Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of Connecticut, 95060 [2016-31194]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 27, 2016 / Rules and Regulations
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 150903814–5999–02]
RIN 0648–XF096
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Summer Flounder Fishery;
Commercial Quota Harvested for the
State of Connecticut
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces that the
2016 summer flounder commercial
quota allocated to the State of
Connecticut has been harvested. Vessels
issued a commercial Federal fisheries
permit for the summer flounder fishery
may not land summer flounder in
Connecticut for the remainder of
calendar year 2016. Regulations
governing the summer flounder fishery
require publication of this notification
to advise Connecticut that the quota has
been harvested and to advise vessel
permit holders and dealer permit
holders that no Federal commercial
quota is available for landing summer
flounder in Connecticut.
DATES: Effective 0001 hours, December
22, 2016, through December 31, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cynthia Hanson, (978) 281–9180, or
Cynthia.Hanson@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulations governing the summer
flounder fishery are found at 50 CFR
part 648. The regulations require annual
specification of a commercial quota that
is apportioned on a percentage basis
among the coastal states from Maine
through North Carolina. The process to
set the annual commercial quota and the
percent allocated to each state is
described in § 648.102.
The initial commercial quota for
summer flounder for the 2016 calendar
year was set equal to 8,124,035 lb
(3,684,997 kg) (80 FR 80689, December
28, 2015). The percent allocated to
vessels landing summer flounder in
Connecticut is 2.25708 percent,
resulting in a commercial quota of
183,366 lb (83,173 kg). This allocation
was adjusted to 187,166 lb (84,897 kg)
to account for quota transfers from other
states.
The NMFS Administrator for the
Greater Atlantic Region (Regional
Administrator), monitors the state
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Dec 23, 2016
Jkt 241001
commercial landings and determines
when a state’s commercial quota has
been harvested. NMFS is required to
publish notification in the Federal
Register advising and notifying
commercial vessels and dealer permit
holders that, effective upon a specific
date, the state’s commercial quota has
been harvested and no commercial
quota is available for landing summer
flounder in that state. The Regional
Administrator has determined, based
upon dealer reports and other available
information, that the 2016 Connecticut
commercial summer flounder quota will
be harvested by December 22, 2016.
Section 648.4(b) provides that Federal
permit holders agree, as a condition of
the permit, not to land summer flounder
in any state that the Regional
Administrator has determined no longer
has commercial quota available.
Therefore, effective 0001 hours,
December 22, 2016, landings of summer
flounder in Connecticut by vessels
holding summer flounder commercial
Federal fisheries permits are prohibited
for the remainder of the 2016 calendar
year. Effective 0001 hours, December 22,
2016, federally permitted dealers are
also notified that they may not purchase
summer flounder from federally
permitted vessels that land in
Connecticut for the remainder of the
calendar year.
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) to waive
prior notice and the opportunity for
public comment because it would be
contrary to the public interest. This
action closes the summer flounder
fishery for Connecticut until January 1,
2017, under current regulations. The
regulations at § 648.103(b) require such
action to ensure that summer flounder
vessels do not exceed quotas allocated
to the states. If implementation of this
closure was delayed to solicit prior
public comment, the quota for this
fishing year will be exceeded, thereby
undermining the conservation
objectives of the Summer Flounder
Fishery Management Plan. The
Assistant Administrator further finds,
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), good
cause to waive the 30-day delayed
effectiveness period for the reason
stated above.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
PO 00000
Frm 00152
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Dated: December 21, 2016.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–31194 Filed 12–21–16; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 160816746–6999–02]
RIN 0648–XE819
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean
Quahog Fishery; 2017–2018 Fishing
Quotas
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
This final rule implements
status quo commercial quotas for the
Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog
fisheries for 2017, suspends the
minimum shell size for Atlantic
surfclams for 2017, and provides
projected status quo quotas for 2018.
This action is necessary to establish
allowable harvest levels of Atlantic
surfclams and ocean quahogs that will
prevent overfishing and allow
harvesting of optimum yield.
DATES: This rule is effective January 1,
2017, through December 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the
Environmental Assessment (EA),
Supplemental Information Report (SIR),
and other supporting documents for
these specifications are available from
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council, 800 North State Street, Suite
201, Dover, DE 19901. The EA and SIR
are also accessible via the internet at:
www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Douglas Potts, Fishery Policy Analyst,
978–281–9341.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog
Fishery Management Plan (FMP)
requires that NMFS, in consultation
with the Mid-Atlantic Council, specify
quotas for surfclam and ocean quahog
for up to a 3-year period, with annual
reviews if multiple year quotas are
established. It is the policy of the
Council that the catch limits selected
allow sustainable fishing to continue at
that level for at least 10 years for
surfclams, and 30 years for ocean
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\27DER1.SGM
27DER1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 27, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 95060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31194]
[[Page 95060]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 150903814-5999-02]
RIN 0648-XF096
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of Connecticut
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 2016 summer flounder commercial quota
allocated to the State of Connecticut has been harvested. Vessels
issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder
fishery may not land summer flounder in Connecticut for the remainder
of calendar year 2016. Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery require publication of this notification to advise Connecticut
that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders
and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available
for landing summer flounder in Connecticut.
DATES: Effective 0001 hours, December 22, 2016, through December 31,
2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Hanson, (978) 281-9180, or
Cynthia.Hanson@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual
specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned on a percentage
basis among the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina. The
process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to
each state is described in Sec. 648.102.
The initial commercial quota for summer flounder for the 2016
calendar year was set equal to 8,124,035 lb (3,684,997 kg) (80 FR
80689, December 28, 2015). The percent allocated to vessels landing
summer flounder in Connecticut is 2.25708 percent, resulting in a
commercial quota of 183,366 lb (83,173 kg). This allocation was
adjusted to 187,166 lb (84,897 kg) to account for quota transfers from
other states.
The NMFS Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Region (Regional
Administrator), monitors the state commercial landings and determines
when a state's commercial quota has been harvested. NMFS is required to
publish notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying
commercial vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a
specific date, the state's commercial quota has been harvested and no
commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in that
state. The Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer
reports and other available information, that the 2016 Connecticut
commercial summer flounder quota will be harvested by December 22,
2016.
Section 648.4(b) provides that Federal permit holders agree, as a
condition of the permit, not to land summer flounder in any state that
the Regional Administrator has determined no longer has commercial
quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, December 22, 2016,
landings of summer flounder in Connecticut by vessels holding summer
flounder commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited for the
remainder of the 2016 calendar year. Effective 0001 hours, December 22,
2016, federally permitted dealers are also notified that they may not
purchase summer flounder from federally permitted vessels that land in
Connecticut for the remainder of the calendar year.
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) to waive prior notice and the
opportunity for public comment because it would be contrary to the
public interest. This action closes the summer flounder fishery for
Connecticut until January 1, 2017, under current regulations. The
regulations at Sec. 648.103(b) require such action to ensure that
summer flounder vessels do not exceed quotas allocated to the states.
If implementation of this closure was delayed to solicit prior public
comment, the quota for this fishing year will be exceeded, thereby
undermining the conservation objectives of the Summer Flounder Fishery
Management Plan. The Assistant Administrator further finds, pursuant to
5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), good cause to waive the 30-day delayed
effectiveness period for the reason stated above.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 21, 2016.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-31194 Filed 12-21-16; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
