[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 37 (Monday, February 26, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 8287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-862]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 061020273-7001-03; I.D. 013107C]


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 3,914 lb (1,775 kg) of commercial summer flounder quota to 
the State of New Jersey from its 2007 quota. Bythis action, NMFS 
adjusts the quotas and announces the revised commercial quota for each 
state involved.

DATES: Effective February 21, 2007 through December 31, 2007, 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 arefound 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 toset 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 Summer Flounder, 
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which 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 floundercommercial 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 3,914 lb (1,775 kg) of its 
2007 commercial quota to New Jersey to cover landings of a North 
Carolina vessel granted safe harbor in New Jersey aftersuffering damage 
as a result of rough seas. 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 2007 are: North Carolina, 2,749,866 lb 
(1,247,318 kg); and New Jersey, 1,682,017 lb (762,950 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: February 20, 2007.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 07-862 Filed 2-21-07; 2:26 pm]
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