81_FR_24795 81 FR 24714 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer

81 FR 24714 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 81 (April 27, 2016)

Page Range24714-24714
FR Document2016-09726

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2016 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for Virginia and Massachusetts.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2016) 
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 24714]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09726]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 150903814-5999-02]
RIN 0648-XE564


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; Quota Transfer

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is 
transferring a portion of its 2016 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These quota adjustments are 
necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass 
Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement 
informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for Virginia and 
Massachusetts.

DATES: Effective April 26, 2016, through December 31, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Scheimer, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9236.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.100 through 648.110. The regulations 
require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 
among the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina. The process 
to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to each 
state are described in Sec.  648.102.
    The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder 
Fishery Management Plan, as published in the Federal Register on 
December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a mechanism for transferring 
summer flounder commercial quota from one state to another. Two or more 
states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the NMFS 
Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, can transfer or combine summer 
flounder commercial quota under Sec.  648.102(c)(2). The Regional 
Administrator is required to consider the criteria in Sec.  
648.102(c)(2)(i)(A) through (C) in the evaluation of requests for quota 
transfers or combinations.
    Virginia is transferring 6,525 lb (2,959 kg) of summer flounder 
commercial quota to Massachusetts. This transfer was requested by 
Virginia to repay landings by a Virginia-permitted vessel that landed 
in Massachusetts under a safe harbor agreement.
    The revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2016 are now: 
Virginia, 1,755,829 lb (796,430 kg); and Massachusetts, 577,777 lb 
(262,075 kg) based on the initial quotas published in the 2016-2018 
Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Specifications, (December 28, 
2015, 80 FR 80689) and previous 2016 quota transfers (March 8, 2016, 81 
FR 12030 and April 14, 2016, 81 FR 22032).

Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: April 21, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09726 Filed 4-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

24714 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 27, 2016 / Rules and Regulations infected with WNS are believed to be the public of the revised commercial DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE less resilient to disturbance and quotas for Virginia and Massachusetts. resulting arousal. Furthermore, DATES: Effective April 26, 2016, through National Oceanic and Atmospheric increased human visitation of December 31, 2016. Administration hibernacula could intensify the spread of WNS from infected to uninfected FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 50 CFR Part 679 sites. We have, therefore, determined in Elizabeth Scheimer, Fishery accordance with 50 CFR 424.12(a)(1) Management Specialist, (978) 281–9236. [Docket No. 150817730–6320–02] that it is not prudent to designate SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RIN 0648–BF29 critical habitat for the northern long- Regulations governing the summer eared bat. flounder fishery are found in 50 CFR Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 648.100 through 648.110. The Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and References Cited regulations require annual specification Aleutian Islands Management Area; A complete list of references cited in of a commercial quota that is American Fisheries Act; Amendment this document is available on the apportioned among the coastal states 111 Internet at http://www.regulations.gov from Maine through North Carolina. The and upon request from the Twin Cities process to set the annual commercial AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Ecological Services Office (see quota and the percent allocated to each Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER state are described in § 648.102. Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), INFORMATION CONTACT). The final rule implementing Commerce. Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder ACTION: Final rule. Authors Fishery Management Plan, as published The primary authors of this document SUMMARY: NMFS issues this final rule to in the Federal Register on December 17, are the staff members of the Twin Cities implement Amendment 111 to the 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a Ecological Services Office. Fishery Management Plan for mechanism for transferring summer Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Authority flounder commercial quota from one Aleutian Islands Management Area state to another. Two or more states, The authority for this action is the (FMP). This final rule reduces bycatch under mutual agreement and with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as limits, also known as prohibited species concurrence of the NMFS Greater amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). catch (PSC) limits, for Pacific halibut in Atlantic Regional Administrator, can the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Dated: April 12, 2016. transfer or combine summer flounder (BSAI) groundfish fisheries by specific Michael J. Bean, commercial quota under § 648.102(c)(2). amounts in four groundfish sectors: The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish The Regional Administrator is required Amendment 80 sector (non-pollock and Wildlife and Parks. to consider the criteria in trawl catcher/processors); the BSAI [FR Doc. 2016–09673 Filed 4–26–16; 8:45 am] § 648.102(c)(2)(i)(A) through (C) in the trawl limited access sector (all non- BILLING CODE 4333–15–P evaluation of requests for quota transfers Amendment 80 trawl fishery or combinations. participants); the non-trawl sector Virginia is transferring 6,525 lb (2,959 (primarily hook-and-line catcher/ kg) of summer flounder commercial processors); and the Western Alaska DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE quota to Massachusetts. This transfer Community Development Quota National Oceanic and Atmospheric was requested by Virginia to repay Program (CDQ Program). This final rule Administration landings by a Virginia-permitted vessel establishes the following halibut PSC that landed in Massachusetts under a limits: 1,745 mt for the Amendment 80 50 CFR Part 648 safe harbor agreement. sector; 745 mt for the BSAI trawl limited The revised summer flounder quotas access sector; 710 mt for the BSAI non- [Docket No. 150903814–5999–02] for calendar year 2016 are now: trawl sector; and 315 mt for the CDQ Virginia, 1,755,829 lb (796,430 kg); and Program. This results in an overall BSAI RIN 0648–XE564 Massachusetts, 577,777 lb (262,075 kg) halibut PSC limit of 3,515 mt. This Fisheries of the Northeastern United based on the initial quotas published in action is necessary to minimize halibut States; Summer Flounder Fishery; the 2016–2018 Summer Flounder, Scup bycatch in the BSAI groundfish fisheries Quota Transfer and Black Sea Bass Specifications, to the extent practicable and to achieve, (December 28, 2015, 80 FR 80689) and on a continuing basis, optimum yield AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries previous 2016 quota transfers (March 8, from the BSAI groundfish fisheries. This Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 2016, 81 FR 12030 and April 14, 2016, action is intended to promote the goals Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 81 FR 22032). and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Commerce. Fishery Conservation and Management Classification ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer. Act, the FMP, and other applicable This action is taken under 50 CFR laws. SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the part 648 and is exempt from review Commonwealth of Virginia is under Executive Order 12866. DATES: Effective May 27, 2016. transferring a portion of its 2016 Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with RULES commercial summer flounder quota to Environmental Assessment (EA), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Dated: April 21, 2016. Regulatory Impact Review (RIR), and These quota adjustments are necessary Emily H. Menashes, Finding of No Significant Impact to comply with the Summer Flounder, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable (FONSI) prepared for this action, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. collectively ‘‘the Analysis;’’ the FMP; Management Plan quota transfer [FR Doc. 2016–09726 Filed 4–26–16; 8:45 am] and the proposed rule are available from provision. This announcement informs BILLING CODE 3510–22–P http://www.regulations.gov or from the VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:13 Apr 26, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\27APR1.SGM 27APR1


Document Created: 2018-02-07 13:56:14
Document Modified: 2018-02-07 13:56:14
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionRules and Regulations
ActionTemporary rule; quota transfer.
DatesEffective April 26, 2016, through December 31, 2016.
ContactElizabeth Scheimer, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281-9236.
FR Citation81 FR 24714 
RIN Number0648-XE56
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