[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 29645-29646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10350]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 041110317-4364-02; I.D. 051805B]


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; inseason quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is 
transferring 8,206 lb (3,722 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to 
the Commonwealth of Virginia from its 2005 quota. By this action, NMFS 
adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each 
state involved.

DATES: Effective May 19, 2005 through December 31, 2005, unless NMFS

[[Page 29646]]

publishes a superseding document in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Ruccio, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9104, FAX (978) 281-9135.

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 FMP that 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 8,206 lb (3,722 kg) of its 
2005 commercial quota to Virginia to cover a landing of a North 
Carolina vessel granted safe harbor in Virginia following storm damage 
to the vessel's pilothouse. The Regional Administrator has determined 
that the criteria set forth in Sec.  648.100(d)(3) have been met. The 
revised quotas for calendar year 2005, inclusive of previous 
adjustments published on March 9, 2005 (70 FR 11584) and April 5, 2005 
(70 FR 21162), are: North Carolina, 4,680,519 lb (2,123,083 kg); and 
Virginia, 4,013,906 lb (1,820,708 kg).

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: May 18, 2005.
Stephen Meyers,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-10350 Filed 5-19-05; 4:01 pm]
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