[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 2, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 33]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31531]
[[Page 33]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 111220786-1781-01]
RIN 0648-XC396
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 State of North Carolina is
transferring a portion of its 2012 commercial summer flounder quota to
the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of North Carolina is
transferring a portion of its 2012 commercial summer flounder quota to
the State of Connecticut, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is
transferring a portion of its 2012 commercial summer flounder quota to
the State of Rhode Island. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and announcing
the revised commercial quota for each state involved.
DATES: Effective December 27, 2012, through December 31, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Bari, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery are in 50 CFR part 648, and require annual specification of a
commercial quota that is apportioned among the coastal states from
North Carolina through Maine. 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,
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which was published
on December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a mechanism for summer
flounder quota to be transferred from one state to another. Two or more
states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (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) to evaluate requests for quota
transfers or combinations.
North Carolina has agreed to transfer 13,503 lb (6,124 kg) of its
2012 commercial quota to Virginia. This transfer was prompted by summer
flounder landings of a number of North Carolina vessels that were
granted safe harbor in Virginia due to mechanical failures and
hazardous weather, between November 1, 2012, and November 30, 2012,
thereby requiring a quota transfer to account for an increase in
Virginia's landings that would have otherwise accrued against the North
Carolina quota. North Carolina has agreed to transfer 20,000 lb (9,071
kg) of its 2012 commercial quota to Connecticut. This transfer was
prompted by the diligent efforts of the state officials in Connecticut
not to exceed the commercial summer flounder quota. Massachusetts has
agreed to transfer 7,034 lb (3,190 kg) of its 2012 commercial quota to
Rhode Island. This transfer was prompted by the diligent efforts of
state officials in Rhode Island not to exceed the commercial summer
flounder quota. The Regional Administrator has determined that the
criteria set forth in Sec. 648.102(c)(2)(i) have been met. The revised
summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2012 are: North Carolina,
1,667,438 lb (765,409 kg); Virginia, 4,704,093 lb (2,133,741 kg);
Connecticut, 322,490 lb (146,279 kg); Massachusetts, 888,902 lb
(403,199 kg); and Rhode Island, 2,081,075 lb (943,959 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: December 27, 2012.
Lindsay Fullenkamp,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-31531 Filed 12-27-12; 4:15 pm]
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