[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 10286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5894]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 625
[I.D. 022996D]
Summer Flounder Fishery; 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 5,773 lb (2,619 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to
the Commonwealth of Virginia. NMFS adjusted the quotas and announces
the revised commercial quota for each state involved.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 12, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lucy Helvenston, 508-281-9347.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing Amendment 2 to the
Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder Fishery (FMP) are found
at 50 CFR part 625. 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 is described in
Sec. 625.20.
The commercial quota for summer flounder for the 1996 calendar year
was set equal to 11,111,298 lb (5,040,000 kg), and the allocations to
each state were published January 4, 1996 (61 FR 291). At that time,
the State of North Carolina was allocated a quota of 3,049,589 lb
(1,383,270 kg) and the Commonwealth of Virginia was allocated a quota
of 2,368,569 lb (1,074,365 kg).
The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the FMP was published
December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), and allows two or more states, under
mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the Director, Northeast
Region, NMFS, (Regional Director) to transfer or combine summer
flounder commercial quota. The Regional Director is required to
consider the criteria set forth in Sec. 625.20(f)(1), in the evaluation
of requests for quota transfers or combinations.
The State of North Carolina has agreed to transfer 5,773 lb (2,619
kg) of commercial quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Regional
Director has determined that the criteria set forth in
Sec. 625.20(f)(1) have been met, and hereby publishes this notification
of quota transfers. The revised quotas for the calendar year 1996 are:
North Carolina, 3,043,816 lb (1,380,652 kg); and Virginia, 2,374,342 lb
(1,076,983 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 sections
6.02b.3(b)(i)(aa) and (ii)(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 625 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: March 6, 1996.
Donald J. Leedy,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-5894 Filed 3-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
