Fishery conservation and management: Northeastern United States fisheries— Scup,

[Federal Register: November 30, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 229)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 66788-66789]

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

[DOCID:fr30no99-26]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 981014259-8312-02; I.D. 122299B]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Winter II Period

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

ACTION: Commercial quota harvest for Winter II period.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the scup commercial quota available in the Winter II period to the coastal states from Maine to North Carolina has been harvested. Commercial vessels may not land scup in the northeast region for the remainder of the 1999 Winter II quota period (through December 31, 1999). Regulations governing the scup fishery require publication of this notification 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 scup in these states.

DATES: DATES: Effective 0001 hours November 26, 1999, through 2400 hours December 31, 1999.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the scup fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual specification of a commercial quota that is allocated into three quota periods, based upon percentages of the annual quota. The Winter II commercial quota (November through December) 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 is described in Sec. 648.120.

The initial total commercial quota for scup for the 1999 calendar year was set equal to 2,534,000 lb (1,149,403 kg)(63 FR 72203, December 31, 1998). The Winter II period quota, which is equal to 15.94 percent of the annual commercial quota (minus a discard estimate), was set at 403,920 lb (183,215 kg).

Section 648.121 requires the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) to monitor the commercial scup 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. NMFS is further required to publish notification in the Federal Register notifying commercial vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, the scup commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota is available for landing scup for the remainder of the Winter II period.

The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal scup moratorium permit holders agree as a condition of the permit not to land scup 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 scup is available. The Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer reports and other available information, that the scup commercial quota for the 1999 Winter II period has been harvested and that the Winter II period for scup no longer has commercial quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hours November 26, 1999, further landings of scup in coastal states from Maine through North Carolina by vessels holding Federal scup moratorium permits are prohibited through 2400 hours December 31, 1999.

[[Page 66789]]

The Winter I period for commercial scup harvest will open on January 1, 2000. Effective 0001 hours November 26, 1999, Federally permitted dealers are also advised that they may not purchase scup from Federally permitted vessels that land in coastal states from Maine through North Carolina for the remainder of the Winter II period (through December 31, 1999).

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: November 23, 1999. Bruce C. Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-31065Filed11-24-99; 2:17 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F