[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 245 (Tuesday, December 22, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 79485-79486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32109]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 140117052-4402-02]
RIN 0648-XE347


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 States of North Carolina and Maine and 
the Commonwealth of Virginia are transferring portions of their 2015 
commercial summer flounder quotas to the State of Connecticut. These 
quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, 
Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer 
provision. This announcement informs the public of the revised 
commercial quota for each state involved.

DATES: Effective December 21, 2015, through December 31, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Scheimer, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978)-281-9236.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are in 50 CFR 648.100 through 50 CFR 648.110. The regulations 
require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 
among the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina. 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 
Fishery Management Plan, as published in the Federal Register on 
December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), provided a mechanism for transferring 
summer flounder commercial quota from one state to another. Two or more 
states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the NMFS 
Greater

[[Page 79486]]

Atlantic 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) in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or 
combinations.
    Connecticut is receiving the following 2015 summer flounder 
commercial quota transfers: 10,000 lb (4,534 kg) from North Carolina, 
10,000 lb (4,534 kg) from Virginia, and 5,200 lb (2,359 kg) from Maine. 
These transfers were prompted by state officials in Connecticut to 
ensure their commercial summer flounder quota is not exceeded. The 
Regional Administrator has determined that the criteria set forth in 
Sec.  648.102(c)(2)(i) are met. The revised summer flounder quotas for 
calendar year 2015 are: North Carolina, 2,966,243 lb (1,345,465 kg); 
Maine, 65 lb (29 kg); Virginia, 2,391,568 lb (1,084,796 kg); and 
Connecticut, 275,045 lb (124,758 kg), based on the final 2015 Summer 
Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Specifications and Commercial Summer 
Flounder Quota Adjustments, as published in the Federal Register on 
December 30, 2014 (79 FR 78311).

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: December 17, 2015.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-32109 Filed 12-21-15; 8:45 am]
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