[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 82 (Monday, April 29, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25003-25004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10022]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 121009528-2729-02]
RIN 0648-XC634


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 transfers.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is 
transferring a portion of its 2013 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the Commonwealth of Virginia and to the State of Rhode Island; and that 
the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2013 
commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
and to the State of New Jersey. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and 
announcing the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

DATES: Effective April 24, 2013, through December 31, 2013.

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 556,921 lb (252,615 kg) of 
its 2013 commercial quota to Virginia. This transfer was prompted by 
summer flounder landings of a number of North Carolina vessels that 
were granted safe harbor in Virginia due to hazardous shoaling, from 
March 20, 2013, to April 5, 2013, thereby requiring a quota transfer to 
account for an increase in Virginia's landings that would have 
otherwise accrued against the North Carolina quota. North Carolina has 
also agreed to transfer 8,940 lb (4,055 kg) of its 2013 commercial 
quota to Rhode Island. This transfer was prompted by summer flounder 
landings of a North Carolina vessel that was granted safe harbor in 
Rhode Island on March 17, 2013, 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.
    Virginia has agreed to transfer 10,990 lb (4,985 kg) of its 2013 
commercial quota to Massachusetts. This transfer was prompted by summer 
flounder landings of a Virginia vessel that was granted safe harbor in 
Massachusetts on March 20, 2013, thereby requiring a quota transfer to 
account for an increase in Massachusetts' landings that would have 
otherwise accrued against Virginia quota. Virginia has also agreed to 
transfer 11,729 lb (5,320 kg) of its 2013 commercial quota to New 
Jersey. This transfer was prompted by summer flounder landings of a 
Virginia vessel that was granted safe harbor in New Jersey on March 7, 
2013, thereby requiring a quota transfer to account for an increase in 
New Jersey's landings that would have otherwise accrued against the 
Virginia 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 2013 are: North Carolina, 
422,360 lb (191,579 kg); Virginia, 5,040,501 lb (2,286,333 kg); New 
Jersey, 1,972,066 lb (894,514 kg); Rhode Island, 1,839,824 lb (834,530

[[Page 25004]]

kg); and Massachusetts, 791,236 lb (358,899 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: April 23, 2013.
Kara Meckley,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-10022 Filed 4-24-13; 4:15 pm]
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