97-26577. Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Commercial Quota Available for New Jersey  

  • [Federal Register Volume 62, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 7, 1997)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Page 52275]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 97-26577]
    
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    
    50 CFR Part 648
    
    [Docket No. 961210346-7035-02; I.D. 100197A]
    
    
    Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
    Fishery; Commercial Quota Available for New Jersey
    
    AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
    
    ACTION: Commercial quota availability.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    SUMMARY: NMFS announces that summer flounder commercial quota is 
    available to the State of New Jersey to allow a reopening of the State 
    to landings of summer flounder. Vessels issued a commercial Federal 
    fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may resume landings of 
    summer flounder in New Jersey for the remainder of calendar year 1997, 
    or until the remaining quota allocation is harvested.
    
    DATES: Effective October 3, 1997 through December 31, 1997.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regina L. Spallone, Fishery Policy 
    Analyst, (978) 281-9221.
    
    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 
    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 1997 calendar year was set equal to 11,111,298 lb 
    (5,040,000 kg) (62 FR 10473, March 7, 1997). The percent allocated to 
    vessels landing summer flounder in New Jersey is 16.72499 percent, or 
    1,858,363 lb (842,939 kg) in 1997. After deducting a 510,771 lb 
    (231,682 kg) overage landed in 1996, as specified in section 
    648.100(d)(2), New Jersey was left with an adjusted 1997 commercial 
    quota of 1,347,592 lb (611,257 kg) (62 FR 37741, July 15, 1997). 
    Section 648.101(b) requires the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
    (Regional Administrator), to monitor state commercial quotas and to 
    determine when a state's commercial quota is harvested. Based on dealer 
    reports and other available information, the Regional Administrator 
    determined that the commercial quota available to New Jersey had been 
    harvested, and no quota was available for that State for the remainder 
    of 1997. Thus, effective September 24, 1997 (62 FR 50525, September 26, 
    1997), summer flounder landings in the State of New Jersey by federally 
    permitted vessels, and purchases by federally permitted dealers, were 
    prohibited for the remainder of 1997. The closure of the State to 
    landings was based on projections of landings from dealer reports. 
    However, due to State action to control landings through trip limits, 
    actual landings have fallen short of projections. Specifically, prior 
    to the NMFS closure, New Jersey closed its directed fishery and 
    landings dropped off significantly. The State now has a bycatch trip 
    limit in place for the remainder of the year (10 percent of total fish 
    on board, up to a maximum of 100 lb/trip (45 kg/trip) until November 
    1st; 200 lb/trip (91 kg/trip) after that date). Thus, available data 
    indicate that approximately 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) remain in New 
    Jersey's annual commercial quota of 1,347,592 lb (611,257 kg). Since 
    summer flounder commercial quota is available to New Jersey to be 
    harvested, and in order to allow the State to receive the full benefit 
    of its annual allocation of quota, the closure, published on September 
    26, 1997, is rescinded.
    
    Classification
    
        This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
    review under E.O. 12286.
    
         Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
    
        Dated: October 2, 1997.
    Gary Matlock,
    Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
    Service.
    [FR Doc. 97-26577 Filed 10-3-97; 10:48 am]
    BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
10/3/1997
Published:
10/07/1997
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Commercial quota availability.
Document Number:
97-26577
Dates:
Effective October 3, 1997 through December 31, 1997.
Pages:
52275-52275 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 961210346-7035-02, I.D. 100197A
PDF File:
97-26577.pdf
CFR: (1)
50 CFR 648