Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of New Jersey, 71339-71340 [2014-28379]

Download as PDF 71339 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 231 / Tuesday, December 2, 2014 / Rules and Regulations TABLE 2—AVERAGE EX-VESSEL PRICES PER lb dw FOR EACH SHARK MANAGEMENT GROUP, 2013 *—Continued [Year 2013] Species Region Price Blue shark ................................................................................................. Porbeagle shark ........................................................................................ Other Pelagic sharks ................................................................................. Shark Fins ................................................................................................. Both ............................................................................. Both ............................................................................. Both ............................................................................. Gulf of Mexico ............................................................. Atlantic ......................................................................... Both ............................................................................. 0.28 ** 1.15 1.69 11.16 3.53 6.05 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES * The ex-vessel prices are based on 2013 dealer reports through December 31, 2013. ** Since the porbeagle shark management group was closed for 2013, there was no 2013 price data. Thus, NMFS used price data from 2012. All of these changes in gross revenues are similar to the changes in gross revenues analyzed in the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and its amendments. The FRFAs for those amendments concluded that the economic impacts on these small entities, resulting from rules such as this one that establish the season openings via proposed and final rulemaking, were expected to be minimal. The 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and its amendments, and the EA for the 2011 shark quota specifications rule, assumed NMFS would be preparing annual rulemakings and considering the previous FRFAs in the economic and other analyses at the time of the annual rulemakings. For this final rule, NMFS reviewed the ‘‘Opening Fishing Season’’ criteria at § 635.27(b)(3)(i) through (b)(3)(vii) to determine when opening each fishery will provide equitable opportunities for fishermen while also considering the ecological needs of the different species. Over- and/or underharvests of 2014 and previous fishing season quotas were examined for the different species/ complexes to determine the effects of the 2015 final quotas on fishermen across regional fishing areas. The potential season lengths and previous catch rates were examined to ensure that equitable fishing opportunities would be provided to fishermen. Lastly, NMFS examined the seasonal variation of the different species/complexes and the effects on fishing opportunities. In addition to these criteria, NMFS also considered other relevant factors, such as recent landings data and public comments, before arriving at the final opening dates for the 2015 Atlantic shark management groups. For the 2015 fishing season, NMFS is opening the fisheries for Gulf of Mexico blacktip shark, Gulf of Mexico aggregated LCS, Gulf of Mexico hammerhead shark, nonblacknose shark SCS, blacknose shark, sandbar shark, blue shark, porbeagle shark, and pelagic shark (other than porbeagle or blue sharks) management groups on January 1, 2015. The direct VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:18 Dec 01, 2014 Jkt 235001 and indirect economic impacts will be neutral on a short- and long-term basis, because NMFS did not change the opening dates of these fisheries from the status quo. NMFS is delaying the opening of the aggregated LCS and hammerhead shark management groups in the Atlantic region until July 1, 2014. This delay could result in short-term, direct, minor, adverse economic impacts, as fishermen and dealers in the southern portion of the Atlantic region would not be able to fish for aggregated LCS and hammerhead sharks starting in January, but would still be able to fish earlier in the 2015 fishing season compared to the 2010 through 2012 fishing seasons, which did not start until July 15. Based on public comment, some Atlantic fishermen in the southern portion of the region preferred a delayed opening for the potential to be fishing for aggregated LCS and hammerhead sharks from October through December. Therefore, the delayed opening could have direct, minor, beneficial economic impacts for fishermen, since there are limited opportunities for fishermen to fish for non-HMS in the southern portion of the Atlantic region later in the year. In the northern portion of the Atlantic region, a delayed opening for the aggregated LCS and hammerhead shark management groups would have direct, minor, beneficial economic impacts in the short-term for fishermen as they would have access to the aggregated LCS and hammerhead shark quotas in 2015. Overall, delaying the opening until July 1 would cause beneficial cumulative economic impacts across the region, since it would allow for a more equitable distribution of the quotas among constituents in this region. In addition, delaying the opening until July 1 would have minor, beneficial ecological impacts in the short term for the Atlantic aggregated LCS and hammerhead management groups, since it is consistent with recommendations from the stock assessments. The economic impacts would be neutral on long-term basis, because this delayed PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 opening would be for only the 2015 fishing season. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: November 19, 2014. Samuel D. Rauch III, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs,National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2014–28136 Filed 12–1–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [Docket No. 140117052–4402–02] RIN 0648–XD571 Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of New Jersey National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. AGENCY: NMFS announces that the 2014 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the State of New Jersey has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in New Jersey for the remainder of calendar year 2014, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise New Jersey that the quota has been harvested, and to advise Federal vessel and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in New Jersey. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\02DER1.SGM 02DER1 71340 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 231 / Tuesday, December 2, 2014 / Rules and Regulations Effective 0001 hours, November 29, 2014, through December 31, 2014. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid Lichwell, (978) 281–9112, or Reid.Lichwell@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned on a percentage basis among the coastal states from North Carolina through Maine. The process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to each state is described in § 648.102. The initial coastwide total commercial quota for summer flounder for the 2014 fishing year was set at 10,835,720 lb (4,915,000 kg) (79 FR 29371, May 22, 2014). The percent allocated to vessels landing summer flounder in New Jersey is 16.72499 percent, resulting in a commercial quota of 1,812,273 lb (822,033 kg). We adjusted the 2014 New Jersey summer flounder allocation to 1,765,169 lb (800,667 kg) to deduct research setaside, quota overages from 2013, and adjustments for quota transfers between states. The Administrator, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), monitors the state commercial landings and determines when a state’s commercial quota has been harvested. NMFS is required to publish notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying commercial vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, the state’s commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in that state. The Regional Administrator has determined that the 2014 New Jersey commercial summer flounder quota would be harvested by November 24, 2014, based upon dealer reports and other available information. Section 648.4(b) provides that Federal permit holders agree, as a condition of the permit, not to land summer flounder in any state that the Regional Administrator has determined no longer has commercial quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, November 29, 2014, landings of summer flounder in New Jersey by vessels holding summer flounder commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited for the remainder of the 2014 calendar year, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer and is announced in the Federal Register. Effective 0001 hours, November 29, 2014, federally permitted dealers are also notified that they may not purchase mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES DATES: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:18 Dec 01, 2014 Jkt 235001 summer flounder from federally permitted vessels that land in New Jersey for the remainder of the calendar year, or until additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. 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 because it would be contrary to the public interest. This action closes the summer flounder fishery for New Jersey until January 1, 2015, under current regulations. The regulations at § 648.103(b) require such action to ensure that summer flounder vessels do not exceed quotas allocated to the states. If implementation of this closure was delayed to solicit prior public comment, the quota for this fishing year would be exceeded, thereby undermining the conservation objectives of the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan. The AA further finds, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), good cause to waive the 30day delayed effectiveness period for the reason stated above. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: November 26, 2014. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2014–28379 Filed 11–26–14; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 660 [Docket No. 130405338–4987–02] RIN 0648–BC84 Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Trawl Rationalization Program; Chafing Gear Modifications National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule. AGENCY: This action modifies the existing chafing gear regulations for midwater trawl gear. This action includes regulations that affect all trawl SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 sectors (Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota Program (IFQ), Mothership Cooperative Program (MS), Catcher/ Processor Cooperative Program (C/P), and tribal fishery) managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). Many Pacific whiting vessels also fish in the Alaska groundfish fisheries. This action establishes chafing gear restrictions for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery that are more compatible with those for the Gulf of Alaska groundfish and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries. DATES: Effective January 1, 2015. ADDRESSES: NMFS prepared a Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA), which is summarized in the Classification section of this final rule. NMFS also prepared an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) for the proposed rule. Copies of the IRFA, FRFA and the Small Entity Compliance Guide are available from William W. Stelle, Jr., Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115–0070; or by phone at 206–526–6150. Copies of the Small Entity Compliance Guide are available on the West Coast Region’s Web site at https:// www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Becky Renko, 206–526–6110; (fax) 206– 526–6736; Becky.Renko@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule modifies the chafing gear regulations that apply to all midwater trawl gear. Chafing or chafer panels are webbing or other material attached to the codend to minimize damage from wear caused by the codend rubbing against the stern ramp and trawl alley during net retrieval and from contact with the ocean floor. Midwater trawl gear is effective for targeting groundfish species that ascend above the ocean floor and is not designed to make frequent contact with the ocean floor. The only gear allowed for the targeting of Pacific whiting during the Pacific whiting primary seasons for the shorebased IFQ program, MS coop program, and CP coop program is midwater trawl gear. Midwater trawl gear is also used in the shorebased IFQ program to target non-whiting species such as widow, yellowtail, and chilipepper rockfish. A proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on March 19, 2014 (79 FR 15296), followed by a correction which was published on April 4, 2014 (79 FR 18876). During the proposed rule comment period, NMFS specifically sought E:\FR\FM\02DER1.SGM 02DER1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 71339-71340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28379]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 140117052-4402-02]
RIN 0648-XD571


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of New Jersey

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 2014 summer flounder commercial quota 
allocated to the State of New Jersey has been harvested. Vessels issued 
a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery 
may not land summer flounder in New Jersey for the remainder of 
calendar year 2014, unless additional quota becomes available through a 
transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery require publication of this notification to advise New Jersey 
that the quota has been harvested, and to advise Federal vessel and 
dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for 
landing summer flounder in New Jersey.

[[Page 71340]]


DATES: Effective 0001 hours, November 29, 2014, through December 31, 
2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid Lichwell, (978) 281-9112, or 
Reid.Lichwell@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual 
specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned on a percentage 
basis among the coastal states from North Carolina through Maine. The 
process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to 
each state is described in Sec.  648.102.
    The initial coastwide total commercial quota for summer flounder 
for the 2014 fishing year was set at 10,835,720 lb (4,915,000 kg) (79 
FR 29371, May 22, 2014). The percent allocated to vessels landing 
summer flounder in New Jersey is 16.72499 percent, resulting in a 
commercial quota of 1,812,273 lb (822,033 kg). We adjusted the 2014 New 
Jersey summer flounder allocation to 1,765,169 lb (800,667 kg) to 
deduct research set-aside, quota overages from 2013, and adjustments 
for quota transfers between states.
    The Administrator, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS (Regional 
Administrator), monitors the state commercial landings and determines 
when a state's commercial quota has been harvested. NMFS is required to 
publish notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying 
commercial vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a 
specific date, the state's commercial quota has been harvested and no 
commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in that 
state. The Regional Administrator has determined that the 2014 New 
Jersey commercial summer flounder quota would be harvested by November 
24, 2014, based upon dealer reports and other available information.
    Section 648.4(b) provides that Federal permit holders agree, as a 
condition of the permit, not to land summer flounder in any state that 
the Regional Administrator has determined no longer has commercial 
quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, November 29, 2014, 
landings of summer flounder in New Jersey by vessels holding summer 
flounder commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited for the 
remainder of the 2014 calendar year, unless additional quota becomes 
available through a transfer and is announced in the Federal Register. 
Effective 0001 hours, November 29, 2014, federally permitted dealers 
are also notified that they may not purchase summer flounder from 
federally permitted vessels that land in New Jersey for the remainder 
of the calendar year, or until additional quota becomes available 
through a transfer from another state.

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 because it would be contrary to the 
public interest. This action closes the summer flounder fishery for New 
Jersey until January 1, 2015, under current regulations. The 
regulations at Sec.  648.103(b) require such action to ensure that 
summer flounder vessels do not exceed quotas allocated to the states. 
If implementation of this closure was delayed to solicit prior public 
comment, the quota for this fishing year would be exceeded, thereby 
undermining the conservation objectives of the Summer Flounder Fishery 
Management Plan. The AA further finds, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), 
good cause to waive the 30-day delayed effectiveness period for the 
reason stated above.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 26, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-28379 Filed 11-26-14; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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