Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfers from NC to CT and ME to RI, 74381 [2021-28370]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 248 / Thursday, December 30, 2021 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 RTID 0648–XB686 Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfers from NC to CT and ME to RI National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notification of quota transfer. AGENCY: NMFS announces that the states of North Carolina and Maine are transferring a portion of their 2021 commercial summer flounder quota to the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island, respectively. This adjustment to the 2021 fishing year quota 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 2021 commercial quotas for North Carolina, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. DATES: Effective December 27, 2021, through December 31, 2021. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281–9225. 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 final 2021 allocations were published on December 21, 2020 (85 FR 82946). The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP), 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 three criteria in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Dec 29, 2021 Jkt 256001 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 Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Regional Administrator has determined these three criteria have been met for the transfers approved in this notification. North Carolina is transferring 40,000 lb (18,144 kg) to Connecticut and Maine is transferring 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) to Rhode Island through mutual agreement of the states. These transfers were requested to ensure Connecticut and Rhode Island would not exceed their 2021 quota. The revised summer flounder quotas for 2021 are: North Carolina, 2,878,480 lb (1,305,657 kg); Connecticut, 669,376 lb (303,624 kg); Maine, 33 lb (15 kg); and, Rhode Island, 1,922,724 lb (872,133 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: December 27, 2021. Karen Abrams, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2021–28370 Filed 12–27–21; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 660 [Docket No. 201204–0325] RIN 0648–BL10 Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2021–2022 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Inseason Adjustments; Correction National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Final rule; correction. AGENCY: NMFS published a final rule on December 23, 2021, announcing SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 74381 routine inseason adjustments to management measures in the commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries. In implementing these changes, NMFS inadvertently removed the trip limit for California black rockfish between 42° N latitude and 40°10′ N latitude in Table 2 (North) and Table 3 (North). This correction is necessary so that the implementing regulations are accurate. DATES: This correction is effective January 1, 2022. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean E. Matson, (206) 526–6140, email: sean.matson@noaa.gov. ADDRESSES: Electronic Access This rule is accessible via the internet at the Office of the Federal Register website at https:// www.federalregister.gov. Background information and documents are available at the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s website at https:// www.pcouncil.org/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published a final rule on December 23, 2021, announcing routine inseason adjustments to management measures in the commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries. This rule is effective January 1, 2022. The December 23, 2021, final rule implemented changes to trip limits for sablefish north of 36° N latitude and for lingcod north of 42° N latitude. Additionally, the final rule announced new sub-bag limits and sub-trip limits, in recreational and non-trawl commercial fisheries respectively, for two nearshore species, quillback rockfish and copper rockfish, as well as the shelf species vermillion rockfish. In implementing these changes, NMFS inadvertently removed the trip limit for California black rockfish between 42° N latitude and 40°10′ N latitude in Table 2 (North) and Table 3 (North) of part 660, subpart E and F, respectively. This correction reinstates this trip limit as Line 22 of both tables. No other changes are made via this correction document. This correction is necessary so that the implementing regulations are accurate. Correction Effective January 1, 2022, in FR Doc. 2021–27901 at 86 FR 72863 in the issue of December 23, 2021, the following corrections are made: Table 2 (North) to Part 660 [Corrected] 1. On page 72869, in amendatory instruction 2, Table 2 (North) to Part 660, Subpart E—Non-Trawl Rockfish ■ E:\FR\FM\30DER1.SGM 30DER1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 248 (Thursday, December 30, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 74381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28370]



[[Page 74381]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

RTID 0648-XB686


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; Quota Transfers from NC to CT and ME to RI

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

ACTION: Notification of quota transfer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the states of North Carolina and Maine are 
transferring a portion of their 2021 commercial summer flounder quota 
to the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island, respectively. This 
adjustment to the 2021 fishing year quota 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 2021 commercial quotas for North Carolina, Maine, Connecticut, 
and Rhode Island.

DATES: Effective December 27, 2021, through December 31, 2021.

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

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 final 2021 allocations were 
published on December 21, 2020 (85 FR 82946).
    The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP), 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 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 Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act. The Regional Administrator has determined these three 
criteria have been met for the transfers approved in this notification.
    North Carolina is transferring 40,000 lb (18,144 kg) to Connecticut 
and Maine is transferring 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) to Rhode Island through 
mutual agreement of the states. These transfers were requested to 
ensure Connecticut and Rhode Island would not exceed their 2021 quota. 
The revised summer flounder quotas for 2021 are: North Carolina, 
2,878,480 lb (1,305,657 kg); Connecticut, 669,376 lb (303,624 kg); 
Maine, 33 lb (15 kg); and, Rhode Island, 1,922,724 lb (872,133 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: December 27, 2021.
Karen Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-28370 Filed 12-27-21; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.