[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 27, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 77626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9881]



[[Page 77626]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 041110317-4364-02; I.D. 121906A]


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 Maryland is transferring 
8,000 lb (3,629 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to the State of 
New York from its 2006 quota. By this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas 
and announces the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

DATES: Effective December 21, 2006 through December 31, 2006, unless 
NMFS publishes a superseding document in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Potts, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9341, 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 Fishery Management 
Plan 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.
    Maryland has agreed to transfer 8,000 lb (3,629 kg) of its 2006 
commercial quota to New York. The Regional Administrator has determined 
that the criteria set forth in Sec.  648.100(d)(3) have been met for 
each of these transfers. The revised quotas for calendar year 2006 are: 
New York, 943,943 lb (428,165 kg) and Maryland, 276,262 lb (125,310 
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: December 20, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 06-9881 Filed 12-21-06; 2:38 pm]
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