[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 116 (Monday, June 16, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 33924-33925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-1357]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 071030625-7696-02]
RIN 0648-XI40


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery; 
Commercial Quota Harvested for 2008 Summer Period

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the closure of the scup commercial coastwide 
fishery from Maine through North Carolina for the Summer Period. 
Regulations governing the scup fishery require publication of this 
notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through North 
Carolina that this quota has been harvested and to advise Federal 
vessel permit holders and Federal dealer permit holders that no 
commercial quota is available for landing scup in these states. 
Federally permitted commercial vessels may not land scup in these 
states for the

[[Page 33925]]

remainder of the 2008 Summer quota period (through October 31, 2008).

DATES: Effective June 16, 2008, through October 31, 2008.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the scup fishery are 
found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations at Sec.  648.121 require the 
Regional Administrator to monitor the commercial scup quota for each 
quota period and, based upon dealer reports, state data, and other 
available information, to determine when the commercial quota for a 
period has been harvested. NMFS is required to publish a notification 
in the Federal Register advising and notifying commercial vessels and 
dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, the scup 
commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota is 
available for landing scup for the remainder of the Summer Period. 
Based upon recent projections, the Regional Administrator has 
determined that the Federal commercial quota of 1,437,588 lb (652 mt) 
for the 2008 Summer Period will be fully harvested by or before October 
31, 2008. To maintain the integrity of the 2009 Summer Period quota by 
avoiding or minimizing quota overages, the commercial scup fishery will 
close for the remainder of the Summer Period (through October 31, 2008) 
in Federal waters, effective as of the date specified above (see 
DATES).
    Section 648.4(b) provides that Federal scup moratorium permit 
holders agree, as a condition of the permit, not to land scup in any 
state after NMFS has published a notification in the Federal Register 
stating that the commercial quota for the period has been harvested and 
that no commercial quota for scup is available. Therefore, effective 
0001 hours, June 16, 2008, further landings of scup by vessels holding 
Federal scup moratorium permits are prohibited through October 31, 
2008. Effective 0001 hours, June 16, 2008, federally permitted dealers 
are also advised that they may not purchase scup from federally 
permitted vessels that land in coastal states from Maine through North 
Carolina for the remainder of the Summer Period (through October 31, 
2008). The Winter II Period for commercial scup harvest will open on 
November 1, 2008.

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: June 10, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 08-1357 Filed 6-11-08; 3:23 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S