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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
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October 13, 2020; 68.7 mt from the Reserve category effective October 26, 2020 85 FR 68798, October 30, 2020;
and 19.5 mt from the Reserve category effective December 1, 2020 85 FR
75918, November 27, 2020.
NMFS anticipates that General category participants in all areas and time periods will have opportunities to harvest the General category quota in 2021, through active inseason management measures, such as retention limit adjustments and/or the timing of quota transfers 635.27a8viii. Thus, this quota transfer would allow fishermen to take advantage of the availability of fish on the fishing grounds, taking into consideration the expected increases in available 2021 quota from carryforward later in the year, and provide a reasonable opportunity to harvest the full U.S. BFT quota, without precluding vessels in another area from having a reasonable opportunity to harvest a portion of the categorys quota.
Based on the considerations above, NMFS is transferring 26 mt from the adjusted Reserve category to the General category for the January 2021 fishery, resulting in a subquota of 75 mt for the January 2021 fishery and 168 mt in the Reserve category.
Monitoring and Reporting NMFS will continue to monitor the BFT fishery closely. Dealers are required to submit landings reports within 24
hours of a dealer receiving BFT. Late reporting by dealers compromises NMFS ability to timely implement actions such as quota and retention limit adjustment, as well as closures, and may result in enforcement actions.
Additionally, and separate from the dealer reporting requirement, General and HMS Charter/Headboat category vessel owners are required to report the catch of all BFT retained or discarded dead within 24 hours of the landings or end of each trip, by accessing hmspermits.noaa.gov or by using the HMS Catch Reporting app, or calling 888 8728862 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m..
Depending on the level of fishing effort and catch rates of BFT, NMFS
may determine that additional action e.g., quota adjustment, daily retention limit adjustment, or closure is necessary to ensure available subquotas are not exceeded or to enhance scientific data collection from, and fishing opportunities in, all geographic areas. If needed, subsequent adjustments will be published in the Federal Register. As needed, NMFS will close the General category fishery when the adjusted January 2021 period
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subquota has been reached. Even if the adjusted subquota is not reached, the General category fishery will close automatically on March 31, 2021, and will remain closed until it reopens on June 1, 2021. Fishermen may call the Atlantic Tunas Information Line at 978
2819260, or access hmspermits.noaa.gov, for updates on quota monitoring and inseason adjustments.
Classification NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305d of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This action is consistent with regulations at 50 CFR part 635, which were issued pursuant to section 304c of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
The Assistant Administrator for NMFS AA finds that it is impracticable and contrary to the public interest to provide prior notice of and an opportunity for public comment on, the transfer from the Reserve category to the General category for the following reasons:
The regulations implementing the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and amendments provide for inseason quota transfers to respond to the unpredictable nature of BFT availability on the fishing grounds, the migratory nature of this species, and the regional variations in the BFT fishery. These fisheries are currently underway and the fishery would be closed absent the additional quota. Affording prior notice and opportunity for public comment to implement the quota transfer is impracticable and contrary to the public interest as such a delay would result in exceedance of the General category January 2021 subquota or earlier closure of the fishery while fish are available on the fishing grounds. This action does not raise conservation and management concerns. Transferring quota from the Reserve category to the General category does not affect the overall U.S. BFT
quota, and available data shows the adjustment would have a minimal risk of exceeding the ICCAT-allocated quota.
NMFS notes that the public had an opportunity to comment on the underlying rulemakings that established the U.S. BFT quota, measures to reallocate quota, and the inseason adjustment criteria. For all of the above reasons, there is good cause under 5
U.S.C. 553d to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801
et seq.

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Dated: February 3, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
FR Doc. 202102513 Filed 2821; 8:45 am BILLING CODE 351022P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 679
Docket No. 2002210062; RTID 0648
XA782

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Less Than 50 Feet 15.2 Meters Length Overall Using Hook-and-Line Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA, Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
AGENCY:

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for catcher vessels less than 50
feet 15.2 meters m length overall using hook-and-line HAL gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska GOA. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2021 total allowable catch TAC of catcher vessels less than 50 feet 15.2 m length overall using HAL gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.
DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local time A.l.t., February 5, 2021, through 1200 hours, A.l.t., June 10, 2021.
SUMMARY:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Obren Davis, 9075867228.
NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the GOA exclusive economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska FMP prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council under authority of the MagnusonStevens 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 A season allowance of the 2021
Pacific cod TAC apportioned to catcher vessels less than 50 feet 15.2 m length overall using HAL gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA is 945
metric tons mt as established by the final 2020 and 2021 harvest
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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