Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area Closure for the Common Pool Fishery, 45100 [2015-18586]

Download as PDF 45100 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 145 / Wednesday, July 29, 2015 / Rules and Regulations well as delay potential beneficial effects on the ability for vessel operators to make business plans for their future. Due to the migratory nature of the target species, delaying inseason action may preclude fishing opportunities for some vessel operators. NMFS is trying to balance providing opportunity to the pelagic longline fishery, with the reduction of BFT bycatch, and delaying this action would be contrary to the public interest. Therefore, the AA finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the opportunity for public comment. For all of the above reasons, there is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) to waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness. This action is being taken under §§ 635.15(b)(5)(ii), 635.15(f), 635.27(a)(8) and (9), and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 et seq. Dated: July 24, 2015. Emily H. Menashes Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–18584 Filed 7–28–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [Docket No. 150105004–5355–01] RIN 0648–XE073 Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area Closure for the Common Pool Fishery National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; area closure. AGENCY: This action closes the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area to Northeast multispecies common pool trawl and gillnet vessels for the remainder of Trimester 1, through August 31, 2015. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:16 Jul 28, 2015 Jkt 235001 The closure is required by regulation because the common pool fishery has caught over 90 percent of its Trimester 1 quota for Southern New England/MidAtlantic yellowtail flounder. This closure is intended to prevent the overharvest of the common pool’s allocation for this stock. DATES: This action is effective July 29, 2015, through August 31, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz Sullivan, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 282–8493. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal regulations at § 648.82(n)(2)(ii) require the Regional Administrator to close a common pool Trimester Total Allowable Catch (TAC) Area for a stock when 90 percent of the Trimester TAC is projected to be caught. The closure applies to all common pool vessels fishing with gear capable of catching that stock for the remainder of the trimester. We have determined that 95 percent of the Trimester 1 TAC was caught as of July 21, 2015. The fishing year 2015 common pool sub-annual catch limit (sub-ACL) for Southern New England/ Mid-Atlantic (SNE/MA) yellowtail flounder is 114.5 mt and the Trimester 1 TAC is 24 mt. Effective July 29, 2015, the SNE/MA yellowtail flounder Trimester TAC Area is closed for the remainder of Trimester 1, through August 31, 2015, to all common pool vessels fishing with trawl and gillnet gear. The SNE/MA yellowtail flounder Trimester TAC Area consists of statistical areas 537, 538, 539, and 613. The area reopens at the beginning of Trimester 2 on September 1, 2015. If a vessel declared its trip through the VMS or the interactive voice response system, and crossed the VMS demarcation line prior to July 29, 2015, it may complete its trip within the Trimester TAC Area. Any overage of a Trimester TAC is deducted from the Trimester 3 TAC, and any overage of the common pool’s subACL at the end of the fishing year is deducted from the common pool’s subACL for fishing year 2016. Any uncaught portion of the Trimester 1 and Trimester 2 TACs is carried over into the next trimester. However, any uncaught portion of the common pool’s sub-ACL may not be carried over into the following fishing year. PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 9990 Weekly quota monitoring reports for the common pool fishery are on our Web site at: https:// www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ ro/fso/MultiMonReports.htm. We will continue to monitor common pool catch through vessel trip reports, dealerreported landings, VMS catch reports, and other available information and, if necessary, we will make additional adjustments to common pool management measures. 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, finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive prior notice and the opportunity for public comment and the 30-day delayed effectiveness period because it would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest. The regulations require the Regional Administrator to close a trimester TAC area to the common pool fishery when 90 percent of the Trimester TAC for a stock has been caught. Updated catch information only recently became available indicating that the common pool fishery has caught over 90 percent of its Trimester 1 TAC for SNE/MA yellowtail flounder as of July 21, 2015. The time necessary to provide for prior notice and comment, and a 30-day delay in effectiveness, prevents the immediate closure of the SNE/MA yellowtail flounder Trimester 1 TAC Area. This increases the likelihood that the common pool fishery exceeds its quota of SNE/MA yellowtail flounder to the detriment of this stock, which could undermine management objectives of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Additionally, an overage of the common pool quota could cause negative economic impacts to the common pool fishery as a result of overage paybacks in a future trimester or fishing year. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: July 24, 2015. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–18586 Filed 7–28–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P E:\FR\FM\29JYR1.SGM 29JYR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 145 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 45100]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18586]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 150105004-5355-01]
RIN 0648-XE073


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast 
Multispecies Fishery; Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area Closure for 
the Common Pool Fishery

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; area closure.

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SUMMARY: This action closes the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic 
yellowtail flounder Trimester Total Allowable Catch Area to Northeast 
multispecies common pool trawl and gillnet vessels for the remainder of 
Trimester 1, through August 31, 2015. The closure is required by 
regulation because the common pool fishery has caught over 90 percent 
of its Trimester 1 quota for Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic 
yellowtail flounder. This closure is intended to prevent the 
overharvest of the common pool's allocation for this stock.

DATES: This action is effective July 29, 2015, through August 31, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz Sullivan, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 282-8493.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal regulations at Sec.  
648.82(n)(2)(ii) require the Regional Administrator to close a common 
pool Trimester Total Allowable Catch (TAC) Area for a stock when 90 
percent of the Trimester TAC is projected to be caught. The closure 
applies to all common pool vessels fishing with gear capable of 
catching that stock for the remainder of the trimester.
    We have determined that 95 percent of the Trimester 1 TAC was 
caught as of July 21, 2015. The fishing year 2015 common pool sub-
annual catch limit (sub-ACL) for Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic 
(SNE/MA) yellowtail flounder is 114.5 mt and the Trimester 1 TAC is 24 
mt.
    Effective July 29, 2015, the SNE/MA yellowtail flounder Trimester 
TAC Area is closed for the remainder of Trimester 1, through August 31, 
2015, to all common pool vessels fishing with trawl and gillnet gear. 
The SNE/MA yellowtail flounder Trimester TAC Area consists of 
statistical areas 537, 538, 539, and 613. The area reopens at the 
beginning of Trimester 2 on September 1, 2015.
    If a vessel declared its trip through the VMS or the interactive 
voice response system, and crossed the VMS demarcation line prior to 
July 29, 2015, it may complete its trip within the Trimester TAC Area.
    Any overage of a Trimester TAC is deducted from the Trimester 3 
TAC, and any overage of the common pool's sub-ACL at the end of the 
fishing year is deducted from the common pool's sub-ACL for fishing 
year 2016. Any uncaught portion of the Trimester 1 and Trimester 2 TACs 
is carried over into the next trimester. However, any uncaught portion 
of the common pool's sub-ACL may not be carried over into the following 
fishing year.
    Weekly quota monitoring reports for the common pool fishery are on 
our Web site at: https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ro/fso/MultiMonReports.htm. We will continue to monitor common pool catch 
through vessel trip reports, dealer-reported landings, VMS catch 
reports, and other available information and, if necessary, we will 
make additional adjustments to common pool management measures.

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, finds good cause 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive prior 
notice and the opportunity for public comment and the 30-day delayed 
effectiveness period because it would be impracticable and contrary to 
the public interest.
    The regulations require the Regional Administrator to close a 
trimester TAC area to the common pool fishery when 90 percent of the 
Trimester TAC for a stock has been caught. Updated catch information 
only recently became available indicating that the common pool fishery 
has caught over 90 percent of its Trimester 1 TAC for SNE/MA yellowtail 
flounder as of July 21, 2015. The time necessary to provide for prior 
notice and comment, and a 30-day delay in effectiveness, prevents the 
immediate closure of the SNE/MA yellowtail flounder Trimester 1 TAC 
Area. This increases the likelihood that the common pool fishery 
exceeds its quota of SNE/MA yellowtail flounder to the detriment of 
this stock, which could undermine management objectives of the 
Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Additionally, an 
overage of the common pool quota could cause negative economic impacts 
to the common pool fishery as a result of overage paybacks in a future 
trimester or fishing year.

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

    Dated: July 24, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-18586 Filed 7-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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