[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 142 (Monday, July 24, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 45543-45544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18630]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000119014-0137-02; I.D. 071800B]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Black Sea Bass 
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Quarter 3 Period

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

ACTION: Commercial quota harvest for Quarter 3 period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the black sea bass commercial quota 
available in the Quarter 3 period to the coastal states from Maine 
through North Carolina has been harvested. Commercial vessels may not 
land black sea bass in the northeast region for the remainder of the 
2000 Quarter 3 quota period (through September 30, 2000). Regulations 
governing the black sea bass fishery require publication of this notice 
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 black 
sea bass in these states north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat.

DATES: Effective July 25, 2000, 0001 hrs, local time, through September 
30, 2000, 2400 hrs, local time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer L. Anderson, Fishery 
Management Specialist, at (978) 281-9226.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the black sea bass 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual 
specification of a commercial quota that is allocated into four quota 
periods based upon percentages of the annual quota. The Quarter 3 
commercial quota (July through September) is distributed to the coastal 
states from Maine through North Carolina. The process to set the annual 
commercial quota is described in Sec. 648.140.
    The initial total commercial quota for black sea bass for the 2000 
calendar year was set equal to 3,024,742 lb (1,372,000 kg) (65 FR 
33486, May 24, 2000). The Quarter 3 period quota, which is equal to 
12.33 percent of the annual commercial quota, was set at 372,951 lb 
(169,168 kg). The quota allocation was adjusted downward to compensate 
for

[[Page 45544]]

1999 Quarter 3 landings in excess of the 1999 Quarter 3 quota. The 
adjusted quota was 273,155 lb (123,901 kg).
    Section 648.141 requires the Regional Administrator Northeast 
Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) to monitor the commercial black 
sea bass 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 required to publish 
notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying commercial 
vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, 
the black sea bass commercial quota has been harvested and no 
commercial quota is available for landing black sea bass for the 
remainder of the Quarter 3 period, north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat. The 
Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer reports and 
other available information, that the black sea bass commercial quota 
for the 2000 Quarter 3 period has been harvested.
    The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal black sea 
bass moratorium permit holders agree as a condition of the permit not 
to land black sea bass 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 
black sea bass is available. The Regional Administrator has determined 
that the Quarter 3 period for black sea bass no longer has commercial 
quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, July 25, 
2000, further landings of black sea bass in coastal states from Maine 
through North Carolina, north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat. by vessels 
holding commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited through 
September 30, 2000, 2400 hrs local time. The Quarter 4 period for 
commercial black sea bass harvest will open on October 1, 2000. 
Effective July 25, 2000, federally permitted dealers are also advised 
that they may not purchase black sea bass from federally permitted 
black sea bass moratorium permit holders that land in coastal states 
from Maine through North Carolina for the remainder of the Quarter 3 
period (through September 30, 2000).
    The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) also provide that, if the 
commercial black sea bass quota for a period is harvested and the coast 
is closed to the possession of black sea bass north of 35 deg.15.3' N. 
lat., any vessel owners that hold valid commercial permits for both the 
black sea bass and the NMFS Southeast Region snapper-grouper fisheries 
may surrender their black sea bass moratorium permit by certified mail 
addressed to the Regional Administrator (see Table at Sec. 600.502) and 
fish pursuant to their snapper-grouper permit, as long as fishing is 
conducted exclusively in waters, and landings are made, south of 
35 deg.15.3' N. lat. A moratorium permit for the black sea bass fishery 
that is voluntarily relinquished or surrendered will be reissued upon 
the receipt of the vessel owner's written request after a minimum 
period of 6 months from the date of cancellation.

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: July 18, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-18630 Filed 7-19-00; 4:47 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F