Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; 2015 Atlantic Bluefish Specifications, 46848-46852 [2015-19269]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 151 / Thursday, August 6, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
to at least twice the maximum pressure
to which they will be subjected under
the anticipated operating conditions.
*
*
*
*
*
PART 193—LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
FACILITIES: FEDERAL SAFETY
STANDARDS
5. The authority citation for part 193
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 5103, 60102, 60103,
60104, 60108, 60109, 60110, 60113, 60118;
and 49 CFR 1.53.
§ 193.2321
[Amended]
6. In § 193.2321, amend paragraph
(b)(1) by removing ‘‘(incorporated by
reference, see § 193. 2012)’’ and adding
in its place ‘‘(incorporated by reference,
see § 193.2013).’’
■
PART 195—TRANSPORTATION OF
HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE
7. The authority citation for part 195
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 5103, 60102, 60104,
60108, 60109, 60116, 60118 and 60137; and
49 CFR 1.53.
§§ 195.132, 195.205, 195.264, 195.405, and
195.432 [Amended]
8. In 49 CFR part 195, remove
‘‘(incorporated by reference, see
§ 195.3)’’ and add in its place
‘‘(incorporated by reference, see
§ 195.3)’’ everywhere it appears in the
following sections:
■ a. Section 195.132(b)(1);
■ b. Section 195.205(b)(1) and (2);
■ c. Section 195.264(b)(2) and (e)(1) and
(3);
■ d. Section 195.405(b); and
■ e. Section 195.432(c).
■
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 24,
2015, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
Part 1.97.
Stacy Cummings,
Interim Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2015–18565 Filed 8–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–60–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
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[Docket No. 140117052–4402–02]
RIN 0648–XE077
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery;
Quota Transfer
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
AGENCY:
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Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer.
NMFS announces that the
State of North Carolina is transferring a
portion of its 2015 commercial Atlantic
bluefish quota to the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. These quota adjustments
are necessary to comply with the
Bluefish Fishery Management Plan
quota transfer provision. This
announcement informs the public of the
revised commercial quota for each state
involved.
DATES: Effective August 5, 2015, through
December 31, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid
Lichwell, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281–9112.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulations governing the bluefish
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648.
The regulations require annual
specification of a commercial quota that
is apportioned among the coastal states
from Florida through Maine. The
process to set the annual commercial
quota and the percent allocated to each
state are described in § 648.162.
The final rule implementing
Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery
Management Plan published in the
Federal Register on July 26, 2000 (65 FR
45844), provided a mechanism for
transferring bluefish quota from one
state to another. Two or more states,
under mutual agreement and with the
concurrence of the Administrator,
Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS
(Regional Administrator), can transfer or
combine bluefish commercial quota
under § 648.162(e). The Regional
Administrator is required to consider
the criteria in § 648.162(e)(1) in the
evaluation of requests for quota transfers
or combinations.
North Carolina has agreed to transfer
200,000 lb (90,719 kg) of its 2015
commercial quota to Massachusetts.
This transfer was prompted by state
officials in Massachusetts to ensure
their commercial bluefish quota is not
exceeded. The Regional Administrator
has determined that the criteria set forth
in § 648.162(e)(1) are met. The revised
bluefish quotas for calendar year 2015
are: North Carolina, 1,480,371 lb
(671,485 kg); and Massachusetts,
552,036 lb (250,399 kg), based on the
final 2015 Atlantic Bluefish
Specifications.
SUMMARY:
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.
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Dated: August 3, 2015.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–19486 Filed 8–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 150126074–5655–02]
RIN 0648–XD742
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; 2015
Atlantic Bluefish Specifications
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
NMFS is implementing final
specifications for the 2015 Atlantic
bluefish fishery, including catch
restrictions for commercial and
recreational fisheries. This action is
necessary to establish the 2015 harvest
limits and management measures to
prevent overfishing. The intent of the
action is to inform the public of the
2015 catch limits and state-to-state
commercial quota transfers consistent
with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery
Management Plan and the
recommendations of the Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council. NMFS is
also approving transfers of commercial
bluefish quota from the Commonwealth
of Virginia and the State of Florida to
the State of New York to ensure New
York quota would not be exceeded.
DATES: The final specifications and
state-to-state commercial quota transfers
for the 2015 bluefish fishery are
effective August 5, 2015, through
December 31, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the specifications
document, including the Environmental
Assessment and Initial Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis (EA/IRFA) and
other supporting documents for the
specifications, are available from Dr.
Christopher M. Moore, Executive
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, Suite 201, 800 N.
State Street, Dover, DE 19901. The
specifications document is also
accessible via the Internet at: https://
www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid
Lichwell, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281–9112.
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 151 / Thursday, August 6, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Atlantic bluefish fishery is jointly
managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council and the Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission.
The management unit for bluefish
specified in the Atlantic Bluefish
Fishery Management Plan is U.S. waters
of the western Atlantic Ocean.
Regulations implementing the FMP
appear at 50 CFR part 648, subparts A
and J. The regulations requiring annual
specifications are found at § 648.162,
and are described in the proposed rule.
The proposed rule for this action
published in the Federal Register on
April 27, 2015 (80 FR 23249), and
comments were accepted through May
12, 2015.
Final Specifications
A description of the process used to
estimate bluefish stock status and
fishing mortality, as well as the process
for deriving the annual catch limit
(ACL) and associated quotas and harvest
limits, is provided in the proposed rule
and in the bluefish regulations at
§§ 648.160 through 648.162. The stock
is not overfished or experiencing
overfishing, and the catch limits
described below reflect the best
available scientific information for
bluefish. The final 2015 bluefish
acceptable biological catch (ABC), ACL,
and Annual Catch Target (ACT) are
specified at 21.544 million lb (9,772 mt).
The ACT is initially allocated
between the recreational fishery (83
percent) and the commercial fishery (17
percent). After deducting 3.351 million
lb (1,520 mt) to adjust for recreational
discards (commercial discards are
considered negligible), the recreational
Total Allowable Landings (TAL) is
14.530 million lb (6,591 mt) and the
commercial TAL is 3.662 million lb
(1,661 mt).
A transfer of quota from the
recreational to the commercial sector is
permitted under the FMP because the
initial commercial fishery ACT is less
than 10.50 million lb (4,763 mt) and the
recreational fishery is not projected to
land its harvest limit in 2015.
The recreational landings for 2015 are
projected to be 12.951 million lb (5,875
mt). This projection was based on the
average recreational landings from 2012
through 2014, including final 2014
Marine Recreational Information
Program data that became available after
the publication of the proposed rule.
With the addition of updated and final
recreational landings data, the projected
2015 recreational landings (12.951
million lb; 5,875 mt) are lower than
what was published in the proposed
rule (13.073 million lb; 5,930 mt). We
are implementing a revised transfer of
1.579 million lb (716 mt) from the
recreational to the commercial sector in
the final rule. This updated final
transfer results in an adjusted 2015
commercial quota of 5.241 million lb
(2,377 mt), a 35-percent decrease from
2014 (7.458 million lb; 3,383 mt), and
an adjusted 2015 RHL of 12.951 million
lb (5,875 mt), a 4.3-percent decrease
from the 2014 RHL (13.523 million lb;
6,133 mt). Consistent with Council
recommendations, these final
specifications do not allocate research
set-aside quota for 2015; therefore, no
additional adjustments to commercial or
recreational allocations are needed.
The final rule implementing
Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery
Management Plan, which was published
in the Federal Register on July 26, 2000
(65 FR 45844), provided a mechanism
for bluefish quota to be transferred from
one state to another. Two or more states,
under mutual agreement and with the
46849
concurrence of the Administrator,
Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS
(Regional Administrator), can transfer or
combine bluefish commercial quota
under § 648.162(e). The Regional
Administrator is required to consider
the criteria in § 648.162(e)(1) in the
evaluation of requests for quota transfers
or combinations.
During the processing of this final
rule, the Commonwealth of Virginia and
the State of Florida each requested we
transfer 150,000 lb (68,039 kg) to the
State of New York to help ensure the NY
state quota would not be exceeded. The
state commercial transfers will not
preclude the overall annual quota from
being fully harvested, and will also
address contingencies in the fishery. In
addition, the transfer is consistent with
the objectives of the FMP and the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act.
These transfers have been approved and
are incorporated within this final rule
and the individual state quota
allocations have been adjusted to reflect
the transfers. The final bluefish quotas
are shown in Table 1.
Final Recreational Possession Limit
Consistent with the recommendation
by the Council, this final rule maintains
the status quo daily recreational
possession limit of up to 15 fish per
person for 2015.
Final State Commercial Allocations
The final state commercial
allocations, including the previously
outlined transfers, for the recommended
2015 commercial quota are shown in
Table 1. The initial quotas are based on
the percentages specified in the FMP.
There were no states that exceeded their
quota in 2014; therefore, no
accountability measures are being
implemented for the 2015 fishing year.
TABLE 1—FINAL BLUEFISH COMMERCIAL STATE-BY-STATE ALLOCATIONS FOR 2015
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ME ............................................................................................
NH ............................................................................................
MA ............................................................................................
RI ..............................................................................................
CT ............................................................................................
NY ............................................................................................
NJ .............................................................................................
DE ............................................................................................
MD ............................................................................................
VA ............................................................................................
NC ............................................................................................
SC ............................................................................................
GA ............................................................................................
FL .............................................................................................
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2015 Commercial quota (lb)
before transfer
Percent
share
State
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2015 Transfer
of commercial
quota (lb) as
of 7/10/2015
35,037
21,725
352,036
356,826
66,369
544,304
776,547
98,440
157,330
622,629
1,680,371
1845
498
527,249
........................
........................
........................
........................
........................
+300,000
........................
........................
........................
¥150,000
........................
........................
........................
¥150,000
0.6685
0.4145
6.7167
6.8081
1.2663
10.3851
14.8162
1.8782
3.0018
11.8795
32.0608
0.0352
0.0095
10.0597
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Final 2015
commercial
quota (lb)
35,037
21,725
352,036
356,826
66,369
844,304
776,547
98,440
157,330
472,629
1,680,371
1,845
498
377,249
Final 2015
commercial
quota (kg)
15,893
9,854
159,682
161,855
30,105
382,970
352,239
44,652
71,365
214,380
762,211
837
226
171,117
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TABLE 1—FINAL BLUEFISH COMMERCIAL STATE-BY-STATE ALLOCATIONS FOR 2015—Continued
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Total ..................................................................................
Comments and Responses
The public comment period for the
proposed rule ended on May 12, 2015.
There were 19 comments that resulted
in 9 groups of substantive comments
received from the public, including
recreational and commercial fishermen,
in regards to the proposed rule. Three
comments were non-substantive and did
not address this rule or the subject
matter related to the rule.
Comment 1: One commenter generally
criticized NMFS and the data used to set
catch limits. The commenter did not
suggest other data or approaches that
might be better suited for establishing
specifications.
Response: Consistent with National
Standard 2 of the MSA, NMFS used the
best scientific information available and
is approving specifications for the
bluefish fishery. The most up-to-date
stock assessment and recreational and
commercial catch data were used. The
final specifications in this rule are
consistent with the FMP and
recommendations of the Council.
Comment 2: One commenter
expressed concern regarding the
economic effects that this rule would
have on the recreational sector,
specifically party and charter/head boat
businesses. The commenter suggested
there should be an increase in quota
specifically for charter/head boats.
Response: NMFS disagrees that a
quota increase for charter and party
vessels is needed. The 2015
specifications have been established
following the procedures set forth in the
FMP, which does not allocate bluefish
harvest between sectors of the
recreational fishery. Marine
Recreational Information Program
(MRIP) catch data by mode for 2013
indicate that approximately 59 percent
of bluefish were caught from shore, 34
percent of bluefish were caught from
private and rental boats, and 7 percent
from party and charter boats. The 2015
RHL represents approximately 71
percent of the coastwide total allowable
landings for bluefish when accounting
for transfers, which are expected to be
equivalent to recent observed
recreational harvest across all sectors
(shore, private, charter, etc.). As such,
the 2015 RHL is not likely to constrain
party or charter fishing opportunity or
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2015 Commercial quota (lb)
before transfer
Percent
share
State
2015 Transfer
of commercial
quota (lb) as
of 7/10/2015
5,241,202
........................
100.0001
catch. According to the analyses in the
EA supporting this action (see
ADDRESSES), the economic impacts of
these specifications have neutral to
slightly negative impacts that are not
expected to be significant to any
component of the recreational fishery.
Comment 3: One commenter
suggested that with the decrease in
private angler and for-hire effort, there
should be no reduction in the bluefish
recreational quota.
Response: NMFS disagrees. The RHL
is set to equal the expected recreational
catch for 2015. NMFS calculates the
expected catch by averaging the yearly
recreational landing over a three-year
period (2012–2014) using MRIP data.
Although the 2014 RHL is less than the
2015 RHL, the fishery is projected to
catch less bluefish recreationally during
2015. Therefore, the RHL is not likely to
constrain or limit recreational fishing
opportunity in 2015.
Comment 4: Three commenters
requested clarification for the decision
to reduce the ACL, given that the
bluefish stock is not currently being
overfished.
Response: Although the bluefish stock
is not currently overfished or
experiencing overfishing, estimated
biomass has declined slightly in recent
years. Based upon the results of the
2014 assessment update for bluefish, the
Council’s Scientific and Statistical
Committee (SSC) recommended a
reduction in the ABC for 2015. This
reduction is necessary to reduce the risk
of overfishing the stock.
Comment 5: Three commenters,
including an operator of a party boat
that targets bluefish, agreed with NMFS
that the current recreational bag limit of
15 bluefish per person per day should
remain unchanged for the 2015 fishing
year.
Response: NMFS agrees and has
retained the Council’s recommendation
that the status quo recreational bag limit
of 15 bluefish per person, per day
remain in place for the 2015 fishing
year.
Comment 6: Five commenters stated
that the bluefish specifications should
remain unchanged from the 2014 fishing
year. The comments offered no
suggestions on why specifications
should remain unchanged.
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Final 2015
commercial
quota (lb)
5,241,202
Final 2015
commercial
quota (kg)
2,377,394
Response: NMFS disagrees that the
status quo bluefish specifications would
be appropriate for 2015. As outlined in
the response to comment number 3, the
bluefish biomass has declined. The
specifications in place for 2014 would
be expected to result in negative
biological impacts to the bluefish stock.
If the 2014 catch limits remain in place
for 2015 and were fully achieved, it
would result in catches above the ABC
recommended by the SSC, and could
result in overfishing. Under National
Standard 1 guidelines, the Council
cannot recommend catch limits higher
than the ABC recommended by its SSC.
Comment 7: Two commenters
expressed concern that the 2015
specifications imposed regulations that
were too severe and would have an
adverse effect on small businesses in the
commercial sector.
Response: According to the economic
analyses in the EA (see ADDRESSES), the
impacts of the 2015 specifications are
not expected to be significant. Although
there are 1,009 affiliate firms that caught
bluefish from 2011 to 2013, of those,
1,001 were considered small business
entities and bluefish comprised a very
small amount of their annual gross
revenues, averaging 0.63 percent.
The 2015 commercial bluefish quota
is lower than the commercial quota
implemented in 2014. However, the
2015 quota is higher than the realized
commercial landings for 2014. Under
the 2015 commercial quota, it is
expected that commercial bluefish
fishermen would likely land bluefish
similarly to 2014 landings. Furthermore,
the Bluefish FMP permits states to
transfer bluefish quota to each other as
a tool to mitigate the potential adverse
economic impacts of a fishery closure in
a particular state.
Comment 8: One commenter
expressed concern that offshore fleets
outside of the Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) are having an adverse impact on
bluefish abundance. The commenter
suggested that the EEZ border be
expanded to improve U.S. fish stocks.
Response: NMFS recognizes that a
small amount of bluefish are caught
outside the U.S. EEZ. Bluefish stock
assessments are based on data collected
from within EEZ and changes in stock
biomass from a variety of sources,
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including international fishing
pressures, are part of the assessment.
Changes to the EEZ boundaries would
be beyond the scope of this rule.
Comment 9: One commenter inquired
about the reduction in the commercial
quota compared to a smaller reduction
in the recreational TAL. The commenter
asked if there could be a more equitable
split in quota reduction to accomplish
the same conservation goals.
Response: Bluefish catch is allocated
between the recreational and
commercial fisheries according to
specific requirements in the Bluefish
FMP, as described in the EA (see
ADDRESSES). Allocation changes can be
addressed by the Council through an
FMP amendment. Apart from the
previously described transfer, NMFS
has no authority to alter allocations
between the commercial and
recreational sector. How the 2015
specifications were derived is explained
in detail in the preamble of this rule and
the proposed rule (80 FR 23249).
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, the NMFS
Assistant Administrator has determined
that this final rule is consistent with the
Atlantic Bluefish FMP, other provisions
of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other
applicable law.
This final rule is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
This final rule does not duplicate,
conflict, or overlap with any existing
Federal rules.
The Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries finds there is a need to
implement these measures in an timely
manner in order to help achieve
conservation objectives for the bluefish
fishery which constitutes good cause,
under authority contained in 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3), to waive the 30-day delay in
effectiveness and to make the 2015
Atlantic bluefish specifications effective
immediately upon filing with the Office
of the Federal Register.
The bluefish fishing year began on
January 1, 2015, and has been operating
without an established bluefish quota.
Until this final rule becomes effective,
there will be no established bluefish
quota for 2015 and therefore no
authority to close a fishery approaching
a quota limit. A 30-day delay in
implementing this final rule would
delay the setting of quota used to
properly manage and monitor bluefish
stocks at the state and federal level.
Development of this final rule was
undertaken as quickly as possible;
however, incorporating the most up-todate MRIP data necessarily created a
delay while analysis occurred.
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This final rule also implements two
quota transfers of commercial bluefish
quota from the Commonwealth of
Virginia and the State of Florida to the
State of New York to ensure New York
does not exceed its 2015 commercial
quota.
The FRFA included in this final rule
was prepared pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
604(a), and incorporates the IRFA and a
summary of analyses completed to
support the action. A public copy of the
EA/IRFA is available from the Council
(see ADDRESSES).
The preamble to the proposed rule
included a detailed summary of the
analyses contained in the IRFA, and that
discussion is not repeated here.
Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
A Summary of the Significant Issues
Raised by the Public in Response to the
IRFA, a Summary of the Agency’s
Assessment of Such Issues, and a
Statement of Any Changes Made in the
Final Rule as a Result of Such
Comments
The comments NMFS received did
not raise specific issues, but commented
generally on the economic analyses
summarized in the IRFA. Refer to the
‘‘Comments and Responses’’ section of
this preamble for more detail. No
changes to the proposed rule were
required to be made as a result of public
comment.
Description and Estimate of Number of
Small Entities to Which the Rule Will
Apply
The Small Business Administration
(SBA) defines a small business in the
commercial harvesting sector as a firm
with receipts (gross revenues) of up to
$5.5 million for shellfish and $20.5
million for finfish businesses. A small
business in the recreational fishery is a
firm with receipts of up to $7.5 million.
According to the 2011–2013 Northeast
affiliate ownership database, 1,009
fishing businesses or affiliated firms
(vessels grouped together by a common
owner) landed bluefish during the
2011–2013 period, with 1,001 of those
businesses categorized as small
businesses and 8 categorized as large
businesses. South Atlantic Trip Ticket
reports identified 790 vessels that
landed bluefish in North Carolina and
1,338 vessels that landed bluefish on
Florida’s east coast in 2013.1 Bluefish
landings in South Carolina and Georgia
were near zero in 2013, representing a
negligible proportion of the total
bluefish landings along the Atlantic
1 Some
of these vessels were also identified in the
Northeast dealer data; therefore, double counting is
possible.
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46851
Coast. In recent years, approximately
2,000 party/charter vessels have been
active in the bluefish fishery and/or
have caught bluefish.
Description of Projected Reporting,
Recordkeeping, and Other Compliance
Requirements
No additional reporting,
recordkeeping, or other compliance
requirements are included in this final
rule.
Description of the Steps the Agency Has
Taken To Minimize the Significant
Economic Impact on Small Entities
Consistent With the Stated Objectives of
Applicable Statutes
Specification of commercial quota,
recreational harvest levels, and
possession limits is constrained by the
conservation objectives set forth in the
FMP and implemented at 50 CFR part
648 under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act. With the
specification options considered, the
measures in this final rule are the only
measures that both satisfy these
overarching regulatory and statutory
requirements while minimizing, to the
extent possible, impacts on small
entities. The 2015 commercial quota
implemented by this final rule is 35
percent lower than the 2014 quota, but
higher than actual 2014 bluefish
landings. All affected states will receive
decreases in their individual
commercial quota allocations. The
magnitude of the decrease varies
depending on the state’s relative percent
share in the total commercial quota, as
specified in the FMP. The states have
the ability to transfer commercial quota
from one state to another; although the
use of this management measure cannot
be predicted, it is often used to prevent
quota overages in the commercial sector
and can minimize the economic impacts
associated with a quota allocation.
The 2015 RHL contained in this final
rule is approximately 4.3 percent lower
than the RHL in 2014. The 2015 RHL is
greater than the total recreational
bluefish harvested in 2014, and
therefore it does not constrain
recreational bluefish harvest below a
level that the fishery is anticipated to
achieve. The possession limit for
bluefish will remain at 15 fish per
person, so there should be no impact on
demand for party/charter vessel fishing
and, therefore, no impact on revenues
earned by party/charter vessels. No
negative economic impacts on the
recreational fishery are anticipated.
Small Entity Compliance Guide
Section 212 of the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
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1996 states that, for each rule or group
of related rules for which an agency is
required to prepare a FRFA, the agency
shall publish one or more guides to
assist small entities in complying with
the rule, and shall designate such
publications as ‘‘small entity
compliance guides.’’ The agency shall
explain the actions a small entity is
required to take to comply with a rule
or group of rules. As part of this
rulemaking process, a small entity
compliance guide will be sent to all
holders of Federal permits issued for the
Atlantic bluefish fishery.
In addition, copies of this final rule
and guide (i.e., permit holder letter) are
available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES)
and at the following Web site:
www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 31, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–19269 Filed 8–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 660
[Docket No. 150316270–5662–02]
RIN 0648–XD843
Fisheries Off West Coast States; West
Coast Salmon Fisheries; 2015
Management Measures; Correction
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule; correcting
amendment.
AGENCY:
On May 5, 2015, NMFS
published a final rule to implement
fishery management measures for the
2015 ocean salmon fisheries off the
coast of the states of Washington,
Oregon, and California under the
jurisdiction of the Pacific Fisheries
Management Council (Council). This
correcting amendment changes the date
of an area closure in the recreational
salmon fishery that was incorrect in the
original rule; this will make the Federal
rule consistent with State regulations.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:05 Aug 05, 2015
Jkt 235001
This correction is effective
August 10, 2015, until the effective date
of the 2016 management measures, as
published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peggy Mundy at 206–526–4323.
DATES:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Need for Correction
On May 5, 2015, NMFS published a
final rule (80 FR 25611) that
implemented the fishery management
measures for the 2015 ocean salmon
fisheries off the coasts of the states of
Washington, Oregon, and California
under the jurisdiction of the (Council).
On page 25620, in the first column,
under the subheading ‘‘—Queets River
to Leadbetter Point (Westpoint
Subarea),’’ in the second paragraph, fifth
sentence, an incorrect date was
provided for the closure of the Grays
Harbor Control Zone. Under
Washington State regulations, the Grays
Harbor Control Zone is closed beginning
the second Monday in August. The
Federal fishery management measures
for the 2015 ocean salmon fisheries
were intended to be consistent with the
Washington State regulations and to
include the same closing date. In 2015,
the second Monday in August is August
10. However, the date for the second
Monday in August in 2014 (August 11)
was inadvertently left in the
management measures for 2015, as
originally published. To be consistent
with the state regulations, as was
intended, the correct date of the Grays
Harbor Control Zone closure in 2015 is
August 10, 2015. This rule corrects the
closure date for the Grays Harbor
Control Zone in 2015, from ‘‘August 11’’
to ‘‘August 10.’’ This correction was
discussed during an inseason
consultation among NMFS, the Council,
Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife, Salmon Advisory
Subpanel, and Salmon Technical Team
on July 21, 2015. Also, the date is
correct in state regulations. Therefore,
this correction is anticipated by the
public and the regulatory agencies and
its implementation will cause no harm.
Correction
In the Federal Register of May 5, 2015
(80 FR 25611), on page 25620, under the
subheading ‘‘—Queets River to
Leadbetter Point (Westport Subarea)’’,
the second paragraph, fifth sentence is
corrected to read as follows:
PO 00000
Frm 00064
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 9990
‘‘Grays Harbor Control Zone closed
beginning August 10 (C.4.b).’’
Classification
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
(AA) finds there is good cause to waive
prior notice and an opportunity for
public comment on this action, as notice
and comment would be unnecessary
and contrary to public interest. Notice
and comment are unnecessary and
contrary to the public interest because
this action corrects an inadvertent error
in regulations for a fishery that opened
on July 1, and immediate notice of the
error and correction is necessary to
prevent confusion among participants in
the fishery that could result from the
existing conflict between state
regulations and the final rule. This error
was called to NMFS’ attention on July
21, 2015. To effectively correct the error,
this correction must be done as soon as
possible prior to August 10, the date
when the Grays Harbor Control Zone
should be closed. There is not sufficient
time for a notice and comment
rulemaking prior to August 10. In
addition, this action makes only a minor
change to the dates of the fishery.
This correction will not affect the
results of analyses conducted to support
management decisions in the salmon
fishery nor change the total catch of
salmon. No change in operating
practices in the fishery is required. For
the same reasons, the AA has
determined that good cause exists to
waive the 30-day delay in effectiveness
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d). Because
prior notice and an opportunity for
public comment are not required to be
provided for this rule by 5 U.S.C. 553,
or any other law, the analytical
requirements of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., are
not applicable. Accordingly, no
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is
required for this rule and none has been
prepared.
This final rule is not significant under
Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773–773k; 1801 et
seq.
Dated: July 31, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–19268 Filed 8–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM
06AUR1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 151 (Thursday, August 6, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46848-46852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19269]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 150126074-5655-02]
RIN 0648-XD742
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish
Fishery; 2015 Atlantic Bluefish Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is implementing final specifications for the 2015
Atlantic bluefish fishery, including catch restrictions for commercial
and recreational fisheries. This action is necessary to establish the
2015 harvest limits and management measures to prevent overfishing. The
intent of the action is to inform the public of the 2015 catch limits
and state-to-state commercial quota transfers consistent with the
Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan and the recommendations of
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. NMFS is also approving
transfers of commercial bluefish quota from the Commonwealth of
Virginia and the State of Florida to the State of New York to ensure
New York quota would not be exceeded.
DATES: The final specifications and state-to-state commercial quota
transfers for the 2015 bluefish fishery are effective August 5, 2015,
through December 31, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the specifications document, including the
Environmental Assessment and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
(EA/IRFA) and other supporting documents for the specifications, are
available from Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Executive Director, Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Suite 201, 800 N. State Street,
Dover, DE 19901. The specifications document is also accessible via the
Internet at: https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid Lichwell, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9112.
[[Page 46849]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Atlantic bluefish fishery is jointly managed by the Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission. The management unit for bluefish specified in the
Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan is U.S. waters of the western
Atlantic Ocean. Regulations implementing the FMP appear at 50 CFR part
648, subparts A and J. The regulations requiring annual specifications
are found at Sec. 648.162, and are described in the proposed rule. The
proposed rule for this action published in the Federal Register on
April 27, 2015 (80 FR 23249), and comments were accepted through May
12, 2015.
Final Specifications
A description of the process used to estimate bluefish stock status
and fishing mortality, as well as the process for deriving the annual
catch limit (ACL) and associated quotas and harvest limits, is provided
in the proposed rule and in the bluefish regulations at Sec. Sec.
648.160 through 648.162. The stock is not overfished or experiencing
overfishing, and the catch limits described below reflect the best
available scientific information for bluefish. The final 2015 bluefish
acceptable biological catch (ABC), ACL, and Annual Catch Target (ACT)
are specified at 21.544 million lb (9,772 mt).
The ACT is initially allocated between the recreational fishery (83
percent) and the commercial fishery (17 percent). After deducting 3.351
million lb (1,520 mt) to adjust for recreational discards (commercial
discards are considered negligible), the recreational Total Allowable
Landings (TAL) is 14.530 million lb (6,591 mt) and the commercial TAL
is 3.662 million lb (1,661 mt).
A transfer of quota from the recreational to the commercial sector
is permitted under the FMP because the initial commercial fishery ACT
is less than 10.50 million lb (4,763 mt) and the recreational fishery
is not projected to land its harvest limit in 2015.
The recreational landings for 2015 are projected to be 12.951
million lb (5,875 mt). This projection was based on the average
recreational landings from 2012 through 2014, including final 2014
Marine Recreational Information Program data that became available
after the publication of the proposed rule. With the addition of
updated and final recreational landings data, the projected 2015
recreational landings (12.951 million lb; 5,875 mt) are lower than what
was published in the proposed rule (13.073 million lb; 5,930 mt). We
are implementing a revised transfer of 1.579 million lb (716 mt) from
the recreational to the commercial sector in the final rule. This
updated final transfer results in an adjusted 2015 commercial quota of
5.241 million lb (2,377 mt), a 35-percent decrease from 2014 (7.458
million lb; 3,383 mt), and an adjusted 2015 RHL of 12.951 million lb
(5,875 mt), a 4.3-percent decrease from the 2014 RHL (13.523 million
lb; 6,133 mt). Consistent with Council recommendations, these final
specifications do not allocate research set-aside quota for 2015;
therefore, no additional adjustments to commercial or recreational
allocations are needed.
The final rule implementing Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery
Management Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on July
26, 2000 (65 FR 45844), provided a mechanism for bluefish quota to be
transferred from one state to another. Two or more states, under mutual
agreement and with the concurrence of the Administrator, Greater
Atlantic Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), can transfer or combine
bluefish commercial quota under Sec. 648.162(e). The Regional
Administrator is required to consider the criteria in Sec.
648.162(e)(1) in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or
combinations.
During the processing of this final rule, the Commonwealth of
Virginia and the State of Florida each requested we transfer 150,000 lb
(68,039 kg) to the State of New York to help ensure the NY state quota
would not be exceeded. The state commercial transfers will not preclude
the overall annual quota from being fully harvested, and will also
address contingencies in the fishery. In addition, the transfer is
consistent with the objectives of the FMP and the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. These transfers have been
approved and are incorporated within this final rule and the individual
state quota allocations have been adjusted to reflect the transfers.
The final bluefish quotas are shown in Table 1.
Final Recreational Possession Limit
Consistent with the recommendation by the Council, this final rule
maintains the status quo daily recreational possession limit of up to
15 fish per person for 2015.
Final State Commercial Allocations
The final state commercial allocations, including the previously
outlined transfers, for the recommended 2015 commercial quota are shown
in Table 1. The initial quotas are based on the percentages specified
in the FMP. There were no states that exceeded their quota in 2014;
therefore, no accountability measures are being implemented for the
2015 fishing year.
Table 1--Final Bluefish Commercial State-by-State Allocations for 2015
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015
Commercial 2015 Transfer Final 2015 Final 2015
State Percent quota (lb) of commercial commercial commercial
share before quota (lb) as quota (lb) quota (kg)
transfer of 7/10/2015
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ME................................. 0.6685 35,037 .............. 35,037 15,893
NH................................. 0.4145 21,725 .............. 21,725 9,854
MA................................. 6.7167 352,036 .............. 352,036 159,682
RI................................. 6.8081 356,826 .............. 356,826 161,855
CT................................. 1.2663 66,369 .............. 66,369 30,105
NY................................. 10.3851 544,304 +300,000 844,304 382,970
NJ................................. 14.8162 776,547 .............. 776,547 352,239
DE................................. 1.8782 98,440 .............. 98,440 44,652
MD................................. 3.0018 157,330 .............. 157,330 71,365
VA................................. 11.8795 622,629 -150,000 472,629 214,380
NC................................. 32.0608 1,680,371 .............. 1,680,371 762,211
SC................................. 0.0352 1845 .............. 1,845 837
GA................................. 0.0095 498 .............. 498 226
FL................................. 10.0597 527,249 -150,000 377,249 171,117
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[[Page 46850]]
Total.......................... 100.0001 5,241,202 .............. 5,241,202 2,377,394
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments and Responses
The public comment period for the proposed rule ended on May 12,
2015. There were 19 comments that resulted in 9 groups of substantive
comments received from the public, including recreational and
commercial fishermen, in regards to the proposed rule. Three comments
were non-substantive and did not address this rule or the subject
matter related to the rule.
Comment 1: One commenter generally criticized NMFS and the data
used to set catch limits. The commenter did not suggest other data or
approaches that might be better suited for establishing specifications.
Response: Consistent with National Standard 2 of the MSA, NMFS used
the best scientific information available and is approving
specifications for the bluefish fishery. The most up-to-date stock
assessment and recreational and commercial catch data were used. The
final specifications in this rule are consistent with the FMP and
recommendations of the Council.
Comment 2: One commenter expressed concern regarding the economic
effects that this rule would have on the recreational sector,
specifically party and charter/head boat businesses. The commenter
suggested there should be an increase in quota specifically for
charter/head boats.
Response: NMFS disagrees that a quota increase for charter and
party vessels is needed. The 2015 specifications have been established
following the procedures set forth in the FMP, which does not allocate
bluefish harvest between sectors of the recreational fishery. Marine
Recreational Information Program (MRIP) catch data by mode for 2013
indicate that approximately 59 percent of bluefish were caught from
shore, 34 percent of bluefish were caught from private and rental
boats, and 7 percent from party and charter boats. The 2015 RHL
represents approximately 71 percent of the coastwide total allowable
landings for bluefish when accounting for transfers, which are expected
to be equivalent to recent observed recreational harvest across all
sectors (shore, private, charter, etc.). As such, the 2015 RHL is not
likely to constrain party or charter fishing opportunity or catch.
According to the analyses in the EA supporting this action (see
ADDRESSES), the economic impacts of these specifications have neutral
to slightly negative impacts that are not expected to be significant to
any component of the recreational fishery.
Comment 3: One commenter suggested that with the decrease in
private angler and for-hire effort, there should be no reduction in the
bluefish recreational quota.
Response: NMFS disagrees. The RHL is set to equal the expected
recreational catch for 2015. NMFS calculates the expected catch by
averaging the yearly recreational landing over a three-year period
(2012-2014) using MRIP data. Although the 2014 RHL is less than the
2015 RHL, the fishery is projected to catch less bluefish
recreationally during 2015. Therefore, the RHL is not likely to
constrain or limit recreational fishing opportunity in 2015.
Comment 4: Three commenters requested clarification for the
decision to reduce the ACL, given that the bluefish stock is not
currently being overfished.
Response: Although the bluefish stock is not currently overfished
or experiencing overfishing, estimated biomass has declined slightly in
recent years. Based upon the results of the 2014 assessment update for
bluefish, the Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC)
recommended a reduction in the ABC for 2015. This reduction is
necessary to reduce the risk of overfishing the stock.
Comment 5: Three commenters, including an operator of a party boat
that targets bluefish, agreed with NMFS that the current recreational
bag limit of 15 bluefish per person per day should remain unchanged for
the 2015 fishing year.
Response: NMFS agrees and has retained the Council's recommendation
that the status quo recreational bag limit of 15 bluefish per person,
per day remain in place for the 2015 fishing year.
Comment 6: Five commenters stated that the bluefish specifications
should remain unchanged from the 2014 fishing year. The comments
offered no suggestions on why specifications should remain unchanged.
Response: NMFS disagrees that the status quo bluefish
specifications would be appropriate for 2015. As outlined in the
response to comment number 3, the bluefish biomass has declined. The
specifications in place for 2014 would be expected to result in
negative biological impacts to the bluefish stock. If the 2014 catch
limits remain in place for 2015 and were fully achieved, it would
result in catches above the ABC recommended by the SSC, and could
result in overfishing. Under National Standard 1 guidelines, the
Council cannot recommend catch limits higher than the ABC recommended
by its SSC.
Comment 7: Two commenters expressed concern that the 2015
specifications imposed regulations that were too severe and would have
an adverse effect on small businesses in the commercial sector.
Response: According to the economic analyses in the EA (see
ADDRESSES), the impacts of the 2015 specifications are not expected to
be significant. Although there are 1,009 affiliate firms that caught
bluefish from 2011 to 2013, of those, 1,001 were considered small
business entities and bluefish comprised a very small amount of their
annual gross revenues, averaging 0.63 percent.
The 2015 commercial bluefish quota is lower than the commercial
quota implemented in 2014. However, the 2015 quota is higher than the
realized commercial landings for 2014. Under the 2015 commercial quota,
it is expected that commercial bluefish fishermen would likely land
bluefish similarly to 2014 landings. Furthermore, the Bluefish FMP
permits states to transfer bluefish quota to each other as a tool to
mitigate the potential adverse economic impacts of a fishery closure in
a particular state.
Comment 8: One commenter expressed concern that offshore fleets
outside of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are having an adverse
impact on bluefish abundance. The commenter suggested that the EEZ
border be expanded to improve U.S. fish stocks.
Response: NMFS recognizes that a small amount of bluefish are
caught outside the U.S. EEZ. Bluefish stock assessments are based on
data collected from within EEZ and changes in stock biomass from a
variety of sources,
[[Page 46851]]
including international fishing pressures, are part of the assessment.
Changes to the EEZ boundaries would be beyond the scope of this rule.
Comment 9: One commenter inquired about the reduction in the
commercial quota compared to a smaller reduction in the recreational
TAL. The commenter asked if there could be a more equitable split in
quota reduction to accomplish the same conservation goals.
Response: Bluefish catch is allocated between the recreational and
commercial fisheries according to specific requirements in the Bluefish
FMP, as described in the EA (see ADDRESSES). Allocation changes can be
addressed by the Council through an FMP amendment. Apart from the
previously described transfer, NMFS has no authority to alter
allocations between the commercial and recreational sector. How the
2015 specifications were derived is explained in detail in the preamble
of this rule and the proposed rule (80 FR 23249).
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the
NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this final rule is
consistent with the Atlantic Bluefish FMP, other provisions of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other applicable law.
This final rule is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
This final rule does not duplicate, conflict, or overlap with any
existing Federal rules.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries finds there is a need to
implement these measures in an timely manner in order to help achieve
conservation objectives for the bluefish fishery which constitutes good
cause, under authority contained in 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), to waive the
30-day delay in effectiveness and to make the 2015 Atlantic bluefish
specifications effective immediately upon filing with the Office of the
Federal Register.
The bluefish fishing year began on January 1, 2015, and has been
operating without an established bluefish quota. Until this final rule
becomes effective, there will be no established bluefish quota for 2015
and therefore no authority to close a fishery approaching a quota
limit. A 30-day delay in implementing this final rule would delay the
setting of quota used to properly manage and monitor bluefish stocks at
the state and federal level. Development of this final rule was
undertaken as quickly as possible; however, incorporating the most up-
to-date MRIP data necessarily created a delay while analysis occurred.
This final rule also implements two quota transfers of commercial
bluefish quota from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of
Florida to the State of New York to ensure New York does not exceed its
2015 commercial quota.
The FRFA included in this final rule was prepared pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 604(a), and incorporates the IRFA and a summary of analyses
completed to support the action. A public copy of the EA/IRFA is
available from the Council (see ADDRESSES).
The preamble to the proposed rule included a detailed summary of
the analyses contained in the IRFA, and that discussion is not repeated
here.
Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
A Summary of the Significant Issues Raised by the Public in Response to
the IRFA, a Summary of the Agency's Assessment of Such Issues, and a
Statement of Any Changes Made in the Final Rule as a Result of Such
Comments
The comments NMFS received did not raise specific issues, but
commented generally on the economic analyses summarized in the IRFA.
Refer to the ``Comments and Responses'' section of this preamble for
more detail. No changes to the proposed rule were required to be made
as a result of public comment.
Description and Estimate of Number of Small Entities to Which the Rule
Will Apply
The Small Business Administration (SBA) defines a small business in
the commercial harvesting sector as a firm with receipts (gross
revenues) of up to $5.5 million for shellfish and $20.5 million for
finfish businesses. A small business in the recreational fishery is a
firm with receipts of up to $7.5 million.
According to the 2011-2013 Northeast affiliate ownership database,
1,009 fishing businesses or affiliated firms (vessels grouped together
by a common owner) landed bluefish during the 2011-2013 period, with
1,001 of those businesses categorized as small businesses and 8
categorized as large businesses. South Atlantic Trip Ticket reports
identified 790 vessels that landed bluefish in North Carolina and 1,338
vessels that landed bluefish on Florida's east coast in 2013.\1\
Bluefish landings in South Carolina and Georgia were near zero in 2013,
representing a negligible proportion of the total bluefish landings
along the Atlantic Coast. In recent years, approximately 2,000 party/
charter vessels have been active in the bluefish fishery and/or have
caught bluefish.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Some of these vessels were also identified in the Northeast
dealer data; therefore, double counting is possible.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other Compliance
Requirements
No additional reporting, recordkeeping, or other compliance
requirements are included in this final rule.
Description of the Steps the Agency Has Taken To Minimize the
Significant Economic Impact on Small Entities Consistent With the
Stated Objectives of Applicable Statutes
Specification of commercial quota, recreational harvest levels, and
possession limits is constrained by the conservation objectives set
forth in the FMP and implemented at 50 CFR part 648 under the authority
of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. With the specification options considered,
the measures in this final rule are the only measures that both satisfy
these overarching regulatory and statutory requirements while
minimizing, to the extent possible, impacts on small entities. The 2015
commercial quota implemented by this final rule is 35 percent lower
than the 2014 quota, but higher than actual 2014 bluefish landings. All
affected states will receive decreases in their individual commercial
quota allocations. The magnitude of the decrease varies depending on
the state's relative percent share in the total commercial quota, as
specified in the FMP. The states have the ability to transfer
commercial quota from one state to another; although the use of this
management measure cannot be predicted, it is often used to prevent
quota overages in the commercial sector and can minimize the economic
impacts associated with a quota allocation.
The 2015 RHL contained in this final rule is approximately 4.3
percent lower than the RHL in 2014. The 2015 RHL is greater than the
total recreational bluefish harvested in 2014, and therefore it does
not constrain recreational bluefish harvest below a level that the
fishery is anticipated to achieve. The possession limit for bluefish
will remain at 15 fish per person, so there should be no impact on
demand for party/charter vessel fishing and, therefore, no impact on
revenues earned by party/charter vessels. No negative economic impacts
on the recreational fishery are anticipated.
Small Entity Compliance Guide
Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness
Act of
[[Page 46852]]
1996 states that, for each rule or group of related rules for which an
agency is required to prepare a FRFA, the agency shall publish one or
more guides to assist small entities in complying with the rule, and
shall designate such publications as ``small entity compliance
guides.'' The agency shall explain the actions a small entity is
required to take to comply with a rule or group of rules. As part of
this rulemaking process, a small entity compliance guide will be sent
to all holders of Federal permits issued for the Atlantic bluefish
fishery.
In addition, copies of this final rule and guide (i.e., permit
holder letter) are available from NMFS (see ADDRESSES) and at the
following Web site: www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 31, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-19269 Filed 8-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
