Notices. Temporary rule; opening

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BILLING CODE 3510-22-P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 679 [Docket No. 141021887-5172-02] RIN 0648-XD587 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; 2015 and 2016 Harvest Specifications for Groundfish Correction In rule document 2015-05041 beginning on page 11919 in the issue of Thursday, March 5, 2015, make the following correction(s): On page 11921, Table 1 should read: Table 1-Final 2015 Overfishing Level (OFL), Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Initial Tac (ITAC), and CDQ Reserve Allocation of Groundfish in the BSAI 1 [Amounts are in metric tons] Species Area 2015 OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3 Pollock 4 BS 3,330,000 1,637,000 1,310,000 1,179,000 131,000 AI 36,005 29,659 19,000 17,100 1,900 Bogoslof 21,200 15,900 100 100 0 Pacific cod 5 BS 346,000 255,000 240,000 214,320 25,680 AI 23,400 17,600 9,422 8,414 1,008 Sablefish BS 1,575 1,333 1,333 567 183 AI 2,128 1,802 1,802 383 304 Yellowfin sole BSAI 266,400 248,800 149,000 133,057 15,943 Greenland turbot BSAI 3,903 3,172 2,648 2,251 n/a BS n/a 2,448 2,448 2,081 262 AI n/a 724 200 170 0 Arrowtooth flounder BSAI 93,856 80,547 22,000 18,700 2,354 Kamchatka flounder BSAI 10,500 9,000 6,500 5,525 0 Rock sole BSAI 187,600 181,700 69,250 61,840 7,410 Flathead sole 6 BSAI 79,419 66,130 24,250 21,655 2,595 Alaska plaice BSAI 54,000 44,900 18,500 15,725 0 Other flatfish 7 BSAI 17,700 13,250 3,620 3,077 0 Pacific ocean perch BSAI 42,558 34,988 32,021 28,250 n/a BS n/a 8,771 8,021 6,818 0 EAI n/a 8,312 8,000 7,144 856 CAI n/a 7,723 7,000 6,251 749 WAI n/a 10,182 9,000 8,037 963 Northern rockfish BSAI 15,337 12,488 3,250 2,763 0 Rougheye rockfish 8 BSAI 560 453 349 297 0 BS/EAI n/a 149 149 127 0 CAI/WAI n/a 304 200 170 0 Shortraker rockfish BSAI 690 518 250 213 0 Other rockfish 9 BSAI 1,667 1,250 880 748 0 BS n/a 695 325 276 0 AI n/a 555 555 472 0 Atka mackerel BSAI 125,297 106,000 54,500 48,669 5,832 BS/EAI n/a 38,492 27,000 24,111 2,889 CAI n/a 33,108 17,000 15,181 1,819 WAI n/a 34,400 10,500 9,377 1,124 Skates BSAI 49,575 41,658 25,700 21,845 0 Sculpins BSAI 52,365 39,725 4,700 3,995 0 Sharks BSAI 1,363 1,022 125 106 0 Squids BSAI 2,624 1,970 400 340 0 Octopuses BSAI 3,452 2,589 400 340 0 TOTAL 4,769,174 2,848,454 2,000,000 1,789,278 197,038 1 These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified.

With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these harvest specifications, the Bering Sea

(BS)subarea includes the Bogoslof District. 2 Except for pollock, the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, and Amendment 80 species, 15 percent of each TAC is put into a reserve. The ITAC for these species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves. For pollock and Amendment 80 species, ITAC is the non-CDQ allocation of TAC (see footnotes 3 and 5). 3 For the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Pacific cod, and Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch), 10.7 percent of the TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants (see §§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) and 679.31). Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear, 7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to trawl gear, and 10.7 percent of the TACs for Bering Sea Greenland turbot and arrowtooth flounder are reserved for use by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (D)). Aleutian Islands Greenland turbot, “other flatfish,” Alaska plaice, Bering Sea Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, rougheye rockfish, “other rockfish,” skates, sculpins, sharks, squids, and octopuses are not allocated to the CDQ program. 4 Under § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)( *1* ), the annual BS subarea pollock TAC after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental catch allowance (4.0 percent), is further allocated by sector for a pollock directed fishery as follows: Inshore—50 percent; catcher/processor—40 percent; and motherships—10 percent. Under § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)( *2* )( *i* ) and ( *ii* ), the annual Aleutian Islands subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental catch allowance (2,400 mt) is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a pollock directed fishery. 5 The BS Pacific cod TAC is reduced by 3 percent from the combined BSAI ABC to account for the State of Alaska's (State) guideline harvest level in State waters of the Bering Sea subarea. The AI Pacific cod TAC is reduced by 3 percent from the combined BSAI ABC to account for the State guideline harvest level in State waters of the Aleutian Islands subarea. 6 “Flathead sole” includes *Hippoglossoides elassodon* (flathead sole) and *Hippoglossoides robustus* (Bering flounder). 7 “Other flatfish” includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, arrowtooth flounder, Kamchatka flounder, and Alaska plaice. 8 “Rougheye rockfish” includes *Sebastes aleutianus* (rougheye) and *Sebastes melanostictus* (blackspotted). 9 “Other rockfish” includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, dark rockfish, shortraker rockfish, and rougheye rockfish. Note: Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2 (BS=Bering Sea subarea, AI=Aleutian Islands subarea, EAI=Eastern Aleutian district, CAI=Central Aleutian district, WAI=Western Aleutian district.) [FR Doc. C1-2015-05041 Filed 3-16-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 1505-01-D DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 679 [Docket No. 141021887-5172-02 and 140918791-4999-02] RIN 0648-XD818 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish Managed Under the Individual Fishing Quota Program AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; opening. SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota

(IFQ)Program and the Community Development Quota

(CDQ)Program. The season will open 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 14, 2015, and will close 1200 hours, A.l.t., November 7, 2015. This period is the same as the 2015 commercial halibut fishery opening dates adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season is specified by a separate publication in the **Federal Register** of annual management measures. DATES: Effective 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 14, 2015, until 1200 hours, A.l.t., November 7, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Obren Davis, 907-586-7228. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning in 1995, fishing for Pacific halibut and sablefish with fixed gear in the IFQ regulatory areas defined in 50 CFR 679.2 has been managed under the IFQ Program. The IFQ Program is a regulatory regime designed to promote the conservation and management of these fisheries and to further the objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act. Persons holding quota share receive an annual allocation of IFQ. Persons receiving an annual allocation of IFQ are authorized to harvest IFQ species within specified limitations. Further information on the implementation of the IFQ Program, and the rationale supporting it, are contained in the preamble to the final rule implementing the IFQ Program published in the **Federal Register** , November 9, 1993 (58 FR 59375) and subsequent amendments. This announcement is consistent with § 679.23(g)(1), which requires that the directed fishing season for sablefish managed under the IFQ Program be specified by the Administrator, Alaska Region, and announced by publication in the **Federal Register.** This method of season announcement was selected to facilitate coordination between the sablefish season, chosen by the Administrator, Alaska Region, and the halibut season, adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). The directed fishing season for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the IFQ Program will open 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 14, 2015, and will close 1200 hours, A.l.t., November 7, 2015. This period runs concurrently with the IFQ season for Pacific halibut announced by the IPHC. The IFQ halibut season will be specified by a separate publication in the **Federal Register** of annual management measures pursuant to 50 CFR 300.62. 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 delay the opening of the sablefish fishery thereby increasing bycatch and regulatory discards between the sablefish fishery and the halibut fishery, and preventing the accomplishment of the management objective for simultaneous opening of these two fisheries. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data only became available as of March 11, 2015. 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. This action is required by § 679.23 and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.* Dated: March 12, 2015. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015-06064 Filed 3-12-15; 4:15 pm]

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