# Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Inseason Adjustment to the 2018 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pollock, Atka Mackerel, and Pacific Cod Total Allowable Catch Amounts; Correction
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Temporary rule; inseason adjustment; correction.
**SUMMARY:**
NMFS is correcting a temporary rule that published on December 20, 2017, adjusting the 2018 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod fisheries. One table in the document contained an error.
**DATES:**
Effective January 18, 2018, until the effective date of the final 2018 and 2019 harvest specifications for BSAI groundfish, unless otherwise modified or superseded through publication of a notification in the *Federal Register* .
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Need for Correction**
NMFS published an inseason adjustment of the 2018 TAC amounts for the BSAI pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod fisheries (82 FR 60329, December 20, 2017). A table providing information about the 2018 allocations of pollock TACs and community development quota (CDQ) directed fishing allowances (DFA) contained an incorrect amount in the column titled “2018 allocations” and the second row in the Bering Sea subarea titled “CDQ DFA.” This value was specified as 164,434 metric tons (mt), instead of the correct value of 136,434 mt.
NMFS anticipates that this correction will not affect the fishing operations of the CDQ vessels that are subject to these DFAs. This is because of the seasonal allocations for the Bering Sea subarea CDQ DFAs are correctly specified.
**Correction**
In FR Doc. 2017-27428, published on December 20, 2017 (82 FR 60329), the following correction is made to Table 5:
On page 60330, in Table 5, column 2 is corrected to incorporate the correct amount for the Bering Sea subarea CDQ pollock DFA.
Table 5 is corrected and reprinted in its entirety to read as follows:
| Area and sector | 2018 | 2018 A season | A season DFA | SCA harvest limit | 2018 B | B season DFA |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bering Sea subarea TAC | 1,364,341 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| CDQ DFA | 136,434 | 61,395 | 38,202 | 75,039 | | |
| ICA | 47,888 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Total Bering Sea non-CDQ | 1,180,019 | 531,008 | 330,405 | 649,010 | | |
| DFA | | | | | | |
| AFA Inshore | 590,009 | 265,504 | 165,203 | 324,505 | | |
| AFA Catcher/Processors | 472,007 | 212,403 | 132,162 | 259,604 | | |
| Catch by C/Ps | 431,887 | 194,349 | n/a | 237,538 | | |
| Catch by CVs | 40,121 | 18,054 | n/a | 22,066 | | |
| Unlisted C/P Limit | 2,360 | 1,062 | n/a | 1,298 | | |
| AFA Motherships | 118,002 | 53,101 | 33,041 | 64,901 | | |
| Excessive Harvesting Limit | 206,503 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Excessive Processing Limit | 354,006 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Aleutian Islands subarea ABC | 40,788 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Aleutian Islands subarea TAC | 19,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| CDQ DFA | 1,900 | 760 | n/a | 1,140 | | |
| ICA | 2,400 | 1,200 | n/a | 1,200 | | |
| Aleut Corporation | 14,700 | 14,355 | n/a | 345 | | |
| Area harvest limit | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 541 | 12,236 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 542 | 6,118 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 543 | 2,039 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Bogoslof District ICA | 450 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
**Classification**
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 correcting amendment makes changes to correct the amount of Bering Sea subarea CDQ pollock DFA in Table 5, as described above, and does not change operating practices in the fisheries. If this correction is delayed to allow for notice and comment, it would result in confusion for participants in the fisheries. Therefore, in order to avoid any negative consequences that could result from this error, the AA finds good cause to waive the requirement to provide prior notice and opportunity for public comment.
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 correcting amendment makes only a minor change to correct the amount of Bering Sea subarea CDQ pollock DFA in Table 5, and does not change operating practices in the fisheries. This correction would also avoid any confusion for participants in the fisheries. For these reasons, the AA finds good cause to waive the 30-day delay in the effective date of this action.
**Authority:**
16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.*
Dated: January 12, 2018.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.