99-33151. Summer Flounder Fishery  

  • [Federal Register Volume 64, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 22, 1999)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Pages 71687-71688]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 99-33151]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    
    50 CFR Part 648
    
    [Docket No. 981014259-8312-02; I.D. 121699B]
    
    
    Summer Flounder Fishery
    
    AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
    
    ACTION: Commercial quota transfer; commercial quota harvest reopening.
    
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    SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is 
    transferring 70,000 lb (31,752 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota 
    to the State of New York from its 1999 quota. By this action, NMFS 
    adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each 
    state involved. NMFS also announces that the summer flounder commercial 
    fishery in the EEZ for the State of New York is reopened. Vessels 
    issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder 
    fishery may land summer flounder in New York for the remainder of 
    calendar year 1999, unless closed due to the State of New York 
    harvesting its commercial quota before the end of the calendar year. 
    Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require the 
    publication of this notification to advise the State of New York that 
    the fishery has reopened and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer 
    permit holders that commercial quota is available for landing summer 
    flounder in New York.
    
    DATES: Effective December 17, 1999 through December 31, 1999.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
    (978) 281-9273.
    
    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.
        After taking into account any overages of state quotas that 
    occurred in 1998, the total commercial quota for summer flounder for 
    the 1999 calendar year was set equal to 10,729,274 lb (4,866,717 kg), 
    with a quota of 790,006 lb (358,341 kg) for New York and a quota of 
    3,044,589 lb (1,381,002 kg) for North Carolina (64 FR 46596; August 26, 
    1999).
        The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the FMP that was 
    published on December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided the 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 section 
    648.100(e). 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 70,000 lb (31,752 kg) of its 
    1999 commercial quota to New York. 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: New York, 860,006 lb (390,099 
    kg); and North Carolina, 2,974,589 lb (1,349,274 kg).
        NMFS issued a notification in the Federal Register on October 26, 
    1999 (64 FR 57586), announcing that the summer flounder commercial 
    quota available to the State of New York had been harvested. The 
    Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer reports and 
    upon other available information, that the State of North Carolina will 
    not attain its quota for 1999 and, based on the 70,000-lb (31,752-kg) 
    transfer of commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New York, 
    that the State of New York commercial summer flounder fishery in the 
    EEZ will reopen effective 0001 hours, December 17, 1999 through 
    December 31, 1999. Therefore, vessels issued a commercial Federal 
    fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may land summer 
    flounder in New York for the remainder of calendar year 1999, unless 
    closed due to the State of New York harvesting its commercial quota 
    before the end of the calendar year. Effective December 17, 1999 
    through December 31, 1999, federally permitted dealers are also advised 
    that they may purchase summer flounder from federally permitted vessels 
    that land in New York for the remainder of the calendar year.
    
    Classification
    
        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 
    6.03a.3(b)(1) 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. 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.
    
    
    [[Page 71688]]
    
    
        Dated: December 17, 1999.
    Bruce C. Morehead,
    Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
    Fisheries Service.
    [FR Doc. 99-33151 Filed 12-17-99; 2:41 pm]
    BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
12/17/1999
Published:
12/22/1999
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Commercial quota transfer; commercial quota harvest reopening.
Document Number:
99-33151
Dates:
Effective December 17, 1999 through December 31, 1999.
Pages:
71687-71688 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 981014259-8312-02, I.D. 121699B
PDF File:
99-33151.pdf
CFR: (1)
50 CFR 648