Fishery conservation and management: Northeastern United States fisheries— Summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass,

[Federal Register: August 26, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 165)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 46596-46598]

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

[DOCID:fr26au99-10]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 981014259-8312-02; I.D. 081199A]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Adjustments to the 1999 Summer Flounder Commercial Quota

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

ACTION: Commercial quota adjustment for 1999.

SUMMARY: NMFS issues a listing of final adjustments to the 1999 commercial summer flounder state quotas. This action complies with the regulations that implement the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries (FMP) that require landings in excess of a given state's individual commercial quota be deducted from that state's quota for the following year. The intent of this action is to continue the rate of rebuilding of the overfished stock of summer flounder in 1999 as described in the FMP's objectives, while also taking into account 1998 overages of state quotas.

DATES: Effective August 26, 1999, through December 31, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fisheries Policy Analyst, (978) 281-9273.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

NMFS published a document in the Federal Register on April 15, 1999 (64 FR 18582) announcing preliminary adjustments to the 1999 summer flounder commercial quotas. Further adjustment is necessary in this notification due to late data received from the States of Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

[[Page 46597]]

The final 1998 landings and resulting overages for all states are given in Table 1. The resulting adjusted 1999 commercial quota for each state is given in Table 2. In Table 3, the adjustment has been made to maintain the incidental component of the commercial quota at 32.7 percent of the total (as recommended in the final specifications).

Table 1.--Summer Flounder Final 1998 Landings and Overages by State

1998 Quota

Final 1998 Landings

1998 Overage State

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lb

Kg \1\

Lb

Kg \1\

Lb

Kg \1\

ME................................

4,791

2,173

5,626

2,552

835

379 NH................................

51

23 ........... ........... ........... ........... MA................................ 721,899 327,448 709,387 321,773 ........... ........... RI................................ 1,742,583 790,422 1,716,463 778,575 ........... ........... CT................................ 250,457 113,605 262,732 119,173 12,275

5,568 NY................................ 763,419 346,281 823,093 373,349 59,674 27,068 NJ................................ 1,858,363 842,939 1,862,800 844,952

4,437

2,013 DE................................ (14,534) (6,593) (11,205) (5,083) (25,739) (11,676) MD................................ 199,876 90,662 224,092 101,646 24,216 10,984 VA................................ 2,362,877 1,071,783 2,615,750 1,186,484 252,873 114,701 NC................................ 3,049,589 1,383,270 2,980,683 1,352,015 ........... ...........

Total \3\..................... 10,939,371 4,962,013 11,189,421 5,075,436 328,571 149,038

\1\ Kilograms are as converted from pounds, and may not necessarily add due to rounding. \2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number. \3\ Total quota and total landings do not equal overage because they reflect positive quota balances in several states.

Table 2.--Summer Flounder Final Adjusted 1999 Quotas

1999 Initial Quota

1999 Adjusted Quota State

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Lb

Kg \1\

Lb

Kg \1\

ME......................................

5,285

2,397

4,450

2,018 NH......................................

51

23

51

23 MA......................................

757,842

343,751

757,842

343,751 RI......................................

1,742,583

790,422

1,742,583

790,422 CT......................................

250,791

113,757

238,516

108,189 NY......................................

849,680

385,408

790,006

358,341 NJ......................................

1,858,363

842,939

1,853,926

840,927 DE......................................

1,977

897

(25,739)

(11,675) MD......................................

226,570

102,770

202,354

91,786 VA......................................

2,373,569

1,076,633

2,120,696

961,932 NC......................................

3,044,589

1,381,002

3,044,589

1,381,002

Total...............................

11,111,300

5,039,999

10,729,274

4,866,717

\1\ Kilograms are as converted from pounds, and may not necessarily add due to rounding. \2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.

Table 3.--Final Summer Flounder 1999 State Quotas and Inidental Catch Allocations

Directed

Incidental Catch

Total State

Percent ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- share

Lb

Kg \1\

Lb

Kg

Lb

Kg

ME..................................................... 0.04756

2,995

1,358

1,455

660

4,450

2,018 NH..................................................... 0.00046

34

16

17

8

51

23 MA..................................................... 6.82046 510,028 231,345 247,814 112,407 757,842 343,751 RI..................................................... 15.68298 1,172,758 531,954 569,825 258,468 1,742,583 790,422 CT..................................................... 2.25708 160,521

72,811

77,995

35,378 238,516 108,189 NY..................................................... 7.64699 531,674 241,163 258,332 117,177 790,006 358,341 NJ..................................................... 16.72499 1,247,692 565,944 606,234 274,983 1,853,926 840,927 DE..................................................... 0.01779 (17,322) (7,857) (8,417) (3,818) (25,739) (11,675) MD..................................................... 2.03910 136,184

61,772

66,170

30,014 202,354

91,786 VA..................................................... 21.31676 1,427,228 647,380 693,468 314,552 2,120,696 961,932 NC..................................................... 27.44584 2,049,008 929,415 995,581 451,588 3,044,589 1,381,002

Total.............................................. 100.00000 7,220,801 3,275,300 3,508,473 1,591,416 10,729,274 4,866,717

\1\ Kilograms are as converted from pounds, and may not necessarily add due to rounding. \2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.

[[Page 46598]]

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: August 20, 1999. Gary C. Matlock, Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-22214Filed8-25-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-P