[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 10, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57500-57501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19928]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 061020273-7001-03]
RIN 0648-XC92


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; Rescission of Commercial Closure for Connecticut

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; rescission of closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces rescission of the closure previously issued for 
the State of Connecticut. This notification is consistent with 
Connecticut's announcement to reopen the commercial summer flounder 
fishery within State waters, effective September 24, 2007. The 
rescission of this closure is due to catch accounting corrections that 
have reduced previously reported landings in Connecticut. The public is 
advised that landings are allowed for

[[Page 57501]]

summer flounder Federal permit holders until it is determined that the 
quota has been fully harvested.

DATES: Effective 0001 hours, October 10, 2007, through December 31, 
2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Bryant, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9244.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual 
specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned on a percentage 
basis among the coastal states from North Carolina through Maine. The 
process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to 
each state is described in Sec.  648.100.
    NMFS, in compliance with regulations found at 50 CFR part 648, 
closed the Federal commercial summer flounder fishery for the State of 
Connecticut after determining through quota monitoring that Connecticut 
had harvested its allocated summer flounder quota. This closure 
published at 72 FR 48945, August 27, 2007, was effective August 27, 
2007, and was intended to last through December 31, 2007.
    Later analyses comparing electronic dealer reports to commercial 
fishermen logbooks and Federal fishing vessel trip reports have 
revealed instances of summer flounder landings being attributed to 
Connecticut that were actually landed in other states. Due to this new 
information, Connecticut has reinstated a possession limit for the 
commercial harvest of summer flounder of 75 lb (34 kg). This 
notification announces NMFS's decision to allow Federally permitted 
vessels to land summer flounder in Connecticut until the quota is 
determined to be fully harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hours 
October 10, 2007, through December 31, 2007, further landings of summer 
flounder in Connecticut by vessels holding summer flounder commercial 
Federal fisheries permits are allowed until the remaining quota has 
been harvested. Effective 0001 hours, October 10, 2007, through 
December 31, 2007, federally permitted dealers are also notified that 
they may purchase summer flounder from federally permitted vessels that 
land in Connecticut for the remainder of the quota harvest.

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.

    Dated: October 3, 2007.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Services.
[FR Doc. E7-19928 Filed 10-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S