[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 17032-17033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7233]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 101029427-0609-02]
RIN 0648-XA301
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 2010 and 2011 commercial summer flounder
quotas to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Vessels were authorized by
Virginia to land summer flounder under safe harbor provisions, thereby
requiring a quota transfer to account for an increase in Virginia's
landings that would have otherwise accrued against the North Carolina
quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces the
revised commercial quota for each state involved.
DATES: Effective March 23, 2011 through December 31, 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Knoell, Fishery Management
Specialist, 978-281-9224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual
specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned among the
coastal states from North Carolina through Maine. The process to set
the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to each state are
described in Sec. 648.100.
The final rule implementing Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder,
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which was published
on December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a mechanism for summer
flounder quota to be transferred from one state to another. Two or more
states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the
Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), can
transfer or combine summer flounder commercial quota under Sec.
648.100(d). The Regional Administrator is required to consider the
criteria set forth in Sec. 648.100(d)(3) in the evaluation of requests
for quota transfers or combinations.
North Carolina has agreed to transfer 106,013 lb (48,087 kg) of its
2011 commercial quota and 13,500 lb (6,123 kg) of its 2010 commercial
quota to Virginia. This transfer was prompted by summer flounder
landings of 18 North Carolina vessels that were granted safe harbor in
Virginia due to mechanical problems and/or severe winter storm
conditions between December 31, 2010, and March 1, 2011. The Regional
Administrator has determined that the criteria set forth in Sec.
648.100(d)(3) have been met. The revised summer flounder quotas for
calendar year 2010 are: North Carolina, 3,344,731 lb (1,517,144 kg);
and Virginia, 2,935,726 lb (1,331,623 kg). The revised summer flounder
quotas for calendar year 2011 are: North Carolina, 4,662,739 lb
(2,114,983 kg); and Virginia, 3,809,829 lb (1,728,109 kg).
[[Page 17033]]
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: March 23, 2011.
Margo Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-7233 Filed 3-23-11; 4:15 pm]
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