Fisheries of the Northeastern United States: Scup Fishery; Reduction of Winter I Commercial Possession Limit

Federal Register: April 21, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 76)

Rules and Regulations

Page 20786

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr21ap10-13

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648

Docket No. 0908191244-91427-02

RIN 0648-XV77

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery;

Reduction of Winter I Commercial Possession Limit

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces the reduction of the scup coastwide commercial possession limit from Maine through North Carolina for the Winter I period. Regulations governing the scup fishery require publication of this notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through North

Carolina that 80 percent of the commercial quota allocated to the

Winter I period is projected to be harvested and to announce that the possession limit for a Federal vessel permit holder is reduced.

DATES: Effective April 21, 2010, through April 30, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Heil, Fishery Management

Specialist, (978) 281-9257.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the scup fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations at Sec. 648.120(c) require the Northeast Regional Administrator to publish annual scup quota allocations and the percentage of landings attained during the Winter I period at which the possession limits would be reduced. On December 22, 2009, NMFS published the final rule for the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass specifications in the Federal Register (74 FR 67978).

This final rule requires NMFS to publish a notification in the Federal

Register advising and notifying commercial vessels and dealer permit holders that the commercial scup possession limit will be reduced once 80 percent of the Winter I Period quota is projected to be harvested.

Based upon recent projections, the Regional Administrator anticipates that 80 percent of the Federal commercial quota of 4,815,775 lb (2,184 mt) for the 2010 Winter I period has been harvested. Therefore, to maintain the integrity of the 2011 Winter I period quota by avoiding quota overages, the commercial scup possession limit will be reduced from 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) to 1,000 lb (454 kg) of scup per trip. This possession limit will remain in effect until the end of the Winter I period (through April 30, 2010) or until the Winter I quota allocation has been fully harvested, whichever occurs first.

Classification

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

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

Dated: April 17, 2010.

William D. Chappell,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine

Fisheriess Service.

FR Doc. 2010-9180 Filed 4-19-10; 8:45 am

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