Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, 2558 [2022-00739]

Download as PDF 2558 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 18, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 2021 commercial quotas for Massachusetts and Connecticut. DATES: Effective January 12, 2022. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Deighan, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281–9184. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.100 through 648.110. These regulations require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned among the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina. The process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to each state is described in § 648.102 and final 2021 allocations were published on December 21, 2020 (85 FR 82946). The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP), as published in the Federal Register on December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a mechanism for transferring summer flounder commercial quota from one state to another. Two or more states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, can transfer or combine summer flounder commercial quota under § 648.102(c)(2). The Regional Administrator is required to consider three criteria in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or combinations: The transfer or combinations would not preclude the overall annual quota from being fully harvested; the transfer addresses an unforeseen variation or contingency in the fishery; and the transfer is consistent with the objectives of the FMP and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Regional Administrator has determined these three criteria have been met for the transfer approved in this notification. Massachusetts is transferring 40,000 lb (18,144 kg) to Connecticut through mutual agreement of the states. This transfer was requested to ensure Connecticut would not exceed its 2021 quota. The revised summer flounder quotas for 2021 are: Massachusetts, 985,159 lb (446,861 kg) and Connecticut, 709,376 lb (321,768 kg). Given the timing of the states’ request, we were unable to process the transfer before the December 31 end of the 2021 fishing year. The retroactively adjusted quotas will be used to calculate overages for the 2021 fishing year and adjust, as needed, 2022 summer flounder quotas. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:23 Jan 14, 2022 Jkt 256001 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 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. In accordance with § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(1), this action is necessary because the State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game did not established a guideline harvest level fishery for red king crab in the Bristol Bay area for the 2021/2022 fishing year. Consequently, the Regional Administrator is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish by vessels using nonpelagic trawl gear in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea of the BSAI. While this closure is effective the maximum retainable amounts at § 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time during a trip. 50 CFR Part 679 Classification [Docket No. 210217–0022; RTID 0648– XB722] NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 679, which was issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and comment would be 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 directed fishing closure of groundfish by vessels using nonpelagic trawl gear in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea of the BSAI. NMFS was unable to publish a notification providing time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became available as of January 1, 2022. The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 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. Classification NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 648.162(e)(1)(i) through (iii), which was issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempted from review under Executive Order 12866. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: January 11, 2022. Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2022–00738 Filed 1–12–22; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. AGENCY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish by vessels using nonpelagic trawl gear in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game did not established a guideline harvest level fishery for red king crab in the Bristol Bay area for the 2021/2022 fishing year. DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), January 20, 2022, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2022. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907–586–7447. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the BSAI 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 SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 9990 Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: January 11, 2022. Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2022–00739 Filed 1–14–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P E:\FR\FM\18JAR1.SGM 18JAR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 2558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00739]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 210217-0022; RTID 0648-XB722]


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish 
in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands Management Area

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish by vessels 
using nonpelagic trawl gear in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea of the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is 
necessary because the State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game did 
not established a guideline harvest level fishery for red king crab in 
the Bristol Bay area for the 2021/2022 fishing year.

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), January 20, 
2022, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7447.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the 
BSAI 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.
    In accordance with Sec.  679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(1), this action is 
necessary because the State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game did 
not established a guideline harvest level fishery for red king crab in 
the Bristol Bay area for the 2021/2022 fishing year. Consequently, the 
Regional Administrator is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish 
by vessels using nonpelagic trawl gear in the Red King Crab Savings 
Subarea of the BSAI.
    While this closure is effective the maximum retainable amounts at 
Sec.  679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time during a trip.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 679, which was 
issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under 
Executive Order 12866.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice 
and comment would be 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 directed fishing closure 
of groundfish by vessels using nonpelagic trawl gear in the Red King 
Crab Savings Subarea of the BSAI. NMFS was unable to publish a 
notification providing time for public comment because the most recent, 
relevant data only became available as of January 1, 2022.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 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.

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

    Dated: January 11, 2022.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-00739 Filed 1-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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