Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer From VA to NJ, 17023-17024 [2022-06287]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 58 / Friday, March 25, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 4. Amend § 300.24 by revising paragraph (n) to read as follows: PART 216—REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE TAKING AND IMPORTING OF MARINE MAMMALS ■ Subpart C—General Exceptions * § 300.24 1. The authority citation for part 216, subpart C, continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. 2. Amend § 216.24 by adding paragraph (e)(1)(i) and reserved paragraph (e)(1)(ii) to read as follows: ■ § 216.24 Taking and related acts in commercial fishing operations including tuna purse seine vessels in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. § 300.25 * * * * (e) * * * (1) * * * (i) Exemption from observer requirement. The Administrator, West Coast Region (or designee), may issue a temporary written exemption from the observer requirement in this paragraph (e)(1) if the Parties to the AIDCP and/or Members of the IATTC have adopted emergency observer exemption procedures to address relevant global or regional health, safety, and security concerns, as well as other international emergencies and crises. Such exemptions will be issued on a case-bycase basis for a single fishing trip, in accordance with the AIDCP/IATTC exemption procedures in effect at the time of the request. Exemptions from the requirement in this paragraph (e)(1) will only be issued when AIDCP/IATTC exemption procedures are in effect and are only valid for as long as the AIDCP/ IATTC exemption procedures remain in effect. NMFS will notify the affected fleet via email when existing AIDCP/ IATTC exemption procedures expire. NMFS will also notify the affected fleet via email and the public by publication of a document in the Federal Register if new exemption procedures are adopted by the Parties to the AIDCP and/or the Members of the IATTC. Requests for exemption must be made to the Administrator, West Coast Region, via email at WCR.HMS@noaa.gov, or in a manner acceptable to the Administrator, West Coast Region. (ii) [Reserved] * * * * * * PART 300—INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES REGULATIONS AGENCY: lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1 * 3. The authority citation for part 300, subpart C, continues to read as follows: Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951 et seq. VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:53 Mar 24, 2022 Jkt 256001 Fisheries management. * * * * (d) Observer requirements—(1) Purse seine vessels. (i) The holder of an eastern tropical Pacific Ocean vessel permit, as required by § 216.24(b) of this title, must allow an observer duly authorized by the Administrator, West Coast Region, to accompany the vessel on all fishing trips in the IATTC Convention Area for the purpose of conducting research and observing operations, including collecting information that may be used in civil or criminal penalty proceedings, forfeiture actions, or permit sanctions, pursuant to the requirements in § 216.24(e) of this title. A vessel that fails to carry an observer in accordance with these requirements may not engage in fishing operations unless an exemption has been granted from these requirements as provided for in § 216.24(e)(1)(i) of this title. (ii) [Reserved]. (2) [Reserved]. * * * * * [FR Doc. 2022–06337 Filed 3–24–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [Docket No.: 211217–0262; RTID 0648– XB894] Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer From VA to NJ National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notification of quota transfer. Subpart C—Eastern Pacific Tuna Fisheries ■ Prohibitions. * * * * (n) Use a fishing vessel of class size 4–6 to fish with purse seine gear in the Convention Area in contravention of the observer requirements in § 300.25(d) or the purse seine closure period requirements in § 300.25(e)(1), (2), or (5). * * * * * ■ 5. Amend § 300.25 by adding paragraph (d) to read as follows: NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2022 SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 17023 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of New Jersey. This adjustment to the 2022 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 2022 commercial quotas for Virginia and New Jersey. DATES: Effective March 24, 2022, through December 31, 2022. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Deighan, Fishery Management Specialist, (978) 281–9184. 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 2022 allocations were published on December 23, 2021 (86 FR 72859). 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 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 transfer approved in this notification. Virginia is transferring 770 lb (349 kg) to New Jersey through mutual agreement of the states. This transfer was requested to repay landings made by an out-of-state permitted vessel under a safe harbor agreement. The revised summer flounder quotas for 2022 are: Virginia, 2,787,731 lb (1,264,494 kg) and New Jersey, 2,338,498 lb (1,060,725 kg). E:\FR\FM\25MRR1.SGM 25MRR1 17024 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 58 / Friday, March 25, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 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: March 18, 2022. Ngagne Jafnar Gueye, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2022–06287 Filed 3–24–22; 8:45 am] lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1 BILLING CODE 3510–22–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:53 Mar 24, 2022 Jkt 256001 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\25MRR1.SGM 25MRR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17023-17024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06287]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No.: 211217-0262; RTID 0648-XB894]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; Quota Transfer From VA to NJ

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

ACTION: Notification of quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is 
transferring a portion of its 2022 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the State of New Jersey. This adjustment to the 2022 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 2022 commercial quotas 
for Virginia and New Jersey.

DATES: Effective March 24, 2022, through December 31, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Deighan, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9184.

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 2022 allocations were 
published on December 23, 2021 (86 FR 72859).
    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 transfer approved in this notification.
    Virginia is transferring 770 lb (349 kg) to New Jersey through 
mutual agreement of the states. This transfer was requested to repay 
landings made by an out-of-state permitted vessel under a safe harbor 
agreement. The revised summer flounder quotas for 2022 are: Virginia, 
2,787,731 lb (1,264,494 kg) and New Jersey, 2,338,498 lb (1,060,725 
kg).

[[Page 17024]]

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: March 18, 2022.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-06287 Filed 3-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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