Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery; Adjustment to the 2012 Winter II Quota, 52624 [2012-21479]
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52624
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 169 / Thursday, August 30, 2012 / Rules and Regulations
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 120412408–2408–01]
RIN 0648–XC163
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Scup Fishery; Adjustment to
the 2012 Winter II Quota
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason
adjustment.
AGENCY:
NMFS adjusts the 2012
Winter II commercial scup quota. This
action complies with Framework
Adjustment 3 to the Summer Flounder,
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery
Management Plan, which established a
process to allow the rollover of unused
commercial scup quota from the Winter
I period to the Winter II period.
DATES: Effective August 30, 2012,
through December 31, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carly Bari, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281–9224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
published a final rule in the Federal
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
14:47 Aug 29, 2012
Jkt 226001
Register on November 3, 2003 (68 FR
62250), implementing a process, for
years in which the full Winter I
commercial scup quota is not harvested,
to allow unused quota from the Winter
I period (January 1 through April 30) to
be added to the quota for the Winter II
period (November 1 through December
31), and to allow adjustment of the
commercial possession limit for the
Winter II period commensurate with the
amount of quota rolled over from the
Winter I period.
For 2012, the initial Winter II quota is
4,448,627 lb (2,018 mt), and the best
available landings information indicates
that 7,186,694 lb (3,259 mt) remain of
the Winter I quota of 12,589,558 lb
(5,710 mt). Consistent with the intent of
Framework 3, the full amount of unused
2012 Winter I quota is transferred to
Winter II, resulting in a revised 2012
Winter II quota of 11,635,321 lb (5,277
mt). Because the amount transferred is
greater than 2,000,000 lb (907 mt), the
possession limit per trip will increase to
8,000 lb (3,629 kg) during the Winter II
quota period, consistent with the final
rule Winter I to Winter II possession
limit increase table published in the
2012 final scup specifications Table 3,
(77 FR 24151, April 23, 2012).
The Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good cause
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive
prior notice and the opportunity for
public comment on this in-season
adjustment because it is impracticable
and contrary to the public interest. The
landings data upon which this action is
based are not available on a real-time
basis and were compiled only a short
time before the determination was made
that this action is warranted. If
implementation of this in-season action
is delayed to solicit prior public
comment, the objective of the fishery
management plan to achieve the
optimum yield from the fishery could be
compromised; deteriorating weather
conditions during the later part of the
fishery year will reduce fishing effort
and could result in the annual quota
from being fully harvested. This would
conflict with the agency’s legal
obligation under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act to achieve the optimum yield from
a fishery on a continuing basis, resulting
in a negative economic impact on
vessels permitted to fish in this fishery.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Classification
This action is required by 50 CFR part
648 and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
Dated: August 27, 2012.
Lindsay Fullenkamp,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–21479 Filed 8–29–12; 8:45 am]
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 169 (Thursday, August 30, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 52624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21479]
[[Page 52624]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 120412408-2408-01]
RIN 0648-XC163
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery;
Adjustment to the 2012 Winter II Quota
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS adjusts the 2012 Winter II commercial scup quota. This
action complies with Framework Adjustment 3 to the Summer Flounder,
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which established a
process to allow the rollover of unused commercial scup quota from the
Winter I period to the Winter II period.
DATES: Effective August 30, 2012, through December 31, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Bari, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published a final rule in the Federal
Register on November 3, 2003 (68 FR 62250), implementing a process, for
years in which the full Winter I commercial scup quota is not
harvested, to allow unused quota from the Winter I period (January 1
through April 30) to be added to the quota for the Winter II period
(November 1 through December 31), and to allow adjustment of the
commercial possession limit for the Winter II period commensurate with
the amount of quota rolled over from the Winter I period.
For 2012, the initial Winter II quota is 4,448,627 lb (2,018 mt),
and the best available landings information indicates that 7,186,694 lb
(3,259 mt) remain of the Winter I quota of 12,589,558 lb (5,710 mt).
Consistent with the intent of Framework 3, the full amount of unused
2012 Winter I quota is transferred to Winter II, resulting in a revised
2012 Winter II quota of 11,635,321 lb (5,277 mt). Because the amount
transferred is greater than 2,000,000 lb (907 mt), the possession limit
per trip will increase to 8,000 lb (3,629 kg) during the Winter II
quota period, consistent with the final rule Winter I to Winter II
possession limit increase table published in the 2012 final scup
specifications Table 3, (77 FR 24151, April 23, 2012).
Classification
This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), finds good
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the
opportunity for public comment on this in-season adjustment because it
is impracticable and contrary to the public interest. The landings data
upon which this action is based are not available on a real-time basis
and were compiled only a short time before the determination was made
that this action is warranted. If implementation of this in-season
action is delayed to solicit prior public comment, the objective of the
fishery management plan to achieve the optimum yield from the fishery
could be compromised; deteriorating weather conditions during the later
part of the fishery year will reduce fishing effort and could result in
the annual quota from being fully harvested. This would conflict with
the agency's legal obligation under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act to achieve the optimum yield from a
fishery on a continuing basis, resulting in a negative economic impact
on vessels permitted to fish in this fishery.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 27, 2012.
Lindsay Fullenkamp,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-21479 Filed 8-29-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P