[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 97 (Tuesday, May 20, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 28850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11646]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 121009528-2729-02]
RIN 0648-XD268


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 Commonwealth of Virginia is 
transferring a portion of its 2014 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the State of New Jersey. NMFS is adjusting the quotas and announcing 
the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

DATES: Effective May 15, 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.
    Virginia has agreed to transfer 2,634 lb (1,195 kg) of its 2014 
commercial quota to New Jersey. This transfer was prompted by summer 
flounder landings of the F/V Golden Nugget, a Virginia vessel that was 
granted safe harbor in North Carolina due to a vessel fire at sea on 
March 6, 2014, thereby requiring a quota transfer to account for an 
increase in New Jersey's landings that would have otherwise accrued 
against the Virgina 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: Virginia, 2,572,766 lb (1,166,987 kg); and New Jersey 1,912,290 lb 
(867,400 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: May 14, 2014.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-11646 Filed 5-15-14; 4:15 pm]
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