[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3478-3480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1545]
[[Page 3478]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 971015246-7293-02; I.D. 010798C]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder and
Scup Fisheries; Adjustments to the 1998 Quotas; Commercial Summer
Period Scup Quota Harvested for Massachusetts
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Commercial quota adjustment, notice of commercial quota
harvest.
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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notification announcing preliminary
adjustments to the 1998 summer flounder commercial state quotas and the
1998 scup Summer period state quotas. This action complies with
regulations that implement the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries (FMP), which require that
landings in excess of a state's annual summer flounder commercial quota
and Summer period scup commercial quota be deducted from a state's
respective quota the following year. The public is advised that
preliminary quota adjustments have been made and is informed of the
revised quotas for the affected states.
DATES: January 16, 1998, through December 31, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regina L. Spallone, Fishery Policy
Analyst, 508-281-9221.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Summer Flounder
Regulations implementing summer flounder management measures are
found at 50 CFR part 648, subparts A and G. The regulations require
annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned among
the Atlantic coastal states from North Carolina through Maine. The
process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to
each state is described in Sec. 648.100. The final specifications for
the 1998 summer flounder fishery, adopted to ensure achievement of a
fishing mortality rate (F) of 0.24 for 1998, set a commercial quota
equal to 11,105,636 lb (5.0 million kg) (62 FR 66304, December 18,
1997).
Section 648.100(d)(2) provides that all landings for sale in a
state shall be applied against that state's annual commercial quota.
Any landings in excess of the state's quota must be deducted from that
state's annual quota for the following year. NMFS published final
specifications and noted that associated adjustments to states' 1998
quotas as a result of 1997 overages would be made. These data are
presented as preliminary because some states remained open to 1997
summer flounder landings when these data were assembled by NMFS for the
purposes of this notice. Since it is likely that additional data will
be received from the states that would alter the figures, including
late landings reported from either federally permitted dealers or state
statistical agencies in a state that is currently closed to landings,
an additional adjustment will be necessary.
The final quota figures reflect the approval of a commercial summer
flounder quota transfer of 24,118 lb (10,940 kg) from New Jersey to
Connecticut. The notification of approval of that transfer was filed
with the Federal Register prior to the end of the 1997 quota year and
was published on January 6, 1998 (63 FR 444).
Based on dealer reports and other available information, NMFS has
determined that the States of Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Delaware,
Maryland, and North Carolina exceeded their 1997 quotas. The remaining
States of Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia did not
exceed their 1997 quotas. The final preliminary 1997 landings and
resulting overages for all states are given in Table 1. The resulting
adjusted 1998 commercial quota for each state is given in Table 2.
Table 1.--Preliminary 1997 Summer Flounder Commercial Landings, and Resulting Overages by State, for Landings
Reported Through December 27, 1997
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1997 Quota Preliminary 1997 1997 state overages
-------------------------- landings -------------------------
State --------------------------
Lb (Kg)\1\ Lb (Kg) Lb (Kg)
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ME................................ 2,342 1,062 2,835 1,286 493 224
NH................................ 51 23 ........... ........... ........... ...........
MA................................ 709,229 321,701 745,105 337,974 35,876 16,273
RI................................ 1,596,443 724,134 1,584,641 718,781 ........... ...........
CT................................ 246,924 112,003 246,924 112,003 ........... ...........
NY................................ 754,343 342,164 814,027 369,236 59,684 27,072
NJ................................ 1,323,474 600,318 1,316,837 597,307 ........... ...........
DE................................ \2\(5,662) (2,568) 4,393 1,993 10,055 4,561
MD................................ 188,254 85,391 203,961 92,515 15,707 7,125
VA................................ 2,294,793 1,040,901 2,253,809 1,022,311 ........... ...........
NC................................ 1,273,605 577,698 1,455,212 660,073 181,607 82,376
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Total \3\..................... 8,383,796 3,802,826 8,627,744 3,913,479 303,422 137,630
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\1\ Kilograms, converted from pounds, may not necessarily add due to rounding.
\2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.
\3\ The total 1997 state overages reflect the sum of the individual state overages, and not the overage of the
entire year's quota.
Table 2.--Preliminary Adjusted Final 1998 Summer Flounder Quotas
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Final 1998 quota\1\ Preliminary adjusted
-------------------------- 1998 quota
State -------------------------
Lb (Kg)\2\ Lb (Kg)\2\
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ME.......................................................... 5,284 2,397 4,791 2,173
NH.......................................................... 51 23 51 23
[[Page 3479]]
MA.......................................................... 757,841 343,751 721,965 327,478
RI.......................................................... 1,742,583 790,422 1,742,583 790,422
CT.......................................................... 250,791 113,757 250,791 113,757
NY.......................................................... 849,680 385,408 789,996 358,336
NJ.......................................................... 1,858,363 842,939 1,858,363 842,939
DE.......................................................... \3\ (3,685) (1,671) (13,740) (6,232)
MD.......................................................... 226,570 102,770 210,863 95,646
VA.......................................................... 2,368,569 1,074,365 2,368,569 1,074,365
NC.......................................................... 3,049,589 1,383,270 2,867,982 1,300,895
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Total................................................... 11,105,636 5,037,432 10,802,214 4,899,802
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\1\ As published on December 18, 1997 (62 FR 66304).
\2\ Kilograms, converted from pounds, may not necessarily add due to rounding.
\3\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.
Scup
Regulations implementing scup management measures are found at 50
CFR part 648, subparts A and H. The regulations require annual
specification of a commercial quota that is allocated into three
periods: Winter I, Summer, and Winter II. During Winter I and Winter II
periods, the commercial quota is distributed to the coastal states from
Maine through North Carolina on a coastwide basis. During the Summer
period, the commercial quota is apportioned among the Atlantic coastal
states from Maine through North Carolina. The process to set the annual
commercial quota and the percent allocated to each state during the
Summer period is described in Sec. 648.120. The final specifications
for the 1998 scup fishery, adopted to ensure achievement in 1998 of a
target exploitation rate of 47 percent, the rate associate with F=0.72,
set a commercial quota equal to 4,572,000 lb (2.07 million kg) and a
Summer period allocation equal to 1,780,794 lb (0.81 million kg) (62 FR
66304, December 18, 1997).
Section 648.120(d)(4) provides that all landings for sale in a
state shall be applied against that state's annual commercial quota.
Section 648.120(d)(6) provides that any overages of the commercial
quota landed in any state during the Summer period will be deducted
from that state's Summer period quota for the following year. NMFS
published final specifications and noted that associated adjustments to
states' 1998 Summer period quotas as a result of 1997 overages would be
made. If additional data are received from any state that would alter
the figures, including late landings reported from either federally
permitted dealers or state statistical agencies, an additional
adjustment will be necessary.
Based on dealer reports and on other available information, NMFS
has determined that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of
North Carolina have exceeded their 1997 Summer period quotas for scup.
The remaining States of Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia did not exceed their 1997
Summer period quotas. The final preliminary 1997 landings and resulting
state overages are given in Table 3. The resulting adjusted 1998
commercial Summer period quota for each state is given in Table 4.
Table 3.--Preliminary 1997 Summer Period Commercial Landings and Resulting Overages by State for Scup
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1997 summer period quota Preliminary 1997 summer 1997 summer overage
-------------------------- landings -------------------------
State --------------------------
Lb (Kg) \1\ Lb (Kg) Lb (Kg)
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ME................................ 3,048 1,383 ........... ........... ........... ...........
NH................................ ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
MA................................ 362,029 164,214 1,428,183 647,813 1,066,154 483,599
RI................................ 1,415,425 642,026 398,880 180,929 ........... ...........
CT................................ 79,431 36,029 40,858 18,533 ........... ...........
NY................................ 398,527 180,769 221,320 100,389 ........... ...........
NJ................................ 73,453 33,318 2,056 933 ........... ...........
DE................................ ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ...........
MD................................ 301 137 162 73 ........... ...........
VA................................ 4,157 1,886 148 67 ........... ...........
NC................................ 628 285 888 403 260 118
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Total \2\..................... 2,336,999 1,060,045 2,092,495 949,140 1,066,414 483,717
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\1\ Kilograms, converted from pounds, may not necessarily add due to rounding.
\2\ The total 1997 state overages reflect the sum of the individual state overages, and not the overage of the
entire period's quota.
[[Page 3480]]
Table 4.--Preliminary Adjusted Final 1998 Summer Period Scup Quotas
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Final 1998 summer quotas Preliminary adjusted
-------------------------- 1998 summer quotas
State -------------------------
Lb (Kg)\1\ Lb (Kg)
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ME.......................................................... 2,322 1,053 2,322 1,053
NH.......................................................... 1 ........... 1 ...........
MA.......................................................... 275,866 125,131 \2\ (790,28
8) (358,469)
RI.......................................................... 1,078,554 489,224 1,078,554 489,224
CT.......................................................... 60,526 27,454 60,526 27,454
NY.......................................................... 303,678 137,746 303,678 137,746
NJ.......................................................... 55,972 25,388 55,972 25,388
DE.......................................................... ........... ........... ........... ...........
MD.......................................................... 229 104 229 104
VA.......................................................... 3,167 1,437 3,167 1,437
NC.......................................................... 479 217 219 99
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Total................................................... 1,780,794 807,755 714,380 324,037
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\1\ Kilograms, converted from pounds, may not necessarily add due to rounding.
\2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.
Section 648.121(b) requires the Administrator, Northeast Region,
NMFS (Regional Administrator) to monitor the Summer period state
commercial quotas and determine the date when a state's commercial
quota is harvested. NMFS is required to publish notification in the
Federal Register advising a state and notifying vessel and dealer
permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, a state's Summer
period commercial quota has been harvested and that no Summer period
commercial quota is available for landing scup for the remainder of the
period.
Since this adjustment reduces the 1998 Massachusetts Summer period
commercial quota allocation from 275,866 lb (125,131 kg) to -790,288 lb
(-358,469 kg), this notification also serves to announce that the
Summer period quota available to Massachusetts has been harvested and
that no commercial quota is available for landings during the 1998
Summer period.
The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal scup
commercial permit holders agree as a condition of the permit not to
land scup in any state that the Regional Administrator has determined
no longer has commercial quota available. Therefore, effective 0001
hours May 1, 1998, until 2400 hours October 31, 1998, landings of scup
in Massachusetts by vessels holding Federal commercial scup fisheries
permits are prohibited, unless additional quota becomes available
through a transfer and is announced in the Federal Register. Federally
permitted dealers are also advised that they may not purchase scup from
federally permitted scup vessels that land in Massachusetts for the
Summer period, or until additional quota becomes available through a
transfer. If Massachusetts fails to obtain this quota transfer, it is
probable that the scup fishery in the Commonwealth will remain closed
for additional Summer periods beyond 1998. The fishery may remain
closed until its allocated quota is sufficient to allow the fishery to
reopen.
Classification
This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 15, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-1545 Filed 1-16-98; 3:41 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
