83 FR 53399 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 205 (October 23, 2018)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 205 (October 23, 2018)
| Page Range | 53399-53399 | |
| FR Document | 2018-23137 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 23, 2018)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 53399] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-23137] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [Docket No. 170828822-70999-03] RIN 0648-XG552 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of Maine is transferring a portion of its 2018 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of Connecticut. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for Maine and Connecticut. DATES: Effective October 22, 2018, through December 31, 2018. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Ferrio, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281-9180. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.100 through 648.110. These 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 is described in Sec. 648.102, and the initial 2018 allocations were published on December 22, 2017 (82 FR 60682), and corrected January 30, 2018 (83 FR 4165). 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. Maine is transferring 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of summer flounder commercial quota to Connecticut through mutual agreement of the states. Based on the initial quotas published in the 2018 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications and subsequent adjustments, the revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2018 are now: Maine, 561 lb (254 kg); and Connecticut, 147,768 lb (67,026 kg). 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: October 18, 2018. Karen H. Abrams, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2018-23137 Filed 10-22-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Rules and Regulations 53399
Appendix A–II to Part 541—[Removed 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a accountability measure, NMFS will
and Reserved] mechanism for transferring summer monitor, attribute, and restrict (if
flounder commercial quota from one necessary), catches of longline-caught
■ 4. Appendix A–II to part 541 is state to another. Two or more states, bigeye tuna, including catches made
removed and reserved. under mutual agreement and with the under a specified fishing agreement.
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority concurrence of the NMFS Greater These catch limits and accountability
delegated in 49 CFR 1.95 and 501.5. Atlantic Regional Administrator, can measures support the long-term
Heidi R. King, transfer or combine summer flounder sustainability of fishery resources of the
Deputy Administrator. commercial quota under § 648.102(c)(2). U.S. Pacific Islands.
[FR Doc. 2018–23045 Filed 10–22–18; 8:45 am] The Regional Administrator is required DATES: The final specifications are
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P to consider the criteria in effective October 22, 2018, through
§ 648.102(c)(2)(i)(A) through (C) in the December 31, 2018. The deadline to
evaluation of requests for quota transfers submit a specified fishing agreement
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE or combinations. pursuant to 50 CFR 665.819(b)(3) for
Maine is transferring 2,500 lb (1,134 review is November 21, 2018.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric kg) of summer flounder commercial
quota to Connecticut through mutual ADDRESSES: Copies of the Fishery
Administration Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of
agreement of the states. Based on the
initial quotas published in the 2018 the Western Pacific (Pelagic FEP) are
50 CFR Part 648 available from the Western Pacific
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea
[Docket No. 170828822–70999–03] Bass Specifications and subsequent Fishery Management Council (Council),
adjustments, the revised summer 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu,
RIN 0648–XG552 HI 96813, tel 808–522–8220, fax 808–
flounder quotas for calendar year 2018
are now: Maine, 561 lb (254 kg); and 522–8226, or www.wpcouncil.org.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Connecticut, 147,768 lb (67,026 kg). NMFS prepared environmental
Quota Transfer analyses that describe the potential
Classification impacts on the human environment that
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries This action is taken under 50 CFR would result from the action. Copies of
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and part 648 and is exempt from review those analyses, which include a 2018
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), under Executive Order 12866. environmental assessment (EA) and a
Commerce. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. finding of no significant impact
ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer. (FONSI), are available from
Dated: October 18, 2018. www.regulations.gov/
SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Karen H. Abrams, #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2018-
State of Maine is transferring a portion Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 0026, or from Michael D. Tosatto,
of its 2018 commercial summer flounder Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. Regional Administrator, NMFS Pacific
quota to the State of Connecticut. This [FR Doc. 2018–23137 Filed 10–22–18; 8:45 am] Islands Region (PIR), 1845 Wasp Blvd.,
quota adjustment is necessary to comply BILLING CODE 3510–22–P Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Rebecca Walker, NMFS PIRO
Plan quota transfer provisions. This DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Sustainable Fisheries, 808–725–5184.
announcement informs the public of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is
revised commercial quotas for Maine
and Connecticut. Administration specifying a catch limit of 2,000 t of
longline-caught bigeye tuna for each
DATES: Effective October 22, 2018,
50 CFR Part 665 U.S. territory in 2018. NMFS is also
through December 31, 2018. authorizing each territory to allocate up
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: [Docket No. 180208146–8946–01]
to 1,000 t of its 2,000 t bigeye tuna limit
Cynthia Ferrio, Fishery Management RIN 0648–XG025 to U.S. longline fishing vessels
Specialist, (978) 281–9180. permitted to fish under the Pelagic FEP.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pacific Island Pelagic Fisheries; 2018 NMFS will monitor catches of longline-
Regulations governing the summer U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna caught bigeye tuna by the longline
flounder fishery are found in 50 CFR Catch Limits fisheries of each territory, including
648.100 through 648.110. These AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries catches made by U.S. longline vessels
regulations require annual specification Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and operating under specified fishing
of a commercial quota that is Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), agreements. The criteria that a specified
apportioned among the coastal states Commerce. fishing agreement must meet, and the
from Maine through North Carolina. The ACTION: Final specifications. process for attributing longline-caught
process to set the annual commercial bigeye tuna, will follow the procedures
quota and the percent allocated to each SUMMARY: In this final rule, NMFS in 50 CFR 665.819. When NMFS
state is described in § 648.102, and the specifies a 2018 limit of 2,000 metric projects that a territorial catch or
initial 2018 allocations were published tons (t) of longline-caught bigeye tuna allocation limit will be reached, NMFS
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with RULES
on December 22, 2017 (82 FR 60682), for each U.S. Pacific territory (American will, as an accountability measure,
and corrected January 30, 2018 (83 FR Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth prohibit the catch and retention of
4165). of the Northern Mariana Islands longline-caught bigeye tuna by vessels
The final rule implementing (CNMI)). NMFS will allow each territory in the applicable territory (territorial
Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder to allocate up to 1,000 t each year to catch limit), and/or vessels in a
Fishery Management Plan, as published U.S. longline fishing vessels in a valid specified fishing agreement (allocation
in the Federal Register on December 17, specified fishing agreement. As an limit).
VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:56 Oct 22, 2018 Jkt 247001 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\23OCR1.SGM 23OCR1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/83_FR_53604/page/1.svg)
Document Created: 2018-10-23 04:15:00
Document Modified: 2018-10-23 04:15:00
| 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 | Temporary rule; quota transfer. | |
| Dates | Effective October 22, 2018, through December 31, 2018. | |
| Contact | Cynthia Ferrio, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281-9180. | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 53399 | |
| RIN Number | 0648-XG55 |
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