[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 24, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 40263-40264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14325]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 061020273-6321-02]
RIN 0648-XB60


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery; 
Adjustment to the 2007 Winter II Quota

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS adjusts the 2007 Winter II commercial scup quota and 
possession limit. This action complies with Framework Adjustment 3 
(Framework 3) to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery 
Management Plan, which established a process to allow the rollover of 
unused commercial scup quota from the Winter I period to the Winter II 
period.

DATES: Effective July 24, 2007, through December 31, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Ruccio, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, (978) 281-9104.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published a final rule in the Federal 
Register on November 3, 2003 (68 FR 62250), implementing a process, for 
years in which the full Winter I commercial scup quota is not 
harvested, to allow unused quota from the Winter I period (January 1 
through April 30) to be added to the quota for the Winter II period 
(November 1 through December 31), and to allow adjustment of the 
commercial possession limits for the Winter II period commensurate with 
the amount of quota rolled over from the Winter I period. Table 4 of 
the final 2007 quota specifications for summer flounder, scup, and 
black sea bass (71 FR 75134, December 14, 2006) presented detailed 
information regarding Winter II possession limits, based on the amount 
of scup to be rolled over from Winter I to Winter II.
    For 2007, the Winter II quota is 1,417,991 lb (643,201 kg), and the 
best available landings information indicates that 644,155 lb (292,184 
kg) remain of the Winter I quota of 4,012,895 lb (1,820,249 kg). 
Consistent with the intent of Framework 3, the full amount of unused 
2007 Winter I quota is transferred to Winter II, resulting in a revised 
2007 Winter II quota of 2,062,146 lb (935,374 kg). In addition to the 
quota transfer, the 2007 Winter II possession limit is increased, 
consistent with the rollover specifications established in the 2007 
final rule, to 3,500 lb (1,588 kg) per trip to provide an appropriate 
opportunity for fishing vessels to obtain the increased Winter II 
quota.

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.


[[Page 40264]]


    Dated: July 18, 2007.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-14325 Filed 7-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S