Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer, 77005 [2013-30218]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2013 / Rules and Regulations
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Dated: December 12, 2013.
Rachel Jacobsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish
and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2013–30164 Filed 12–19–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–C
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 121009528–2729–02]
RIN 0648–XD021
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
Commonwealth of Virginia and the
State of North Carolina are both
transferring a portion of their 2013
commercial summer flounder quotas to
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
NMFS is adjusting the quotas and
announcing the revised commercial
quota for each state involved.
DATES: Effective December 17, 2013,
through December 31, 2013.
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 § 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
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SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:57 Dec 19, 2013
Jkt 232001
the criteria in § 648.102(c)(2)(i) to
evaluate requests for quota transfers or
combinations.
Virginia has agreed to transfer 19,858
lb (9,007 kg) of its 2013 commercial
quota to Massachusetts. North Carolina
has agreed to transfer 19,857 lb (9,007
kg) of its 2013 commercial quota to
Massachusetts. These transfers were
prompted by summer flounder landings
of two vessels intending to land in
North Carolina and Virginia, which
were granted safe harbor in
Massachusetts due to mechanical failure
on December 2, 2013, thereby requiring
quota transfers to account for an
increase in Massachusetts’ landings that
would have otherwise accrued against
the North Carolina and Virginia quotas.
The Regional Administrator has
determined that the criteria set forth in
§ 648.102(c)(2)(i) have been met. The
revised summer flounder commercial
quotas for calendar year 2013 are:
Virginia, 5,020,643 lb (2,277,325 kg);
North Carolina, 402,773 lb (182,695 kg);
and Massachusetts, 830,951 lb (376,913
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: December 16, 2013.
Sean F. Corson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013–30218 Filed 12–17–13; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 130904778–3999–02]
RIN 0648–XC855
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the
Northeastern United States; Atlantic
Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery;
2014–2016 Fishing Quotas
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
This final rule implements
the commercial quotas for the Atlantic
surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries for
2014, 2015, and 2016. The quotas are
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
77005
unchanged from the quotas for the 2011,
2012, and 2013 fishing years. This
action sets allowable harvest levels of
Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs,
prevents overfishing, and allows
harvesting of optimum yield. This
action also continues to suspend the
minimum shell size for Atlantic
surfclams for the 2014 fishing year.
DATES: This rule is effective December
20, 2013.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the
Environmental Assessment prepared for
this action is available upon request
from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management (Council), 800 North State
Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 09901.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jason Berthiaume, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978–281–9177.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog
Fishery Management Plan (FMP)
requires that NMFS, in consultation
with the Council, specify quotas for
surfclam and ocean quahog for a 3-yr
period, with an annual review, from a
range that represents the optimum yield
(OY) for each fishery. It is the policy of
the Council that the levels selected
allow sustainable fishing to continue at
that level for at least 10 yrs for
surfclams, and 30 yrs for ocean quahogs.
The Council policy also considers the
economic impacts of the quotas.
Regulations implementing Amendment
10 to the FMP (63 FR 27481, May 19,
1998) added Maine ocean quahogs
(locally known as Maine mahogany
quahogs) to the management unit, and
provided for a small artisanal fishery for
ocean quahogs in the waters north of
43°50′ N. lat., with an annual quota
within a range of 17,000 to 100,000
Maine bushels (bu) (0.6 to 3.524 million
L). As specified in Amendment 10, the
Maine mahogany ocean quahog quota is
allocated separately from the quota
specified for the ocean quahog fishery.
Regulations implementing Amendment
13 to the FMP (68 FR 69970, December
16, 2003) established the ability to set
multi-year quotas. The Council annually
reviews the quota to determine whether
the multi-year quota specifications
remain appropriate. The fishing quotas
must be in compliance with overfishing
definitions for each species. In
recommending these quotas, the
Council considered the most recent
stock assessments and other relevant
scientific information.
In June 2013, the Council voted to
recommend maintaining the 2013 quota
levels of 5.333 million bu (284 million
L) for the ocean quahog fishery, 3.400
million bu (181 million L) for the
Atlantic surfclam fishery, and 100,000
E:\FR\FM\20DER1.SGM
20DER1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 245 (Friday, December 20, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 77005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30218]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 121009528-2729-02]
RIN 0648-XD021
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 Commonwealth of Virginia and the State
of North Carolina are both transferring a portion of their 2013
commercial summer flounder quotas to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
NMFS is adjusting the quotas and announcing the revised commercial
quota for each state involved.
DATES: Effective December 17, 2013, through December 31, 2013.
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.
Virginia has agreed to transfer 19,858 lb (9,007 kg) of its 2013
commercial quota to Massachusetts. North Carolina has agreed to
transfer 19,857 lb (9,007 kg) of its 2013 commercial quota to
Massachusetts. These transfers were prompted by summer flounder
landings of two vessels intending to land in North Carolina and
Virginia, which were granted safe harbor in Massachusetts due to
mechanical failure on December 2, 2013, thereby requiring quota
transfers to account for an increase in Massachusetts' landings that
would have otherwise accrued against the North Carolina and Virginia
quotas. The Regional Administrator has determined that the criteria set
forth in Sec. 648.102(c)(2)(i) have been met. The revised summer
flounder commercial quotas for calendar year 2013 are: Virginia,
5,020,643 lb (2,277,325 kg); North Carolina, 402,773 lb (182,695 kg);
and Massachusetts, 830,951 lb (376,913 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: December 16, 2013.
Sean F. Corson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-30218 Filed 12-17-13; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
