Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer, 25103 [2012-10246]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 82 / Friday, April 27, 2012 / Rules and Regulations
Small Entity Compliance Guide
active in the bluefish fishery and/or
have caught bluefish.
Description of Projected Reporting,
Recordkeeping, and Other Compliance
Requirements
No additional reporting,
recordkeeping, or other compliance
requirements are included in this final
rule.
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Description of the Steps Taken To
Minimize Economic Impact on Small
Entities
Specification of commercial quota,
recreational harvest levels, and
possession limits is constrained by the
conservation objectives of the FMP,
under the authority of the MagnusonStevens Act. The commercial quota
contained in this final rule is 10 percent
higher than the 2011 quota and 113
percent higher than actual 2011 bluefish
landings. All affected states will receive
increases in their individual commercial
quota allocation in comparison to their
respective 2011 individual state
allocations. However, the magnitude of
the increase varies depending on the
state’s relative percent share in the total
commercial quota, as specified in the
FMP.
The RHL contained in this final rule
is approximately 2 percent lower than
the RHL in 2011. The small reduction in
RHL is a reflection of a declining trend
in recreational bluefish harvest in recent
years. Because the 2012 RHL is greater
than the total estimated recreational
bluefish harvest for 2011, it does not
constrain recreational bluefish harvest
below a level that the fishery is
anticipated to achieve. The possession
limit for bluefish will remain at 15 fish
per person, so there should be no
impact on demand for party/charter
vessel fishing and, therefore, no impact
on revenues earned by party/charter
vessels. No negative economic impacts
on the recreational fishery are
anticipated.
The impacts on revenues associated
with the proposed RSA quota were
analyzed and are expected to be
minimal. Assuming that the full RSA
quota 491,672 lb (223 mt) is landed and
sold to support the proposed research
projects, then all of the participants in
the fishery would benefit from the
improved fisheries data yielded from
each project.
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25103
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Section 212 of the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996 states that, for each rule or group
of related rules for which an agency is
required to prepare a FRFA, the agency
shall publish one or more guides to
assist small entities in complying with
the rule, and shall designate such
publications as ‘‘small entity
compliance guides.’’ The agency shall
explain the actions a small entity is
required to take to comply with a rule
or group of rules. As part of this
rulemaking process, a small entity
compliance guide will be sent to all
holders of Federal permits issued for the
Atlantic bluefish fishery.
In addition, copies of this final rule
and guide (i.e., permit holder letter) are
available upon request, and posted on
the Northeast Regional Office’s Web site
at www.nero.noaa.gov.
Carly Bari, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978–281–9224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulations governing the summer
flounder fishery are in 50 CFR part 648,
and 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 § 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 § 648.102(c)(2). The Regional
Administrator is required to consider
the criteria in § 648.102(c)(2)(i) to
evaluate requests for quota transfers or
combinations.
North Carolina has agreed to transfer
180,061 lb (81,674 kg) of its 2012
commercial quota to Virginia. This
transfer was prompted by summer
flounder landings of 12 North Carolina
vessels that were granted safe harbor in
Virginia due to mechanical failures,
between March 2, 2012, and March 31,
2012, thereby requiring a quota transfer
to account for an increase in Virginia’s
landings that would have otherwise
accrued against the North Carolina
quota. The Regional Administrator has
determined that the criteria set forth in
§ 648.102(c)(2)(i) have been met. The
revised summer flounder quotas for
calendar year 2012 are: North Carolina,
1,603,359 lb (727,271 kg); and Virginia,
4,603,985 lb (2,088,332 kg).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: April 24, 2012.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–10242 Filed 4–26–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 111220786–1781–01]
RIN 0648–XC002
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Summer Flounder Fishery;
Quota Transfer
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces that the
State of North Carolina is transferring a
portion of its 2012 commercial summer
flounder quota to the Commonwealth of
Virginia. NMFS is adjusting the quotas
and announcing the revised commercial
quota for each state involved.
DATES: Effective April 26, 2012, through
December 31, 2012.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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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: April 24, 2012.
Carrie Selberg,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–10246 Filed 4–26–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 82 (Friday, April 27, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 25103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10246]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 111220786-1781-01]
RIN 0648-XC002
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; quota transfer.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is
transferring a portion of its 2012 commercial summer flounder quota to
the Commonwealth of Virginia. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and
announcing the revised commercial quota for each state involved.
DATES: Effective April 26, 2012, through December 31, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Bari, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery are in 50 CFR part 648, and 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.
648.102(c)(2). The Regional Administrator is required to consider the
criteria in Sec. 648.102(c)(2)(i) to evaluate requests for quota
transfers or combinations.
North Carolina has agreed to transfer 180,061 lb (81,674 kg) of its
2012 commercial quota to Virginia. This transfer was prompted by summer
flounder landings of 12 North Carolina vessels that were granted safe
harbor in Virginia due to mechanical failures, between March 2, 2012,
and March 31, 2012, thereby requiring a quota transfer to account for
an increase in Virginia's landings that would have otherwise accrued
against the North Carolina quota. The Regional Administrator has
determined that the criteria set forth in Sec. 648.102(c)(2)(i) have
been met. The revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2012
are: North Carolina, 1,603,359 lb (727,271 kg); and Virginia, 4,603,985
lb (2,088,332 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: April 24, 2012.
Carrie Selberg,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-10246 Filed 4-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
