[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 52 (Friday, March 17, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13776-13777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2617]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 051128313-6029-02; I.D.111705C]
RIN 0648 AT20


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish 
Fisheries; 2006 Atlantic Bluefish Specifications; Quota Adjustment; 
2006 Research Set-aside Project

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

ACTION:  Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY:  NMFS is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal 
Register of February 24, 2006. The document issued final specifications 
for the 2006 Atlantic bluefish fisheries. Inadvertently, Table 1 of the 
final rule contained incorrect individual state commercial quota 
allocations (after adjusting for the research set-aside quota). This 
document corrects that error.

DATES:  Effective March 27, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Bonnie Van Pelt, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, (978) 281-9244, fax (978) 281-9135.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final rule, including final quota 
specifications for the Atlantic bluefish fisheries, was published in 
the Federal Register on February 24, 2006 (71 FR 9471). The final rule 
presented a new alternative (different than the alternative published 
in the proposed rule) to ensure that recreational harvest limits would 
not be

[[Page 13777]]

exceeded. Table 1 listed incorrect individual state commercial quota 
allocations in the columns entitled ``2006 Commercial Quota (lb) with 
Research Set-Aside'' and ``2006 Commercial Quota (kg) with Research 
Set-Aside.'' The amounts that appear in the row entitled ``Total'' 
remain the same. The following corrections are made:
    1. On page 9473, Table 1. Commercial State-by-State Allocations for 
2006 as Adjusted by the Research Set-Aside (RSA) is corrected to read 
as follows:

                                Table 1. Corrected Commercial State-by-State Allocations for 2006 as Adjusted by the RSA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              States                                 Quota         2006 Commercial Quota         2006 Commercial       2006 Commercial
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      Quota (lb)            Quota (kg)
                                                                                                             -------------------------------------------
                                                                    Percent        (lb)            (kg)        With Research Set-    With Research Set-
                                                                     Share                                            Aside                 Aside
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  ME                                                  0.6685          54,022          24,504                53,230                24,145
                  NH                                                  0.4145          33,496          15,194                33,005                14,971
                  MA                                                  6.7167         542,783         246,205               534,823               242,592
                  RI                                                  6.8081         550,169         249,555               542,101               245,893
                  CT                                                  1.2663         102,331          46,417               100,830                45,736
                  NY                                                 10.3851         839,230         380,672               826,923               375,086
                  NJ                                                 14.8162       1,197,311         543,097             1,179,753               535,127
                  DE                                                  1.8782         151,779          68,847               149,553                67,836
                  MD                                                  3.0018         242,578         110,033               239,021               108,418
                  VA                                                 11.8795         959,994         435,450               945,915               429,060
                  NC                                                 32.0608       2,590,864       1,175,208             2,552,869             1,157,962
                  SC                                                  0.0352           2,845           1,290                 2,803                 1,271
                  GA                                                  0.0095             768             348                   756                   343
                  FL                                                 10.0597         812,934         368,744               801,012               363,333
                  Total                                             100.0001       8,081,096       3,665,561             7,962,586             3,611,769
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\1\ Metric tons and kilograms are as converted from pounds and may not necessarily add due to rounding.

    The Assistant Administrator for fisheries, NOAA (AA) finds good 
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the 
opportunity for public comment because it would be impracticable and 
contrary to the public interest. This rule corrects a calculation error 
in the state allocations for bluefish in the final rule published on 
February 24, 2006 (71 FR 9471). When the final state allocations where 
calculated to reflect the new transfer amount, NMFS inadvertently made 
an error in calculation; i.e., the table that revised the individual 
state quota allocations carried over a conversion factor that did not 
correctly account for the RSA quota based on the new proportion 
(recreational/commercial split). Providing for a public comment period 
for this rule would prevent the correction of the aforementioned final 
rule before it becomes effective. Publication of incorrect state quota 
allocations could cause some unnecessary confusion among those states 
whose allocation is different from the levels previously calculated. 
The correction provides a slightly higher allocation to each of the 
states.
    The AA further finds pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) good cause to 
waive the thirty (30) delayed effectiveness period for the reasons 
stated above. This rule corrects a calculation error in the state 
allocations for bluefish in the final rule published on February 24, 
2006 (71 FR 9471). When the final state allocations were calculated to 
reflect the new transfer amount, NMFS inadvertently made an error in 
calculation; i.e., the table that revised the individual state quota 
allocations carried over a conversion factor that did not correctly 
account for the RSA quota based on the new proportion (recreational/
commercial split). Providing for a 30-day delay in effectiveness for 
this rule would prevent the correction of the aforementioned final rule 
before it becomes effective. Publication of incorrect state quota 
allocations could cause some unnecessary confusion among those states 
whose allocation is different from the levels previously calculated.
    This rule has been determined to be not significant under Executive 
Order 12866.

    Dated: March 13, 2006.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06-2617 Filed 3-16-06; 8:45 am]
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