2016-29574. Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer  

  • Start Preamble

    AGENCY:

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

    ACTION:

    Temporary rule; quota transfer.

    SUMMARY:

    NMFS announces that the State of New Jersey is transferring a portion of its 2016 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for New Jersey and Virginia.

    DATES:

    Effective December 8, 2016, through December 31, 2016.

    Start Further Info

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Cynthia Hanson, Fishery Management Specialist, (978)-281-9180.

    End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information

    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 are described in § 648.102, and the initial 2016 allocations were published on December 28, 2015 (80 FR 80689).

    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 the criteria in § 648.102(c)(2)(i)(A) through (C) in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or combinations.

    New Jersey is transferring 226 lb (103 kg) of summer flounder commercial quota to Virginia. This transfer was requested by New Jersey to repay landings by a New Jersey-permitted vessel that landed in Virginia under a safe harbor agreement.

    The revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2016 are now: New Jersey, 1,381,653 lb (626,707 kg); and Virginia, 1,759,787 lb (798,226 kg); based on the initial quotas published in the 2016-2018 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications.

    Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.

    Start Authority

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

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    Dated: December 6, 2016.

    Emily H. Menashes,

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

    End Signature End Supplemental Information

    [FR Doc. 2016-29574 Filed 12-8-16; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

Document Information

Effective Date:
12/8/2016
Published:
12/09/2016
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Temporary rule; quota transfer.
Document Number:
2016-29574
Dates:
Effective December 8, 2016, through December 31, 2016.
Pages:
89010-89010 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 150903814-5999-02
RINs:
0648-XF06
PDF File:
2016-29574.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