[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 30, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 66788-66789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31065]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 981014259-8312-02; I.D. 122299B]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery; 
Commercial Quota Harvested for Winter II Period

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

ACTION: Commercial quota harvest for Winter II period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the scup commercial quota available in the 
Winter II period to the coastal states from Maine to North Carolina has 
been harvested. Commercial vessels may not land scup in the northeast 
region for the remainder of the 1999 Winter II quota period (through 
December 31, 1999). Regulations governing the scup fishery require 
publication of this notification to advise the coastal states from 
Maine through North Carolina that the quota has been harvested and to 
advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no 
commercial quota is available for landing scup in these states.

DATES: DATES: Effective 0001 hours November 26, 1999, through 2400 
hours December 31, 1999.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the scup fishery are 
found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual specification 
of a commercial quota that is allocated into three quota periods, based 
upon percentages of the annual quota. The Winter II commercial quota 
(November through December) is distributed to 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. 648.120.
    The initial total commercial quota for scup for the 1999 calendar 
year was set equal to 2,534,000 lb (1,149,403 kg)(63 FR 72203, December 
31, 1998). The Winter II period quota, which is equal to 15.94 percent 
of the annual commercial quota (minus a discard estimate), was set at 
403,920 lb (183,215 kg).
    Section 648.121 requires the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS 
(Regional Administrator) to monitor the commercial scup quota for each 
quota period, and based upon dealer reports, state data, and other 
available information, to determine when the commercial quota has been 
harvested. NMFS is further required to publish notification in the 
Federal Register notifying commercial vessels and dealer permit holders 
that, effective upon a specific date, the scup commercial quota has 
been harvested and no commercial quota is available for landing scup 
for the remainder of the Winter II period.
    The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal scup 
moratorium permit holders agree as a condition of the permit not to 
land scup in any state after NMFS has published a notification in the 
Federal Register stating that the commercial quota for the period has 
been harvested and that no commercial quota for the scup is available. 
The Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer reports 
and other available information, that the scup commercial quota for the 
1999 Winter II period has been harvested and that the Winter II period 
for scup no longer has commercial quota available. Therefore, effective 
0001 hours November 26, 1999, further landings of scup in coastal 
states from Maine through North Carolina by vessels holding Federal 
scup moratorium permits are prohibited through 2400 hours December 31, 
1999.

[[Page 66789]]

The Winter I period for commercial scup harvest will open on January 1, 
2000. Effective 0001 hours November 26, 1999, Federally permitted 
dealers are also advised that they may not purchase scup from Federally 
permitted vessels that land in coastal states from Maine through North 
Carolina for the remainder of the Winter II period (through December 
31, 1999).

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: November 23, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-31065 Filed 11-24-99; 2:17 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F