Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program; Emergency Rule Extension

NMFS is extending the emergency action, implemented on February 18, 2010, to exempt individual fishing quota (IFQ) and individual processing quota (IPQ) issued for the Western Aleutian Islands golden king crab fishery from the West regional designation. Under the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program, Federal regulations require that golden king crab harvested with IFQ with a West regional designation be delivered to a processor with West designated IPQ in the West region of the Aleutian Islands. An emergency exists because, due to a recent unforeseen event, no crab processing facility is open in the West region. This emergency rule extension is necessary to ensure that the exemption remains in effect to prevent disruption to the Aleutian Islands golden king crab fishery by allowing fishermen to deliver crab harvested with West designated IFQ to processors outside the West region and allow processors with West designated IPQ to process that crab outside the West region for the 2010/2011 fishing season. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs, and other applicable law.