Extension of Opening Date for Subsistence Taking of Northern Fur Seals on the Pribilof Islands; St. George Island

NMFS is extending the opening date of the subsistence use season of the Eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) by opening the season on June 20, 2018, in response to a request from the Traditional Council of St. George Island, Tribal Government. The subsistence use regulations at 50 CFR 216.72(a) authorize the extension of the northern fur seal harvest earlier than the scheduled opening date of June 23. The opening of the season three days earlier is intended to provide meat for the community of St. George Island in response to the unavailability of food in the community store due to unforeseen flight cancellations and the complete consumption of fur seal meat from harvests in 2017.