[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 31, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 53261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21714]



[[Page 53261]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 080228326-0108-03]
RIN 0648-XY46


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Skate 
Complex Fishery; Reduction of Skate Wing Fishery Possession Limit

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the reduction of the skate wing fishery 
possession limit for the Skate Management Unit for the remainder of the 
2010 fishing year. Regulations governing the skate fishery require 
publication of this notification to advise skate-permitted vessels that 
80 percent of the annual total allowable landings (TAL) of skate wings 
is projected to be harvested and to announce that the skate wing 
possession limit is reduced.

DATES: Effective September 3, 2010, through April 30, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tobey Curtis, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
(978) 281-9273.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Northeast Skate 
Complex fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations at Sec.  
648.322(b)(2) require the Northeast Regional Administrator to reduce 
the skate wing fishery possession limit when 80 percent of the annual 
total allowable landings (TAL) for skate wings is projected to be 
harvested, unless the reduction would be expected to prevent attainment 
of the entire TAL. In the final rule implementing Amendment 3 to the 
Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan and fishing year 2010-
2011 skate fishery specifications (published in the Federal Register 
June 16, 2010, 75 FR 34049), the skate wing TAL for the 2010 fishing 
year was specified at 20.302 million lb (9,209 mt), and the initial 
skate wing possession limit was 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) wing weight (11,350 
lb (5,148 kg) whole weight). This final rule requires NMFS to publish a 
notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying vessels and 
dealer permit holders when the Regional Administrator has determined 
that the skate wing possession limit should be reduced.
    Based upon recent projections, the Regional Administrator 
anticipates that 80 percent of the 2010 skate wing TAL (16.242 million 
lb (7,367 mt)) will be fully harvested on or about September 2, 2010. 
Furthermore, without adjustment, there is a high probability that skate 
wing landings will exceed the TAL before the end of the fishing year. 
To maintain the integrity of the 2011 skate wing fishery by avoiding 
quota overages, this notice announces the reduction of the skate wing 
possession limit for the remainder of the 2010 fishing year (through 
April 30, 2011). Effective 0001 hour on September 3, 2010, the skate 
wing possession limit will be reduced from 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) wing 
weight (11,350 lb (5,148 kg) whole weight) to 500 lb (227 kg) wing 
weight (1,135 lb (515 kg) whole weight) per trip, or any prorated 
combination of skate wings and whole skates based on the conversion 
factor for wing weight to whole weight of 2.27.

Classification

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

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

    Dated: August 25, 2010.
Carrie Selberg,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-21714 Filed 8-30-10; 8:45 am]
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