[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 12 (Friday, January 17, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3137-3138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00906]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 121009528-2729-02]
RIN 0648-XD063


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 2013 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the Commonwealth of Virginia. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and 
announcing the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

DATES: Effective January 17, 2014. The quota transfer is applicable 
from December 3, 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.  
648.102.
    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 29,373 lb (13,323 kg) of its 
2013 commercial quota to Virginia. This transfer was prompted by summer 
flounder landings of four North Carolina vessels that were granted safe 
harbor in Virginia due to mechanical failures between December 3, 2013, 
and December 16, 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. The Regional Administrator 
has determined that the criteria set forth in Sec.  648.102(c)(2)(i) 
have been met. The revised summer flounder commercial quotas for 
calendar year 2013 are: North Carolina, 373,400 lb (169,371 kg); and 
Virginia, 5,314,380 lb (2,410,562 kg).

[[Page 3138]]

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: January 14, 2014.
Sean F. Corson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-00906 Filed 1-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P