[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 213 (Friday, November 2, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 55599-55600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27616]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 001121328-1041-02; I.D. 102901B]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Black Sea Bass 
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Quarter 4 Period

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

ACTION: Closure; Quarter 4 commercial black sea bass fishery.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the black sea bass commercial quota 
available in the quarter 4 period to the coastal states from Maine 
through North Carolina has been harvested. Commercial vessels may not 
land black sea bass in these states north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat. for 
the remainder of the 2001 quarter 4 quota period (through December 31, 
2001). Regulations governing the black sea bass 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 black sea bass in these 
states north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat.

DATES: Effective 0001 hrs local time, November 6, 2001, through 2400 
hrs local time, December 31, 2001.

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 4 
(October through December) commercial quota 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 2001 
calendar year was 3,024,742 lb (1,372,000 kg) (66 FR 12902, March 1, 
2001). The quarter 4 period quota, which is equal to 19.77 percent of 
the annual commercial quota, was 597,991 lb (271,244 kg). The quota 
allocation was adjusted downward to compensate for 2000 quarter 4 
landings in excess of the 2000 quarter 4 quota, consistent with the 
procedures in Sec.  648.140. The final adjusted quarter 4 quota was 
516,939 lb (234,480 kg).
    The Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional 
Administrator) monitors the commercial black sea bass quota for each 
quota period on the basis of dealer reports, state data, and other 
available information to determine when the commercial quota has been 
harvested. NMFS is required to publish a notification in the Federal 
Register advising and notifying commercial vessels and dealer permit 
holders that, effective upon a specific date, the black

[[Page 55600]]

sea bass commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota is 
available for landing black sea bass for the remainder of the quarter 4 
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 2001 quarter 4 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 4 period for black sea bass no longer has commercial 
quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, November 6, 
2001, 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 
December 31, 2001. The 2002 quarter 1 period for commercial black sea 
bass harvest will open on January 1, 2002. Effective November 6, 2001, 
federally permitted dealers are also advised that they may not purchase 
black sea bass from federally permitted black sea bass moratorium 
permit holders who land in coastal states from Maine through North 
Carolina, north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat., for the remainder of the 
quarter 4 period (through December 31, 2001).
    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 who 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 1 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 Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: October 29, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-27616 Filed 10-30-01; 3:34 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S