[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 165 (Thursday, August 26, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46596-46598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22214]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 981014259-8312-02; I.D. 081199A]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder, 
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Adjustments to the 1999 Summer 
Flounder Commercial Quota

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

ACTION: Commercial quota adjustment for 1999.

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

SUMMARY: NMFS issues a listing of final adjustments to the 1999 
commercial summer flounder state quotas. This action complies with the 
regulations that implement the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer 
Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries (FMP) that require 
landings in excess of a given state's individual commercial quota be 
deducted from that state's quota for the following year. The intent of 
this action is to continue the rate of rebuilding of the overfished 
stock of summer flounder in 1999 as described in the FMP's objectives, 
while also taking into account 1998 overages of state quotas.

DATES: Effective August 26, 1999, through December 31, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fisheries Policy 
Analyst, (978) 281-9273.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    NMFS published a document in the Federal Register on April 15, 1999 
(64 FR 18582) announcing preliminary adjustments to the 1999 summer 
flounder commercial quotas. Further adjustment is necessary in this 
notification due to late data received from the States of Connecticut, 
Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

[[Page 46597]]

    The final 1998 landings and resulting overages for all states are 
given in Table 1. The resulting adjusted 1999 commercial quota for each 
state is given in Table 2. In Table 3, the adjustment has been made to 
maintain the incidental component of the commercial quota at 32.7 
percent of the total (as recommended in the final specifications).

                       Table 1.--Summer Flounder Final 1998 Landings and Overages by State
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           1998 Quota            Final 1998 Landings          1998 Overage
               State               -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Lb         Kg \1\         Lb         Kg \1\         Lb         Kg \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ME................................        4,791        2,173        5,626        2,552          835          379
NH................................           51           23  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........
MA................................      721,899      327,448      709,387      321,773  ...........  ...........
RI................................    1,742,583      790,422    1,716,463      778,575  ...........  ...........
CT................................      250,457      113,605      262,732      119,173       12,275        5,568
NY................................      763,419      346,281      823,093      373,349       59,674       27,068
NJ................................    1,858,363      842,939    1,862,800      844,952        4,437        2,013
DE................................     (14,534)      (6,593)     (11,205)      (5,083)     (25,739)     (11,676)
MD................................      199,876       90,662      224,092      101,646       24,216       10,984
VA................................    2,362,877    1,071,783    2,615,750    1,186,484      252,873      114,701
NC................................    3,049,589    1,383,270    2,980,683    1,352,015  ...........  ...........
                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total \3\.....................   10,939,371    4,962,013   11,189,421    5,075,436      328,571     149,038
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Kilograms are as converted from pounds, and may not necessarily add due to rounding.
\2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.
\3\ Total quota and total landings do not equal overage because they reflect positive quota balances in several
  states.


                              Table 2.--Summer Flounder Final Adjusted 1999 Quotas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  1999 Initial Quota                  1999 Adjusted Quota
                  State                  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Lb              Kg \1\              Lb              Kg \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ME......................................             5,285             2,397             4,450             2,018
NH......................................                51                23                51                23
MA......................................           757,842           343,751           757,842           343,751
RI......................................         1,742,583           790,422         1,742,583           790,422
CT......................................           250,791           113,757           238,516           108,189
NY......................................           849,680           385,408           790,006           358,341
NJ......................................         1,858,363           842,939         1,853,926           840,927
DE......................................             1,977               897          (25,739)          (11,675)
MD......................................           226,570           102,770           202,354            91,786
VA......................................         2,373,569         1,076,633         2,120,696           961,932
NC......................................         3,044,589         1,381,002         3,044,589         1,381,002
                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................        11,111,300         5,039,999        10,729,274        4,866,717
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Kilograms are as converted from pounds, and may not necessarily add due to rounding.
\2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.


                                    Table 3.--Final Summer Flounder 1999 State Quotas and Inidental Catch Allocations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                               Directed                Incidental Catch                  Total
                         State                             Percent   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            share          Lb          Kg \1\          Lb            Kg            Lb            Kg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ME.....................................................      0.04756        2,995         1,358         1,455           660         4,450         2,018
NH.....................................................      0.00046           34            16            17             8            51            23
MA.....................................................      6.82046      510,028       231,345       247,814       112,407       757,842       343,751
RI.....................................................     15.68298    1,172,758       531,954       569,825       258,468     1,742,583       790,422
CT.....................................................      2.25708      160,521        72,811        77,995        35,378       238,516       108,189
NY.....................................................      7.64699      531,674       241,163       258,332       117,177       790,006       358,341
NJ.....................................................     16.72499    1,247,692       565,944       606,234       274,983     1,853,926       840,927
DE.....................................................      0.01779      (17,322)       (7,857)       (8,417)       (3,818)      (25,739)      (11,675)
MD.....................................................      2.03910      136,184        61,772        66,170        30,014       202,354        91,786
VA.....................................................     21.31676    1,427,228       647,380       693,468       314,552     2,120,696       961,932
NC.....................................................     27.44584    2,049,008       929,415       995,581       451,588     3,044,589     1,381,002
                                                        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..............................................    100.00000    7,220,801     3,275,300     3,508,473     1,591,416    10,729,274    4,866,717
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Kilograms are as converted from pounds, and may not necessarily add due to rounding.
\2\ Parentheses indicate a negative number.


[[Page 46598]]

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: August 20, 1999.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-22214 Filed 8-25-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P