[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 4, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 32170-32171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12917]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 140117052-4402-02]
RIN 0648-XD298


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. NMFS 
is also correcting the 2014 summer flounder quota for the State of New 
Jersey to account for quota transfers to date.

DATES: Effective May 30, 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 2,758 lb (1,251 kg) of its 
2014 commercial quota to Virginia. This transfer was prompted by summer 
flounder landings of the F/V Storm, a North Carolina vessel that was 
granted safe harbor in Virginia due to mechanical failure on April 24, 
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 2014 summer flounder specifications that published on 
May 22, 2014 (79 FR 29371), did not include quota transfers. This rule 
will also update the 2014 summer flounder quota for New Jersey to take 
into account all quota transfers to date. The revised

[[Page 32171]]

summer flounder commercial quotas for calendar year 2014 are: Virginia, 
2,388,012 lb (1,083,184 kg); North Carolina, 2,729,195 lb (1,237,942 
kg); and New Jersey, 1,765,169 lb (800,667 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 30, 2014.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-12917 Filed 5-30-14; 4:15 pm]
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