Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; Quota Transfer From VA to RI, 52057 [2020-18545]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 164 (Monday, August 24, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 52057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18545]



[[Page 52057]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 200623-0167; RTID 0648-XA381]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish 
Fishery; Quota Transfer From VA to RI

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

ACTION: Notification; quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is 
transferring a portion of its 2020 commercial bluefish quota to the 
State of Rhode Island. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply 
with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer 
provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 
commercial bluefish quotas for Virginia and Rhode Island.

DATES: Effective August 21, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9225.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Atlantic bluefish 
fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.160 through 648.167. These regulations 
require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 
among the coastal states from Maine through Florida. The process to set 
the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to each state is 
described in Sec.  648.162 and the final 2020 allocations were 
published on June 29, 2020 (85 FR 38794).
    The final rule implementing Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) published in the Federal Register on July 26, 
2000 (65 FR 45844), and 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 NMFS Greater Atlantic 
Regional Administrator, can request approval to transfer or combine 
bluefish commercial quota under Sec.  648.162(e)(1)(i) through (iii). 
The Regional Administrator must first approve any such transfer based 
on the criteria in Sec.  648.162(e). The Regional Administrator is 
required to consider three criteria in the evaluation of requests for 
quota transfers or combinations: The transfer or combinations would not 
preclude the overall annual quota from being fully harvested; the 
transfer addresses an unforeseen variation or contingency in the 
fishery; and the transfer is consistent with the objectives of the FMP 
and the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
    Virginia is transferring 50,000 lb (22,680 kg) of bluefish 
commercial quota to Rhode Island through mutual agreement of the 
states. This transfer was requested to ensure that Rhode Island would 
not exceed its 2020 state quota. The revised bluefish quotas for 2020 
are: Virginia, 278,682 lb (126,408 kg) and Rhode Island, 238,366 lb 
(108,121 kg).

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 648.162(e)(1)(i) through 
(iii), which was issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempted 
from review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: August 19, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-18545 Filed 8-21-20; 8:45 am]
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