[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2600-2601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1001]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[I.D. 010699B]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder,
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Summer Flounder Commercial Quota
Transfer from North Carolina to Virginia
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Commercial quota transfer.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is
transferring 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to
the Commonwealth of Virginia from its 1999 quota. NMFS adjusted the
quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state
involved.
DATES: Effective January 12, 1999, through December 31, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary M. Grim, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9326.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations 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. 648.100.
The initial total commercial quota for summer flounder for the 1999
calendar year was set equal to 11,111,191 lb (5,039,951 kg) (63 FR
72203, December 31, 1998). The resulting quota for Virginia is
2,368,569 lb (1,074,365 kg) and for North Carolina is 3,049,589 lb
(1,383,270 kg).
The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) was published December 17, 1993 (58 FR
65936), and allows two or more states, under mutual agreement and with
the concurrence of the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS, (Regional
Administrator) to transfer or combine summer flounder commercial quota.
The Regional Administrator is required to consider the criteria set
forth in Sec. 648.100(e)(1) in the evaluation of requests for quota
transfers or combinations.
North Carolina has agreed to transfer 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) of its
1999
[[Page 2601]]
commercial quota to Virginia. The Regional Administrator has determined
that the criteria set forth in Sec. 648.100(e)(1) have been met, and
publishes this notification of quota transfer. The revised quotas for
the calendar year 1999 are: Virginia, 2,373,569 lb (1,076,633 kg); and
North Carolina, 3,044,589 lb (1,381,002 kg).
This action does not alter any of the conclusions reached in the
environmental impact statement prepared for Amendment 2 to the FMP
regarding the effects of summer flounder fishing activity on the human
environment. Amendment 2 established procedures for setting an annual
coastwide commercial quota for summer flounder and a formula for
determining commercial quotas for each state. The quota transfer
provision was established by Amendment 5 to the FMP and the
environmental assessment prepared for Amendment 5 found that the action
had no significant impact on the environment. Under section
6.02b.3(b)(I)(aa) of NOAA Administrative Order 216-6, this action is
categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare additional
environmental analyses. This is a routine administrative action that
reallocates commercial quota within the scope of previously published
environmental analyses.
Classification
This action is taken under 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 11, 1999.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-1001 Filed 1-12-99; 3:29 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
