[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 20, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 69567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28246]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 111220786-1781-01]
RIN 0648-XC340


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; quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is 
transferring a portion of its 2012 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the State of Rhode Island. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and announcing 
the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

DATES: Effective November 19, 2012, through December 31, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Bari, Fishery Management 
Specialist, 978-281-9224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are in 50 CFR part 648, and require annual specification of a 
commercial quota that is apportioned among the coastal states from 
North Carolina through Maine. The process to set 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 flounder commercial quota under Sec.  
648.102(c)(2). The Regional Administrator is required to consider the 
criteria in Sec.  648.102(c)(2)(i) to evaluate requests for quota 
transfers or combinations.
    North Carolina has agreed to transfer 13,925 lb (6,316 kg) of its 
2012 commercial quota to Rhode Island. This transfer was prompted by 
summer flounder landings of one North Carolina vessels that was granted 
safe harbor in Rhode Island due to Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 
2012, thereby requiring a quota transfer to account for an increase in 
Rhode Island's landings that would have otherwise accrued against the 
North Carolina quota. The Regional Administrator has determined that 
the criteria set forth in Sec.  648.102(c)(2)(i) have been met. The 
revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2012 are: North 
Carolina, 1,589,325 lb (720,955 kg); and Rhode Island, 2,010,325 lb 
(911,868 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: November 14, 2012.
Lindsey Fullenkamp,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-28246 Filed 11-19-12; 8:45 am]
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