[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 45 (Friday, March 7, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 12958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04993]



[[Page 12958]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 121009528-2729-02]
RIN 0648-XD116


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 2014 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 March 4, 2014, through December 31, 2014.

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, Greater Atlantic 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 132,788 lb (60,232 kg) of its 
2014 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 mechanical failure and hazardous 
weather between January 1, 2014, and January 31, 2014, 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 2014 are: North Carolina, 
2,993,041 lb (1,357,621 kg); and Virginia, 2,560,571 lb (1,161,455 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: March 4, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-04993 Filed 3-4-14; 4:15 pm]
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