAC in the Bering
Sea subarea was set at 1,000,000 metric
tons (mt) by the 2008 and 2009 harvest
specification for groundfish in the BSAI
(73 FR 10160, February 26, 2008).
In December 2008, the Council
recommended a 2009 pollock TAC of
815,000 mt for the Bering Sea subarea.
This amount is less than the 1,000,000
mt established by the final 2008 and
2009 harvest specification for
groundfish in the BSAI (73 FR 10160,
February 26, 2008). The TAC
recommended by the Council is based
on the Stock Assessment and Fishery
Evaluation report (SAFE), dated
November 2008, which NMFS has
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 2009 / Rules and Regulations
determined is the best available
scientific information for this fishery.
Steller sea lions occur in the same
location as the pollock fishery and are
listed as endangered under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA). Pollock
is a principal prey species for Steller sea
lions in the BSAI. The seasonal
apportionment of pollock harvest is
necessary to ensure the groundfish
fisheries are not likely to cause jeopardy
of extinction or adverse modification of
critical habitat for Steller sea lions. The
regulations at § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) specify
how the pollock TAC shall be
apportioned.
In accordance with
§ 679.25(a)(2)(i)(B), the Administrator,
Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional
Administrator), has determined that,
based on the November 2008 SAFE
report for this fishery, the current Bering
Sea pollock TAC is incorrectly
specified. Consequently, the Regional
Administrator is adjusting the 2009
pollock TAC to 815,000 mt in the Bering
Sea subarea.
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5), Table 3 of
the final 2008 and 2009 harvest
specifications for groundfish in the
BSAI (73 FR 10160, February 26, 2008)
is revised for the 2009 pollock TACs
consistent with this adjustment.
TABLE 3—2008 AND 2009 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND
TO THE CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA)1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Area and sector
Bering Sea subarea
CDQ DFA
ICA1
AFA Inshore
AFA Catcher/Processors3
Catch by C/Ps
Catch by CVs3
Unlisted C/P Limit4
AFA Motherships
Excessive Harvesting Limit5
Excessive Processing Limit6
Total Bering Sea DFA
Aleutian Islands subarea1
CDQ DFA
ICA
Aleut Corporation
2008
Allocations
2008
A season1
A season
DFA
2008
B season1
SCA harvest limit2
B season
DFA
2009
Allocations
2009
A season1
A season
DFA
2009
B season1
SCA harvest limit2
B season
DFA
1,000,000
100,000
31,500
434,250
347,400
317,871
29,529
1,737
86,850
151,988
260,550
868,500
n/a
40,000
n/a
173,700
138,960
127,148
11,812
695
34,740
n/a
n/a
347,400
n/a
28,000
n/a
121,590
97,272
n/a
n/a
n/a
24,318
n/a
n/a
243,180
n/a
60,000
n/a
260,550
208,440
190,723
17,717
1,042
52,110
n/a
n/a
521,099
815,000
81,500
25,673
353,914
283,131
259,065
24,066
1,416
70,783
123,870
212,348
707,829
n/a
32,600
n/a
141,566
113,252
103,626
9,626
566
28,313
n/a
n/a
283,130
n/a
22,820
n/a
99,096
79,277
n/a
n/a
n/a
19,819
n/a
n/a
198,192
n/a
48,900
n/a
212,348
169,879
155,439
14,440
849
42,470
n/a
n/a
424,697
19,000
1,900
1,600
15,500
n/a
760
800
15,500
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
1,140
800
0
19,000
1,900
1,600
15,500
n/a
760
800
15,500
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
1,140
800
0
10
n/a
n/a
n/a
10
n/a
n/a
n/a
Bogoslof District ICA7
1Pursuant
to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock, after subtraction for the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and the ICA (3.5 percent), is
allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore sector – 50 percent, catcher/processor sector (C/P) – 40 percent, and mothership sector – 10 percent. In
the Bering Sea subarea, 40 percent of the DFA is allocated to the A season (January 20–June 10) and 60 percent of the DFA is allocated to the
B season (June 10–November 1). Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second the ICA (1,600 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI
subarea, the A season is allocated 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the remainder of the directed pollock fishery.
2In the Bering Sea subarea, no more than 28 percent of each sector’s annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before April 1. The remaining
12 percent of the annual DFA allocated to the A season may be taken outside of SCA before April 1 or inside the SCA after April 1. If less than
28 percent of the annual DFA is taken inside the SCA before April 1, the remainder will be available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1.
3Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/processors shall be available for harvest
only by eligible catcher vessels delivering to listed catcher/processors.
4Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the catcher/
processors sector’s allocation of pollock.
5Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the non–CDQ
pollock DFAs.
6Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the non–CDQ
pollock DFAs.
7The Bogoslof District is closed by the final harvest specifications to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for ICA only and
are not apportioned by season or sector.
rmajette on PRODPC74 with RULES
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 requirement is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest. This requirement is
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:01 Dec 31, 2008
Jkt 217001
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
allow for harvests that exceed the
appropriate allocations for pollock
based on the best scientific information
available. NMFS was unable to publish
a notice providing time for public
comment because the most recent,
relevant data only became available as
of December 19, 2007, and additional
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
time for prior public comment would
result in conservation concerns for the
ESA–listed Steller sea lions.
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.
Under § 679.25(c)(2), interested
persons are invited to submit written
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02JAR1
40
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 1 / Friday, January 2, 2009 / Rules and Regulations
comments on this action to the above
address until January 13, 2008.
This action is required by § 679.22
and § 679.25 and is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 24, 2008.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–31224 Filed 12–29–08; 4:15 pm]
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BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
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14:01 Dec 31, 2008
Jkt 217001
PO 00000
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Fmt 4700
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 38-40]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31224]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 071106673-8011-02]
RIN 0648-XM47
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Inseason
Adjustment to the 2009 Bering Sea Pollock Total Allowable Catch Amount
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS is adjusting the 2009 total allowable catch amount (TAC)
for the Bering Sea pollock fishery. This action is necessary because
NMFS has determined this TAC is incorrectly specified. This action will
ensure the Bering Sea pollock TAC does not exceed the appropriate
amount based on the best available scientific information for pollock
in the Bering Sea subarea. This action is consistent with the goals and
objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering
Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP).
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), December 29,
2008, through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2009, unless otherwise
modified or superceded through publication of a notification in the
Federal Register.
Comments must be received at the following address no later than
4:30 p.m., A.l.t., December 29, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue Salveson, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Alaska Region, NMFS,
Attn: Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, identified by ``RIN
0648-XM47,'' by any one of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at https://
www.regulations.gov.
Mail: P. O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802.
Fax: (907) 586-7557.
Hand delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9\th\
Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK.
All comments received are a part of the public record and will
generally be posted to https://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
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: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) according to the FMP prepared by
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (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 2009 pollock TAC in the Bering Sea subarea was set at 1,000,000
metric tons (mt) by the 2008 and 2009 harvest specification for
groundfish in the BSAI (73 FR 10160, February 26, 2008).
In December 2008, the Council recommended a 2009 pollock TAC of
815,000 mt for the Bering Sea subarea. This amount is less than the
1,000,000 mt established by the final 2008 and 2009 harvest
specification for groundfish in the BSAI (73 FR 10160, February 26,
2008). The TAC recommended by the Council is based on the Stock
Assessment and Fishery Evaluation report (SAFE), dated November 2008,
which NMFS has
[[Page 39]]
determined is the best available scientific information for this
fishery.
Steller sea lions occur in the same location as the pollock fishery
and are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Pollock is a principal prey species for Steller sea lions in the BSAI.
The seasonal apportionment of pollock harvest is necessary to ensure
the groundfish fisheries are not likely to cause jeopardy of extinction
or adverse modification of critical habitat for Steller sea lions. The
regulations at Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) specify how the pollock TAC
shall be apportioned.
In accordance with Sec. 679.25(a)(2)(i)(B), the Administrator,
Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), has determined that,
based on the November 2008 SAFE report for this fishery, the current
Bering Sea pollock TAC is incorrectly specified. Consequently, the
Regional Administrator is adjusting the 2009 pollock TAC to 815,000 mt
in the Bering Sea subarea.
Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5), Table 3 of the final 2008 and 2009
harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (73 FR 10160,
February 26, 2008) is revised for the 2009 pollock TACs consistent with
this adjustment.
TABLE 3--2008 AND 2009 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO THE CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA)\1\
[Amounts are in metric tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2008 A season\1\ 2008 B 2009 A season\1\ 2009 B
2008 ---------------------------- season\1\ 2009 ---------------------------- season\1\
Area and sector Allocations A season SCA harvest ---------------- Allocations A season SCA harvest --------------
DFA limit\2\ B season DFA DFA limit\2\ B season DFA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea subarea 1,000,000 n/a n/a n/a 815,000 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA 100,000 40,000 28,000 60,000 81,500 32,600 22,820 48,900
ICA\1\ 31,500 n/a n/a n/a 25,673 n/a n/a n/a
AFA Inshore 434,250 173,700 121,590 260,550 353,914 141,566 99,096 212,348
AFA Catcher/Processors\3\ 347,400 138,960 97,272 208,440 283,131 113,252 79,277 169,879
Catch by C/Ps 317,871 127,148 n/a 190,723 259,065 103,626 n/a 155,439
Catch by CVs\3\ 29,529 11,812 n/a 17,717 24,066 9,626 n/a 14,440
Unlisted C/P Limit\4\ 1,737 695 n/a 1,042 1,416 566 n/a 849
AFA Motherships 86,850 34,740 24,318 52,110 70,783 28,313 19,819 42,470
Excessive Harvesting 151,988 n/a n/a n/a 123,870 n/a n/a n/a
Limit\5\
Excessive Processing 260,550 n/a n/a n/a 212,348 n/a n/a n/a
Limit\6\
Total Bering Sea DFA 868,500 347,400 243,180 521,099 707,829 283,130 198,192 424,697
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aleutian Islands subarea\1\ 19,000 n/a n/a n/a 19,000 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA 1,900 760 n/a 1,140 1,900 760 n/a 1,140
ICA 1,600 800 n/a 800 1,600 800 n/a 800
Aleut Corporation 15,500 15,500 n/a 0 15,500 15,500 n/a 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bogoslof District ICA\7\ 10 n/a n/a n/a 10 n/a n/a n/a
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock, after subtraction for the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and the ICA (3.5 percent), is
allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore sector - 50 percent, catcher/processor sector (C/P) - 40 percent, and mothership sector - 10 percent. In the
Bering Sea subarea, 40 percent of the DFA is allocated to the A season (January 20-June 10) and 60 percent of the DFA is allocated to the B season
(June 10-November 1). Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed
fishing allowance (10 percent) and second the ICA (1,600 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI subarea,
the A season is allocated 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the remainder of the directed pollock fishery.
\2\In the Bering Sea subarea, no more than 28 percent of each sector's annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before April 1. The remaining 12 percent of
the annual DFA allocated to the A season may be taken outside of SCA before April 1 or inside the SCA after April 1. If less than 28 percent of the
annual DFA is taken inside the SCA before April 1, the remainder will be available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1.
\3\Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/processors shall be available for harvest
only by eligible catcher vessels delivering to listed catcher/processors.
\4\Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the catcher/
processors sector's allocation of pollock.
\5\Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ
pollock DFAs.
\6\Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ
pollock DFAs.
\7\The Bogoslof District is closed by the final harvest specifications to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for ICA only and are
not apportioned by season or 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 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 allow for harvests that exceed the appropriate allocations for
pollock based on the best scientific information available. NMFS was
unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because
the most recent, relevant data only became available as of December 19,
2007, and additional time for prior public comment would result in
conservation concerns for the ESA-listed Steller sea lions.
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.
Under Sec. 679.25(c)(2), interested persons are invited to submit
written
[[Page 40]]
comments on this action to the above address until January 13, 2008.
This action is required by Sec. 679.22 and Sec. 679.25 and is
exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 24, 2008.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-31224 Filed 12-29-08; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
