Rule2024-09042
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska; Final 2024 and 2025 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish; 2024 Rockfish Program Cooperative Allocations
Primary source
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Published
April 29, 2024
Effective
May 1, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is providing notification for the Rockfish Program cooperative allocations as described in the final rule that published on March 4, 2024, implementing the final 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications and prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). These allocations are necessary to provide the Rockfish Program cooperative amounts for 2024, thus allowing commercial fishermen to maximize their economic opportunities in this fishery. This notification comports with the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the GOA (GOA FMP).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 83 (Monday, April 29, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 83 (Monday, April 29, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 33284-33287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09042]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 240227-0061; RTID 0648-XD879]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Gulf of
Alaska; Final 2024 and 2025 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish; 2024
Rockfish Program Cooperative Allocations
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is providing notification for the Rockfish Program
cooperative allocations as described in the final rule that published
on March 4, 2024, implementing the final 2024 and 2025 harvest
specifications and prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish
fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). These allocations are necessary to
provide the Rockfish Program cooperative amounts for 2024, thus
allowing commercial fishermen to
[[Page 33285]]
maximize their economic opportunities in this fishery. This
notification comports with the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for
Groundfish of the GOA (GOA FMP).
DATES: Effective 1,200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), May 1, 2024,
through 1,200 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Abby Jahn, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the
GOA exclusive economic zone according to the FMP prepared by the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council under authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 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 parts 679 and
680.
As described in the final 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications for
groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska, allocations among vessels belonging
to catcher vessel (CV) cooperatives or catcher/processor (CP)
cooperatives are not included in the final harvest specifications
(March 4, 2024, 89 FR 15484). Rockfish Program applications for CV
cooperatives and CP cooperatives are not due to NMFS until March 1 of
each calendar year; therefore, NMFS cannot calculate 2024 and 2025
allocations in conjunction with the final harvest specifications (Sec.
679.81(f)). NMFS has received the 2024 Rockfish Program applications
and has calculated the 2024 allocations for CV cooperatives and CP
cooperatives, as set forth in Sec. 679.81(b), (c), and (e). NMFS is
listing the 2024 allocations in table 1.
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Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. Through previous actions, the FMP and regulations are
designed to authorize NMFS to take this action. See 50 CFR part 679.
This action is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, 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 unnecessary and contrary to the
public interest. This notification provides information on the 2024
Rockfish Program cooperative allocations, and does not change operating
practices in the fisheries. This notification is consistent with the
harvest specifications recommended by the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council in December 2023 and implemented by NMFS in the
final rule for the 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications (89 FR 15484,
March 4, 2024). Those harvest specifications specify the final total
allowable catch (TAC) limits from which NMFS calculates the Rockfish
Program cooperative allocations based on existing regulations, which
were implemented through prior notice and comment rulemaking (Sec.
679.81(b), (c), and (e)). The public was provided with notice and
opportunity to comment during the public comment period for the
proposed harvest specifications (88 FR 85184, December 7, 2023) and has
had notice of the final harvest specifications implementing the final
TAC limits (89 FR 15484, March 4, 2024). Because the public already had
a meaningful opportunity to comment on the TAC limits from which these
allocations are derived, further opportunity for public comment is
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unnecessary and would not be meaningful.
This notification announces the Rockfish Program cooperative
allocations based on applications received after the publication of the
2024 and 2025 harvest specifications. If this notification is delayed
to allow for notice and comment it could also result in confusion for
participants in the Rockfish Program given that the final rule
implementing the 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications is effective and
the Rockfish Program fishery opens May 1, 2024. Therefore, the
Assistant Administrator finds good cause to waive the requirement to
provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment. For the
reasons above, the Assistant Administrator also finds good cause under
5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in effective date and make
this rule effective immediately upon publication.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 23, 2024.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-09042 Filed 4-26-24; 8:45 am]
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 29, 2024.
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