99-15527. Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Black Sea Bass Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Quarter 2 Period  

  • [Federal Register Volume 64, Number 117 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Page 32824]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 99-15527]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    
    50 CFR Part 648
    
    [Docket No. 981014259-8312-02; I.D. 060999B]
    
    
    Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Black Sea Bass 
    Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Quarter 2 Period
    
    AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
    
    ACTION: Commercial quota harvest for Quarter 2 period.
    
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    SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the black sea bass commercial quota 
    available in the Quarter 2 period to the coastal states from Maine 
    through North Carolina has been harvested. Commercial vessels may not 
    land black sea bass in the northeast region for the remainder of the 
    1999 Quarter 2 quota period (through June 30, 1999). Regulations 
    governing the black sea bass fishery require publication of this notice 
    to advise the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina that the 
    quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer 
    permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing black 
    sea bass in these states north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat.
    
    DATES: Effective June 18, 1999, 0001 hrs, local time through June 30, 
    1999, 2400 hrs, local time.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
    at (978) 281-9273.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the black sea bass 
    fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual 
    specification of a commercial quota that is allocated into four quota 
    periods, based upon percentages of the annual quota. The Quarter 2 
    commercial quota (April through June) is distributed to 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 Sec. 648.140.
        The initial total commercial quota for black sea bass for the 1999 
    calendar year was set equal to 3,025,000 lb (1,372,117 kg)(63 FR 72203, 
    December 31, 1998). The Quarter 2 period quota, which is equal to 29.26 
    percent of the annual commercial quota, was set at 885,115 lb (401,481 
    kg).
        Section 648.141 requires the Regional Administrator to monitor the 
    commercial black sea bass quota for each quota period and, based upon 
    dealer reports, state data and other available information to determine 
    when the commercial quota has been harvested. The Regional 
    Administrator is further required to publish a notice in the Federal 
    Register advising and notifying commercial vessels and dealer permit 
    holders that, effective upon a specific date, the black sea bass 
    commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota is 
    available for landing black sea bass for the remainder of the Quarter 2 
    period, north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat. The Regional Administrator has 
    determined, based upon dealer reports and other available information, 
    that the black sea bass commercial quota for the 1999 Quarter 2 period 
    has been harvested.
        The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal black sea 
    bass moratorium permit holders agree as a condition of the permit not 
    to land black sea bass in any state after NMFS has published a 
    notification in the Federal Register stating that the commercial quota 
    for the period has been harvested and that no commercial quota for the 
    black sea bass is available. The Regional Administrator has determined 
    that the Quarter 2 period for black sea bass no longer has commercial 
    quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, June 18, 
    1999, further landings of black sea bass in coastal states from Maine 
    through North Carolina, north of 35 deg.15.5' N. lat. by vessels 
    holding commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited through 
    June 30, 1999, 2400 hrs local time. The Quarter 3 period for commercial 
    black sea bass harvest will open on July 1, 1999. Effective June 18, 
    1999, federally permitted dealers are also advised that they may not 
    purchase black sea bass from federally permitted black sea bass 
    moratorium permit holders that land in coastal states from Maine 
    through North Carolina for the remainder of the Quarter 2 period 
    (through June 30, 1999).
        The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) also provide that, if the 
    commercial black sea bass quota for a period is harvested and the coast 
    is closed to the possession of black sea bass north of 35 deg.15.5' N. 
    lat., any vessel owners that hold valid commercial permits for both the 
    black sea bass and the NMFS Southeast Region Snapper-Grouper fisheries 
    may surrender their moratorium Black Sea Bass permit by certified mail 
    addressed to the Regional Administrator (see Table to Sec. 600.502) and 
    fish pursuant to their Snapper-Grouper permit, as long as fishing is 
    conducted exclusively in waters, and landings are made, south of 
    35 deg.15.3' N. lat. A moratorium permit for the black sea bass fishery 
    that is voluntarily relinquished or surrendered will be reissued upon 
    the receipt of the vessel owner's written request after a minimum 
    period of 6 months from the date of cancellation.
    
    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: June 14, 1999.
    Bruce C. Morehead,
    Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
    Fisheries Service.
    [FR Doc. 99-15527 Filed 6-15-99; 3:33 pm]
    BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
6/18/1999
Published:
06/18/1999
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Commercial quota harvest for Quarter 2 period.
Document Number:
99-15527
Dates:
Effective June 18, 1999, 0001 hrs, local time through June 30, 1999, 2400 hrs, local time.
Pages:
32824-32824 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 981014259-8312-02, I.D. 060999B
PDF File:
99-15527.pdf
CFR: (1)
50 CFR 648