[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 17, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11327-11328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5749]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 0809251266-81485-02]
RIN 0648-XN60


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery; 
Reduction of Winter I Commercial Possession Limit

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the reduction of the scup coastwide commercial 
possession limit from Maine through North Carolina for the Winter I 
period. Regulations governing the scup fishery require publication of 
this notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through North 
Carolina that 80 percent of the commercial quota allocated to the 
Winter I period is projected to be harvested and to announce that the 
possession limit for a Federal vessel permit holder is reduced.

DATES: Effective 0001 hours, March 19, 2009, through April 30, 2009.

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.  648.120(c) require 
the Northeast Regional Administrator to publish annual scup quota 
allocations and the percentage of landings attained during the Winter I 
period at which the possession limits would be reduced. On January 2, 
2009, NMFS published the final rule for the summer flounder, scup, and 
black sea bass specifications in the Federal Register (74 FR 29). This 
final rule requires NMFS to publish a notification in the Federal 
Register advising and notifying commercial vessels and dealer permit 
holders that the commercial scup possession limit will be reduced once 
80 percent of the Winter I Period quota is projected to be harvested. 
Based upon recent projections, the Regional Administrator anticipates 
that 80 percent of the Federal commercial quota of 3,777,443 lb (1,713 
mt) for the 2009 Winter I period will be harvested by March 19, 2009. 
Therefore, to maintain the integrity of the 2010 Winter I period quota 
by avoiding quota overages, the commercial scup possession limit will 
be reduced from 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) to 1,000 lb (454 kg) of scup per 
trip. This possession limit will remain in effect until the end of the 
Winter I period (through April 30, 2009) or until the Winter I quota 
allocation has been fully harvested, which ever occurs first.

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 11328]]


    Dated: March 12, 2009.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-5749 Filed 3-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S