[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 19, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15252-15253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06076]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 121009528-2729-02]
RIN 0648-XD156


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 and the State of New Jersey. NMFS is 
adjusting the quotas and announcing the revised commercial quota for 
each state involved.

DATES: Effective March 14, 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 14,820 lb (6,726 kg) of its 
2014 commercial quota to Virginia. This transfer was prompted by summer 
flounder landings of the F/V Helen Louise, a North Carolina vessel that 
was granted safe harbor in Virginia due to running aground and 
encountering thick

[[Page 15253]]

ice on February 1, 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. North Carolina has agreed to 
transfer 4,833 lb (2,192 kg) of its 2014 commercial quota to New 
Jersey. This transfer was prompted by summer flounder landings of the 
F/V Adrianna, a North Carolina vessel that was granted safe harbor in 
New Jersey due to mechanical failure on February 12, 2014, thereby 
requiring a quota transfer to account for the increase in New Jersey'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, 
2,973,379 lb (1,348,702 kg); Virginia, 2,575,400 lb (1,168,182 kg); and 
New Jersey 1,909,656 lb (866,205 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 14, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-06076 Filed 3-14-14; 4:15 pm]
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