Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Black Sea Bass Fishery; Framework Adjustment 8, 78022-78024 [2014-30266]
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asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
78022
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Proposed Rules
IUCN Red List as of 2006. However,
these assessments and their conclusions
do not directly inform our analysis of
extinction risk for the pinto abalone.
First, the criteria used for assessing
whether a species warrants listing under
the State ESA, Canada’s SARA, or the
IUCN Red List are different than the
standards for making a determination
that a species warrants listing as
threatened or endangered under the
Federal ESA. Second, the geographic
scope considered in these assessments
differed from the scope of our analysis.
Washington State’s review focuses on
the status of the species within state
waters. Canada’s SARA listing focused
on the status of the species within
British Columbia, and also did not
incorporate more recent data that has
become available since 2011, showing
decreased poaching pressure and
increasing abundances at index survey
sites. The IUCN Red List assessment
focused on the status of the northern
form of pinto abalone (Point Conception
to Alaska), and was largely based on
population trends in Alaska and British
Columbia (McDougall et al. 2006).
McDougall et al. (2006) cited the lack of
overlap in abundance and low presence
of the southern form relative to other
California abalone species as reasons for
focusing on the northern form.
However, as we have discussed above
(see ‘‘The Species Question’’ section),
more recent evidence indicates that the
degree of overlap between the northern
and southern form is greater than
previously thought. We considered the
pinto abalone as one species throughout
its range due to the lack of genetic,
geographic, or ecological justification
for treating the northern and southern
forms as separate species. In addition,
the ESA does not allow the
consideration of distinct population
segments for invertebrate species. Thus,
our analysis of the species’ status under
the Federal ESA considered different
standards and a broader geographic
scope than these previous assessments.
In this status review, we identified
several important data gaps that need to
be addressed to inform our
understanding of the status of the
species. These data gaps include: pinto
abalone abundance and trends in
Alaska, California, and Mexico; past and
present fisheries harvest levels in
Alaska and Mexico; and the presence,
distribution, and abundance of pinto
abalone along the outer coast of
Washington and Oregon. We encourage
the following research and monitoring
efforts to address these data gaps.
• In Alaska: (a) Establishment of
regular, long-term monitoring of pinto
abalone population abundance, trends,
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and distribution; and (b) monitoring and
management of personal use and
subsistence harvest to minimize impacts
to pinto abalone. As discussed under
the ‘‘Summary of factors affecting the
species’’ (see the section on
‘‘Overutilization’’), ADF&G believes that
personal use and subsistence harvest is
currently low, but regulations still allow
harvest of up to five pinto abalone per
person per day. Monitoring would
provide the data needed to estimate
current harvest levels and to evaluate
the impacts of these harvest levels
(allowed and actual) on the pinto
abalone population in Alaska.
• In Washington: Surveys to evaluate
the presence, abundance, and
distribution of pinto abalone along the
outer coast of Washington.
• In Oregon: Surveys to evaluate the
presence, abundance, and distribution
of pinto abalone along the outer coast of
Oregon. Revision of the fisheries
regulations may also be needed to
clarify that harvest of pinto abalone is
prohibited.
• In California: Establishment of
regular, long-term monitoring of pinto
abalone population abundance, trends,
and distribution.
• In Mexico: (a) Establishment of
regular, long-term monitoring of pinto
abalone population abundance, trends,
and distribution; and (b) monitoring of
pinto abalone harvest and, as needed,
management measures to minimize
impacts of fisheries harvest on pinto
abalone. As discussed under the
‘‘Summary of factors affecting the
species’’ (see the section on
‘‘Overutilization’’), current harvest
levels of pinto abalone in Mexico are
thought to be low. Monitoring would
provide the data needed to estimate
current harvest levels and their impacts
on the pinto abalone population in
Mexico.
Given the data gaps and uncertainties
associated with our current
understanding of the status of the
species, we plan to retain pinto abalone
on the NMFS Species of Concern list
with one revision to apply the Species
of Concern status throughout the
species’ range (Alaska to Mexico).
References
A complete list of all references cited
herein is available on the NMFS West
Coast Region Web site (https://www.
westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/) and upon
request (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT).
Authority: The authority for this action is
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
PO 00000
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Dated: December 22, 2014.
Eileen Sobeck,
Assistant Administrator, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–30345 Filed 12–22–14; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 141103917–4917–01 ]
RIN 0648–BE60
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the
Northeastern United States; Black Sea
Bass Fishery; Framework Adjustment
8
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS proposes regulations to
implement Framework Adjustment 8 to
the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan.
This action would allow the black sea
bass recreational fishery to begin on
May 15 of each year, instead of May 19,
to provide additional fishing
opportunities earlier in the year.
DATES: Comments must be received by
5 p.m. local time, on January 28, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
on this document, identified NOAA–
NMFS–2014–BE60, by any of the
following methods:
• Electronic Submission: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20140155, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon,
complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
• Mail and Hand Delivery: John K.
Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries
Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside
of the envelope: ‘‘Comments on Black
Sea Bass Framework 8.’’
Instructions: Comments sent by any
other method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of
the comment period, may not be
considered by NMFS. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted for public
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\29DEP1.SGM
29DEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Proposed Rules
viewing on www.regulations.gov
without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.),
confidential business information, or
otherwise sensitive information
submitted voluntarily by the sender will
be publicly accessible. NMFS will
accept anonymous comments (enter
‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if you wish
to remain anonymous). Attachments to
electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF
file formats only.
Copies of the Supplemental
Information Report and other
supporting documents for this action are
available from Dr. Christopher M.
Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, Suite 201,
800 N. State Street, Dover, DE 19901.
These documents are also accessible via
the Internet at: https://www.greater
atlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Moira Kelly, Fishery Policy Analyst,
(978) 281–9218.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
General Background
The summer flounder, scup, and
black sea bass fisheries are managed
cooperatively under the provisions of
the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan
(FMP) developed by the Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council and the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission, in consultation with the
New England and South Atlantic
Fishery Management Councils. The
management unit specified in the FMP
for black sea bass (Centropristis striata)
is U.S. waters of the Atlantic Ocean
from 35 E. 13.3’ N. lat. (the latitude of
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Buxton,
North Carolina) northward to the U.S./
Canada border.
The FMP is managed jointly by the
Council and Commission, and states
manage black sea bass within 3 nautical
miles (4.83 km) of their coasts under the
Commission’s plan. The applicable
Federal regulations govern vessels and
individual anglers fishing in Federal
waters of the exclusive economic zone
(EEZ), as well as vessels possessing a
Federal black sea bass charter/party
vessel permit, regardless of where they
fish. The recreational fishery is
essentially managed with four parts:
The recreational harvest limit; the open
season; minimum fish size; and a bag
limit. The recreational harvest limit is
established based on the specifications
formula in the FMP. The open season,
minimum fish size, and bag limit are
collectively referred to as the
‘‘recreational management measures.’’
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Recreational Management Measures
Background
The Black Sea Bass Monitoring
Committee, consisting of representatives
from the Commission, the Council, state
marine fishery agency representatives
from Massachusetts to North Carolina,
and NMFS, typically meets in
November of each year to make
recommendations on recreational
management measures necessary to
constrain landings within the
recreational harvest limit established for
the upcoming fishing year. The
Council’s Demersal Species Committee
and the Commission’s Summer
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
Management Board then consider the
Monitoring Committee’s
recommendations and any public
comment in making their
recommendations to the Council and
the Commission, respectively. The
Council reviews the recommendations
of the Demersal Species Committee,
makes its own recommendations, and
forwards them to NMFS for review. The
Commission similarly adopts
recommendations for the states. NMFS
is required to review the Council’s
recommendations to ensure that they
are consistent with the targets specified
for each species in the FMP and all
applicable laws and Executive Orders
before ultimately implementing
measures for Federal waters. A
proposed rule is typically published in
the spring of the next year, with a final
rule typically published in late May or
early June.
The recreational management
measures recommendations are
typically based on recreational landings
of the current fishing year, through
Wave 4 (July/August), with projections
to estimate total annual landings. If the
estimate of total annual landings is
below the recreational harvest limit for
the next year, recreational measures
may be kept the same or possibly even
relaxed. If the estimate of annual
landings is above the recreational
harvest limit for the next year, measures
may need to be more restrictive. In order
to maximize fishing opportunities for a
given recreational harvest limit, the
Monitoring Committee uses a set of
tables that illustrate the expected
change in landing per unit of change for
each of the management measures tools
(season, size, and bag limit).
Modifications to the minimium size and
bag limit typically result in less change
per unit than changes to the season. The
Monitoring Committee considers the
predicted changes in landings per day
per wave for each state and coastwide.
The highest coastwide percent change
PO 00000
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78023
per day occurs in Wave 5 (September/
October), followed closely by Wave 3
(May/June).
In December 2013, the Council
initiated a Framework Adjustment to
consider two modifications to the black
sea bass management measures for the
2015 fishing year: (1) Opening Wave 1
(January/February) with increased
reporting requirements for federally
permitted charter/party vessels only;
and (2) move the start of the Wave 3
fishery to May 1. Because of issues
surrounding data collection, both
current and historical, and the impact
that the Wave 1 fishery would have on
the recreational harvest limit later in the
year, the Council voted at its August
2014 meeting not to move forward with
that measure at this time. The Council
did, however, recommend opening the
Wave 3 fishery on May 15, as opposed
to the current start date of May 19. This
framework adjustment is necessary
because the timing of the normal
rulemaking schedule, as described
above, makes implementing
management measure changes that
would impact early May difficult, and
they would likely not be effective until
May 2016.
Proposed Action
This action proposes to revise the
start date of the black sea bass
recreational fishery by four days to
begin on May 15 instead of May 19. The
Council had originally considered
moving the start date to May 1, but
determined that an incremental change
of only four days would allow for a
wider distribution of opportunity. While
some states would prefer that Wave 3 be
open for more days than Wave 5, other
states would prefer a shorter Wave 3
season compared to Wave 5. However,
there are usually other fisheries
(summer flounder, striped bass, etc.)
open during Wave 5 that are not also
open in Wave 3, which may result in
more fishing opportunity overall.
In recent years, the black sea bass
recreational harvest limit has been
achieved or exceeded. Because of this,
starting the season on May 15 would
require the Council to shorten the Wave
5 season by approximately four days, in
addition to other potential management
changes, to ensure that the recreational
harvest limit is not exceeded in 2015.
The Council will make
recommendations on the other
management measures, including those
to accommodate the earlier season
opening, at its December 2014 meeting.
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Assistant
E:\FR\FM\29DEP1.SGM
29DEP1
78024
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 2014 / Proposed Rules
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Administrator has determined that this
proposed rule is consistent with the
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea
Bass FMP, other provisions of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other
applicable law, subject to further
consideration after public comment.
The Office of Management and Budget
has determined that this proposed rule
is not significant for the purposes of
Executive Order 12866.
The Chief Council for Regulation of
the Department of Commerce certified
to the Chief Council for Advocacy of the
Small Business Administration that this
proposed rule, if adopted, would not
have a significant economic impact on
a substantial number of small entities.
The Council conducted an evaluation
of the potential socioeconomic impacts
of the proposed measures in
conjunction with a supplemental
information report. These analyses
identified 777 unique fishing entities
(i.e., federally permitted charter/party
vessels) in the Greater Atlantic Region
that could be affected by the proposed
change. However, only 346 federally
permitted charter/party vessels, all of
which qualify as small entities under
the Small Business Administration’s
small business standards, are expected
to participate in the black sea bass
recreational fishery next year. The
proposed measure would shift four days
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:49 Dec 24, 2014
Jkt 235001
of the black sea bass season from later
in the season, when there are more
species to target, to earlier in the season
when there are fewer species to target.
Because of seasonal availability, if
charter/party vessels are not able to
target black sea bass earlier in May, they
will not be able to advertise and book
trips, thereby losing revenue. However,
even with reduced black sea bass fishing
in Wave 5, they will be able to continue
to book trips to target other revenuegenerating species during that time,
such as summer flounder. As a result,
charter/party vessel operators will be
able to take more trips over the course
of the year and earn more revenue than
is currently possible. Therefore, the
economic impacts of this action are
expected to be positive, if minimal.
Although a substantial number of small
entities will be affected, the effect will
be neither negative nor significant.
Because this rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities, an
initial regulatory flexibility analysis is
not required and none has been
prepared.
There are no new reporting or
recordkeeping requirements contained
in any of the alternatives considered for
this action.
PO 00000
Frm 00070
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 9990
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 648
Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: December 19, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
For the reasons set out in the
preamble, 50 CFR part 648 is proposed
to be amended as follows:
PART 648—FISHERIES OF THE
NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
1. The authority citation for part 648
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
2. Section 648.146 is revised to read
as follows:
■
§ 648.146 Black sea bass recreational
fishing season.
Vessels that are not eligible for a
moratorium permit under § 648.4(a)(7),
and fishermen subject to the possession
limit specified in § 648.145(a), may only
possess black sea bass from May 15
through September 18, and October 18
through December 31, unless this time
period is adjusted pursuant to the
procedures in § 648.142.
[FR Doc. 2014–30266 Filed 12–24–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
E:\FR\FM\29DEP1.SGM
29DEP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 78022-78024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30266]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 141103917-4917-01 ]
RIN 0648-BE60
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Black Sea Bass
Fishery; Framework Adjustment 8
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations to implement Framework Adjustment 8
to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management
Plan. This action would allow the black sea bass recreational fishery
to begin on May 15 of each year, instead of May 19, to provide
additional fishing opportunities earlier in the year.
DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m. local time, on January 28,
2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified NOAA-
NMFS-2014-BE60, by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2014-0155, click the
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
Mail and Hand Delivery: John K. Bullard, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55
Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the
envelope: ``Comments on Black Sea Bass Framework 8.''
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public
[[Page 78023]]
viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
Copies of the Supplemental Information Report and other supporting
documents for this action are available from Dr. Christopher M. Moore,
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Suite 201,
800 N. State Street, Dover, DE 19901. These documents are also
accessible via the Internet at: https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Moira Kelly, Fishery Policy Analyst,
(978) 281-9218.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General Background
The summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries are managed
cooperatively under the provisions of the Summer Flounder, Scup, and
Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) developed by the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission, in consultation with the New England and South
Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. The management unit specified in
the FMP for black sea bass (Centropristis striata) is U.S. waters of
the Atlantic Ocean from 35 E. 13.3' N. lat. (the latitude of Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse, Buxton, North Carolina) northward to the U.S./
Canada border.
The FMP is managed jointly by the Council and Commission, and
states manage black sea bass within 3 nautical miles (4.83 km) of their
coasts under the Commission's plan. The applicable Federal regulations
govern vessels and individual anglers fishing in Federal waters of the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as well as vessels possessing a Federal
black sea bass charter/party vessel permit, regardless of where they
fish. The recreational fishery is essentially managed with four parts:
The recreational harvest limit; the open season; minimum fish size; and
a bag limit. The recreational harvest limit is established based on the
specifications formula in the FMP. The open season, minimum fish size,
and bag limit are collectively referred to as the ``recreational
management measures.''
Recreational Management Measures Background
The Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee, consisting of
representatives from the Commission, the Council, state marine fishery
agency representatives from Massachusetts to North Carolina, and NMFS,
typically meets in November of each year to make recommendations on
recreational management measures necessary to constrain landings within
the recreational harvest limit established for the upcoming fishing
year. The Council's Demersal Species Committee and the Commission's
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board then
consider the Monitoring Committee's recommendations and any public
comment in making their recommendations to the Council and the
Commission, respectively. The Council reviews the recommendations of
the Demersal Species Committee, makes its own recommendations, and
forwards them to NMFS for review. The Commission similarly adopts
recommendations for the states. NMFS is required to review the
Council's recommendations to ensure that they are consistent with the
targets specified for each species in the FMP and all applicable laws
and Executive Orders before ultimately implementing measures for
Federal waters. A proposed rule is typically published in the spring of
the next year, with a final rule typically published in late May or
early June.
The recreational management measures recommendations are typically
based on recreational landings of the current fishing year, through
Wave 4 (July/August), with projections to estimate total annual
landings. If the estimate of total annual landings is below the
recreational harvest limit for the next year, recreational measures may
be kept the same or possibly even relaxed. If the estimate of annual
landings is above the recreational harvest limit for the next year,
measures may need to be more restrictive. In order to maximize fishing
opportunities for a given recreational harvest limit, the Monitoring
Committee uses a set of tables that illustrate the expected change in
landing per unit of change for each of the management measures tools
(season, size, and bag limit). Modifications to the minimium size and
bag limit typically result in less change per unit than changes to the
season. The Monitoring Committee considers the predicted changes in
landings per day per wave for each state and coastwide. The highest
coastwide percent change per day occurs in Wave 5 (September/October),
followed closely by Wave 3 (May/June).
In December 2013, the Council initiated a Framework Adjustment to
consider two modifications to the black sea bass management measures
for the 2015 fishing year: (1) Opening Wave 1 (January/February) with
increased reporting requirements for federally permitted charter/party
vessels only; and (2) move the start of the Wave 3 fishery to May 1.
Because of issues surrounding data collection, both current and
historical, and the impact that the Wave 1 fishery would have on the
recreational harvest limit later in the year, the Council voted at its
August 2014 meeting not to move forward with that measure at this time.
The Council did, however, recommend opening the Wave 3 fishery on May
15, as opposed to the current start date of May 19. This framework
adjustment is necessary because the timing of the normal rulemaking
schedule, as described above, makes implementing management measure
changes that would impact early May difficult, and they would likely
not be effective until May 2016.
Proposed Action
This action proposes to revise the start date of the black sea bass
recreational fishery by four days to begin on May 15 instead of May 19.
The Council had originally considered moving the start date to May 1,
but determined that an incremental change of only four days would allow
for a wider distribution of opportunity. While some states would prefer
that Wave 3 be open for more days than Wave 5, other states would
prefer a shorter Wave 3 season compared to Wave 5. However, there are
usually other fisheries (summer flounder, striped bass, etc.) open
during Wave 5 that are not also open in Wave 3, which may result in
more fishing opportunity overall.
In recent years, the black sea bass recreational harvest limit has
been achieved or exceeded. Because of this, starting the season on May
15 would require the Council to shorten the Wave 5 season by
approximately four days, in addition to other potential management
changes, to ensure that the recreational harvest limit is not exceeded
in 2015. The Council will make recommendations on the other management
measures, including those to accommodate the earlier season opening, at
its December 2014 meeting.
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the
Assistant
[[Page 78024]]
Administrator has determined that this proposed rule is consistent with
the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass FMP, other provisions of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law, subject to further
consideration after public comment.
The Office of Management and Budget has determined that this
proposed rule is not significant for the purposes of Executive Order
12866.
The Chief Council for Regulation of the Department of Commerce
certified to the Chief Council for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration that this proposed rule, if adopted, would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The Council conducted an evaluation of the potential socioeconomic
impacts of the proposed measures in conjunction with a supplemental
information report. These analyses identified 777 unique fishing
entities (i.e., federally permitted charter/party vessels) in the
Greater Atlantic Region that could be affected by the proposed change.
However, only 346 federally permitted charter/party vessels, all of
which qualify as small entities under the Small Business
Administration's small business standards, are expected to participate
in the black sea bass recreational fishery next year. The proposed
measure would shift four days of the black sea bass season from later
in the season, when there are more species to target, to earlier in the
season when there are fewer species to target. Because of seasonal
availability, if charter/party vessels are not able to target black sea
bass earlier in May, they will not be able to advertise and book trips,
thereby losing revenue. However, even with reduced black sea bass
fishing in Wave 5, they will be able to continue to book trips to
target other revenue-generating species during that time, such as
summer flounder. As a result, charter/party vessel operators will be
able to take more trips over the course of the year and earn more
revenue than is currently possible. Therefore, the economic impacts of
this action are expected to be positive, if minimal. Although a
substantial number of small entities will be affected, the effect will
be neither negative nor significant.
Because this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities, an initial regulatory flexibility
analysis is not required and none has been prepared.
There are no new reporting or recordkeeping requirements contained
in any of the alternatives considered for this action.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 648
Fisheries, Fishing, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: December 19, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 648 is
proposed to be amended as follows:
PART 648--FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
0
1. The authority citation for part 648 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
0
2. Section 648.146 is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 648.146 Black sea bass recreational fishing season.
Vessels that are not eligible for a moratorium permit under Sec.
648.4(a)(7), and fishermen subject to the possession limit specified in
Sec. 648.145(a), may only possess black sea bass from May 15 through
September 18, and October 18 through December 31, unless this time
period is adjusted pursuant to the procedures in Sec. 648.142.
[FR Doc. 2014-30266 Filed 12-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
