80 FR 32487 - Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; American Lobster Fishery; Trap Transfer Program Implementation

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 110 (June 9, 2015)

Page Range		32487-32487
FR Document		2015-14049

This document announces the implementation of the American lobster trap transfer program. It is necessary because we deferred the start of the Program in the final rule approving the Program until a centralized trap transfer database was ready. Significant progress has been made on the centralized database. We are ready to announce that we will begin the Trap Transfer Program. This document alerts all Federal American lobster permit holders that trap transfer applications will soon be accepted.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 32487]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14049]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 697

RIN 0648-AT31

Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions;
American Lobster Fishery; Trap Transfer Program Implementation

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: American lobster trap transfer program implementation.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the implementation of the American
lobster trap transfer program. It is necessary because we deferred the
start of the Program in the final rule approving the Program until a
centralized trap transfer database was ready. Significant progress has
been made on the centralized database. We are ready to announce that we
will begin the Trap Transfer Program. This document alerts all Federal
American lobster permit holders that trap transfer applications will
soon be accepted.

DATES: Federal lobster permit holders may submit applications to
transfer traps for the 2016 fishing year from August 1, 2015, through
September 30, 2015. Revised trap allocations resulting from the trap
transfers will take effect at the start of the 2016 Federal fishing
year, May 1, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit trap transfer applications to Lobster Trap Transfer
Program, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. A copy of
the trap transfer application is available at: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/aps/forms.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy
Analyst, 978-281-9122.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published a final rule (79 FR 19015,
April 7, 2014), that established a Trap Transfer Program for Lobster
Conservation Management Areas 2, 3, and the Outer Cape, consistent with
the recommendations of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
in its Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster. This
program will allow Federal permit holders to buy and sell all or part
of a permit's trap allocation for these three areas to other Federal
permit holders.
The final rule deferred the Trap Transfer Program's implementation
date until the Commission completed the development of a centralized
trap transfer database. A complete centralized database is needed to
ensure that states and the agency are using the same consolidated and
verified information at the beginning and end of the trap transfer
period. At the time the final rule published, the trap transfer
database was incomplete and we elected to defer implementation of the
Trap Transfer Program until the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics
Program (ACCSP), in collaboration with us, the Commission, and the
states, could complete the comprehensive database. Database development
has been completed and it has been tested by state and Federal
partners. The database is now ready to track trap transfers.
Accordingly, we are ready to announce that the trap transfer
application period will be from August 1 through September 30 of each
year. All Federal permit holders requesting transfers for fishing year
2016 must apply to NMFS in writing no earlier than August 1, 2015, and
no later than September 30, 2015. Applications received after September
30, 2015, will not be processed. A copy of the trap transfer
application is available at: http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/aps/forms.html. We will approve or deny trap
transfer applications pursuant to the regulations at 50 CFR 697.27
(http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title50/50cfr697_main_02.tpl). We urge all permit holders to be aware of these
regulations before entering into trap transfer agreements. Approved
trap transfers will not be effective until the start of the 2016
fishing year.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.

Dated: June 4, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-14049 Filed 6-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 110 / Tuesday, June 9, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 32487

Point Corner N. latitude W. longitude

5 .......................................................................................................................................... 13SE 38°30.138′ 74°30.582′

[FR Doc. 2015–14021 Filed 6–8–15; 8:45 am] 2015. Revised trap allocations resulting Transfer Program until the Atlantic
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P from the trap transfers will take effect at Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program
the start of the 2016 Federal fishing (ACCSP), in collaboration with us, the
year, May 1, 2016. Commission, and the states, could
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ADDRESSES: Submit trap transfer complete the comprehensive database.
applications to Lobster Trap Transfer Database development has been
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Program, NMFS, 55 Great Republic completed and it has been tested by
Administration Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. A copy of state and Federal partners. The database
the trap transfer application is available is now ready to track trap transfers.
50 CFR Part 697 at: http:// Accordingly, we are ready to
RIN 0648–AT31 www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ announce that the trap transfer
aps/forms.html. application period will be from August
Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 1 through September 30 of each year.
Management Act Provisions; American Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy Analyst, All Federal permit holders requesting
Lobster Fishery; Trap Transfer 978–281–9122. transfers for fishing year 2016 must
Program Implementation SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS apply to NMFS in writing no earlier
published a final rule (79 FR 19015, than August 1, 2015, and no later than
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries April 7, 2014), that established a Trap September 30, 2015. Applications
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Transfer Program for Lobster received after September 30, 2015, will
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Conservation Management Areas 2, 3, not be processed. A copy of the trap
Commerce. and the Outer Cape, consistent with the transfer application is available at:
ACTION: American lobster trap transfer recommendations of the Atlantic States http://www.greateratlantic
program implementation. Marine Fisheries Commission in its .fisheries.noaa.gov/aps/forms.html. We
Interstate Fishery Management Plan for will approve or deny trap transfer
SUMMARY: This document announces the American Lobster. This program will applications pursuant to the regulations
implementation of the American lobster allow Federal permit holders to buy and at 50 CFR 697.27 (http://www.ecfr.gov/
trap transfer program. It is necessary sell all or part of a permit’s trap cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/
because we deferred the start of the allocation for these three areas to other Title50/50cfr697_main_02.tpl). We urge
Program in the final rule approving the Federal permit holders. all permit holders to be aware of these
Program until a centralized trap transfer The final rule deferred the Trap regulations before entering into trap
database was ready. Significant progress Transfer Program’s implementation date transfer agreements. Approved trap
has been made on the centralized until the Commission completed the transfers will not be effective until the
database. We are ready to announce that development of a centralized trap start of the 2016 fishing year.
we will begin the Trap Transfer transfer database. A complete
Program. This document alerts all Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C.
centralized database is needed to ensure 5101 et seq.
Federal American lobster permit holders that states and the agency are using the
that trap transfer applications will soon same consolidated and verified Dated: June 4, 2015.
be accepted. information at the beginning and end of Emily H. Menashes,
DATES: Federal lobster permit holders the trap transfer period. At the time the Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
may submit applications to transfer final rule published, the trap transfer Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
traps for the 2016 fishing year from database was incomplete and we elected [FR Doc. 2015–14049 Filed 6–8–15; 8:45 am]
August 1, 2015, through September 30, to defer implementation of the Trap BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES

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Document Created: 2015-12-15 15:25:01
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 15:25:01

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Rules and Regulations
Action		American lobster trap transfer program implementation.
Dates		Federal lobster permit holders may submit applications to transfer traps for the 2016 fishing year from August 1, 2015, through September 30, 2015. Revised trap allocations resulting from the trap transfers will take effect at the start of the 2016 Federal fishing year, May 1, 2016.
Contact		Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy Analyst, 978-281-9122.
FR Citation		80 FR 32487
RIN Number		0648-AT31

80 FR 32487 - Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act Provisions; American Lobster Fishery; Trap Transfer Program Implementation

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 110 (June 9, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration