Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer, 48008-48009 [2017-22272]

Download as PDF 48008 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 198 / Monday, October 16, 2017 / Rules and Regulations jstallworth on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with RULES pertinent common pool quotas during the fishing year. Given this, and because the common pool has caught more than 80 percent of its annual quota, the possession of GB cod by all common pool vessels is prohibited effective October 11, 2017, through April 30, 2018. This action is intended to prevent the common pool from further exceeding its Trimester 2 TAC or from exceeding its annual quota. If a vessel declared its trip through the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) or the interactive voice response system, and crossed the VMS demarcation line prior to October 11, 2017, it may complete its trip within the Trimester TAC Area. A vessel that has set gillnet gear prior to October 11, 2017, may complete its trip by hauling such gear. Any overage of the Trimester 1 or 2 TACs must be deducted from the Trimester 3 TAC. If the common pool fishery exceeds its total quota for a stock in the 2017 fishing year, the overage must be deducted from the common pool’s quota for that stock for fishing year 2018. 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 total annual quota 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, dealerreported landings, VMS catch reports, and other available information and, if necessary, we will make additional adjustments to common pool management measures. Classification The NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this temporary rule is consistent with the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, other provisions of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable law. This action is exempt from the procedures of Executive Order 12866 because this action contains no implementing regulations. 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. VerDate Sep<11>2014 14:58 Oct 13, 2017 Jkt 244001 There are several reasons that notice and comment are impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest. First, the proposed and final rules for Framework 56 explained the possibility of minor adjustments and corrections because final allocations are not always available at the time of the rulemaking for the upcoming fishing year. These adjustments are routine and formulaic, required by regulation, and anticipated by industry. No comments were received on the potential for these adjustments, which provide an accurate accounting of the common pool’s allocation. 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 is projected to have caught 123 percent of its Trimester 2 TAC for GB cod as of October 3, 2017. The time necessary to provide for prior notice and comment, and a 30-day delay in effectiveness, would prevent the immediate closure of the GB Cod Trimester TAC Area and prohibition of GB cod possession. Not closing the area immediately and prohibiting GB cod possession increases the likelihood that the common pool fishery will further exceed its trimester TAC, or exceed its annual quota, to the detriment of this stock, which could undermine management objectives of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. Additional overages would negatively affect the common pool fishery as a result of future overage paybacks or premature closures of the fishery. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: October 11, 2017. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2017–22347 Filed 10–11–17; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [Docket No. 161017970–6999–02] RIN 0648–XF721 Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer. NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2017 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New York. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for North Carolina and New York. SUMMARY: Effective October 13, 2017, through December 31, 2017. DATES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Hanson, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281–9180. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.100 through 648.110. These regulations require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 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, and the initial 2017 allocations were published on December 22, 2016 (81 FR 93842). The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan, as published in the Federal Register on December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a mechanism for transferring summer flounder commercial quota from one state to another. Two or more states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, can transfer or combine summer flounder commercial quota under § 648.102(c)(2). The Regional Administrator is required to consider the criteria in § 648.102(c)(2)(i)(A) through (C) in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or combinations. North Carolina is transferring 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of summer flounder commercial quota to New York. This transfer was requested to repay landings by a North Carolina-permitted vessel that landed in New York under a safe harbor agreement. The revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2017 are now: North Carolina, 1,536,693 lb (697,032 kg); and New York, 435,764 lb (197,659 kg); based on the initial quotas published in the 2017 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications and subsequent transfers. E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM 16OCR1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 198 / Monday, October 16, 2017 / Rules and Regulations Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Classification This action is taken under 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866. Dated: October 10, 2017. Emily H. Menashes, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2017–22272 Filed 10–13–17; 8:45 am] jstallworth on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with RULES BILLING CODE 3510–22–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 14:58 Oct 13, 2017 Jkt 244001 48009 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\16OCR1.SGM 16OCR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 198 (Monday, October 16, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 48008-48009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22272]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 161017970-6999-02]
RIN 0648-XF721


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; Quota Transfer

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is 
transferring a portion of its 2017 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the State of New York. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply 
with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management 
Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of 
the revised commercial quotas for North Carolina and New York.

DATES: Effective October 13, 2017, through December 31, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Hanson, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9180.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.100 through 648.110. These regulations 
require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 
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, and the initial 2017 allocations 
were published on December 22, 2016 (81 FR 93842).
    The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder 
Fishery Management Plan, as published in the Federal Register on 
December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a mechanism for transferring 
summer flounder commercial quota from one state to another. Two or more 
states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the NMFS 
Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, can transfer or combine summer 
flounder commercial quota under Sec.  648.102(c)(2). The Regional 
Administrator is required to consider the criteria in Sec.  
648.102(c)(2)(i)(A) through (C) in the evaluation of requests for quota 
transfers or combinations.
    North Carolina is transferring 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of summer 
flounder commercial quota to New York. This transfer was requested to 
repay landings by a North Carolina-permitted vessel that landed in New 
York under a safe harbor agreement.
    The revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2017 are now: 
North Carolina, 1,536,693 lb (697,032 kg); and New York, 435,764 lb 
(197,659 kg); based on the initial quotas published in the 2017 Summer 
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications and subsequent 
transfers.

[[Page 48009]]

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.

    Dated: October 10, 2017.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-22272 Filed 10-13-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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