Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; 2024 Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of Connecticut, 99138 [2024-28889]
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99138
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2024 / Rules and Regulations
Gary Frazer,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–28430 Filed 12–9–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 231215–0305; RTID 0648–
XE515]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Summer Flounder Fishery;
2024 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
2024 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 2024, unless additional
quota becomes available through a
transfer from another state. 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
10, 2024, through 2400 hours December
31, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Matthew Rigdon, (978) 281–9336, or
matthew.rigdon@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulations governing the summer
flounder fishery are found at 50 CFR
648.100 through 648.111. 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 commercial quota for summer
flounder for 2024 was set equal to
8,789,830 pounds (lb; 3,987,000
kilograms (kg)) (88 FR 88266, December
23, 2023). The amount allocated to
khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:16 Dec 09, 2024
Jkt 265001
vessels landing summer flounder in
Connecticut is 198,394 lb (89,990 kg).
The NMFS Regional Administrator for
the Greater Atlantic Region 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. Based on dealer
reports and other available information,
the Regional Administrator has
determined that the available quota has
been harvested. The Marine Fisheries
Program of the Connecticut Department
of Energy and Environmental Protection
determined that its 2024 commercial
summer flounder quota has been
harvested and closed the state fishery on
December 1, 2024. This action promotes
consistency between state and Federal
management measures.
The regulations at 50 CFR 648.14(n)
prohibit federally permitted vessels
from landing summer flounder for sale
in a state, and prohibit all persons from
purchasing or otherwise receiving
summer flounder for a commercial
purpose after the effective date
published in the Federal Register
notification that commercial quota is no
longer available in that state. Therefore,
effective 0001 hours on December 10,
2024, landing of summer flounder in
Connecticut by vessels holding Federal
summer flounder commercial fishery
permits is prohibited for the remainder
of the 2024 calendar year, unless
additional quota becomes available
through a transfer and is announced in
the Federal Register. Effective 0001
hours on December 10, 2024, 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, or until additional
quota becomes available through a
transfer from another state.
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 commercial summer
flounder fishery for Connecticut until
January 1, 2025, under current
regulations. The regulations at 50 CFR
PO 00000
Frm 00080
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
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, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
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 4, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–28889 Filed 12–5–24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 241203–0308]
RTID 0648–XE226
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; 2025 Specifications for the
Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea
Bass, and Bluefish Fisheries
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
NMFS announces 2025
specifications for the summer flounder,
scup, black sea bass, and bluefish
fisheries. The implementing regulations
for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and
Black Sea Bass Fishery Management
Plan (FMP) and the Bluefish Fishery
Management Plan require us to publish
specifications for the upcoming fishing
year for each of these species. The
specifications for these species are
intended to establish allowable harvest
levels that will prevent overfishing,
consistent with the most recent
scientific information, for the 2025
fishing year.
DATES: This rule is effective January 1,
2025.
ADDRESSES: A Supplemental
Information Report (SIR) was prepared
for the 2025 black sea bass
specifications. An Environmental
Assessment (EA) was prepared for the
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\10DER1.SGM
10DER1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 99138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28889]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 231215-0305; RTID 0648-XE515]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder
Fishery; 2024 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 2024 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 2024, unless additional quota becomes available
through a transfer from another state. 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 10, 2024, through 2400 hours
December 31, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Rigdon, (978) 281-9336, or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery are found at 50 CFR 648.100 through 648.111. 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 commercial quota for summer flounder for 2024 was set equal to
8,789,830 pounds (lb; 3,987,000 kilograms (kg)) (88 FR 88266, December
23, 2023). The amount allocated to vessels landing summer flounder in
Connecticut is 198,394 lb (89,990 kg).
The NMFS Regional Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Region
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. Based on dealer
reports and other available information, the Regional Administrator has
determined that the available quota has been harvested. The Marine
Fisheries Program of the Connecticut Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection determined that its 2024 commercial summer
flounder quota has been harvested and closed the state fishery on
December 1, 2024. This action promotes consistency between state and
Federal management measures.
The regulations at 50 CFR 648.14(n) prohibit federally permitted
vessels from landing summer flounder for sale in a state, and prohibit
all persons from purchasing or otherwise receiving summer flounder for
a commercial purpose after the effective date published in the Federal
Register notification that commercial quota is no longer available in
that state. Therefore, effective 0001 hours on December 10, 2024,
landing of summer flounder in Connecticut by vessels holding Federal
summer flounder commercial fishery permits is prohibited for the
remainder of the 2024 calendar year, unless additional quota becomes
available through a transfer and is announced in the Federal Register.
Effective 0001 hours on December 10, 2024, 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, or until additional quota becomes available
through a transfer from another state.
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 commercial summer flounder
fishery for Connecticut until January 1, 2025, under current
regulations. The regulations at 50 CFR 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,
Scup, and Black Sea Bass 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 4, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-28889 Filed 12-5-24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
