Fisheries of the Northeastern United States: Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer

Federal Register: March 9, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 44)

Rules and Regulations

Page 9964

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

DOCID:fr09mr09-8

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648

Docket No. 0809251266-81485-02

RIN 0648-XN33

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder

Fishery; Quota Transfer

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

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason quota transfer.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2009 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

DATES: Effective March 4, 2009 through December 31, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Bryant, Fishery Management

Specialist, (978) 281-9244, FAX (978) 281-9135.

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.

The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder,

Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which was published on December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a 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 Sec. 648.100(d). The Regional Administrator is required to consider the criteria set forth in Sec. 648.100(d)(3) in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or combinations.

North Carolina has agreed to transfer 23,130 lb (10,492 kg) of its 2009 commercial quota to Virginia to cover the summer flounder landings of three North Carolina vessels granted safe harbor in Virginia due to mechanical issues between January 16 and January 28, 2009. The Regional

Administrator has determined that the criteria set forth in Sec. 648.100(d)(3) have been met. The revised quotas for calendar year 2009 are: North Carolina, 2,893,992 lb (1,312,693 kg) and Virginia, 2,341,054 lb (1,061,884 kg).

Classification

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

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

Dated: March 4, 2009.

Emily H. Menashes,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

FR Doc. E9-4896 Filed 3-4-09; 4:15 pm

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