2019-23966. Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer From NC to RI and VA  

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    AGENCY:

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

    ACTION:

    Notification of quota transfer.

    SUMMARY:

    NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2019 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of Rhode Island and the Commonwealth of Virginia. 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 North Carolina, Virginia, and Rhode Island.

    DATES:

    Effective November 4, 2019, through December 31, 2019.

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    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Laura Hansen, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281-9225.

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    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 § 648.102 and final 2019 allocations were published on May 17, 2019 (84 FR 22392).

    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 § 648.102(c)(2). The Regional Administrator is required to consider three criteria in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or combinations: The transfer or combinations would preclude the overall annual quota from being fully harvested, the transfer addresses an unforeseen variation or contingency in the fishery, and the transfer is consistent with the objectives of the GMP and the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

    North Carolina is transferring 23,481 lb (10,651 kg) and 7,706 lb (3,495 kg) of summer flounder commercial quota to Rhode Island and Virginia, respectively, through mutual agreement of the states. These transfers were requested to repay landings made by North Carolina-permitted vessels in Rhode Island and Virginia under safe harbor agreements. Based on the revised Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications, the revised summer flounder quotas for fishing year 2019 are now: North Carolina, 2,926,555 lb (1,327,463 kg); Rhode Island, 1,745,943 lb (9,1946 kg); and Virginia, 2,398,416 lb (1,087,903 kg).

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

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    Dated: October 29, 2019.

    Alan D. Risenhoover,

    Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

    End Signature End Supplemental Information

    [FR Doc. 2019-23966 Filed 11-4-19; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

Document Information

Effective Date:
11/4/2019
Published:
11/05/2019
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Notification of quota transfer.
Document Number:
2019-23966
Dates:
Effective November 4, 2019, through December 31, 2019.
Pages:
59588-59588 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
RTID 0648-XX020
PDF File:
2019-23966.Pdf
Supporting Documents:
» Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska: Inseason Adjustment to the 2021 Gulf of Alaska Pollock and Pacific Cod Total Allowable Catch Amounts
» Fisheries of the Northeastern United States: Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass 2021 Specifications
» Fisheries of the Northeastern United States: Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; Quota Transfer from MD to NC
» Fisheries of the Northeastern United States: Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan; Correction
» Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic: Electronic Reporting for Federally Permitted Charter Vessels and Headboats in Atlantic Fisheries
» Fisheries of the Northeastern United States: Illex Squid Fishery; Revised 2020 Illex Squid Specifications
» Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic: Electronic Reporting for Federally Permitted Charter Vessels and Headboats in Gulf of Mexico Fisheries
» Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Catch Sharing Plan
» Vessel Monitoring Systems: Requirements for Type-Approval of Cellular Transceiver Units
» Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Incidental to the U.S. Navy Training and Testing Activities in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing Study Area
CFR: (1)
50 CFR 648