[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12030-12031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05132]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 140117052-4402-02]
RIN 0648-XE449


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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is 
transferring portions of its 2016 commercial summer flounder quota to 
the States of New Jersey and Rhode Island, and the Commonwealths of 
Virginia and Massachusetts. 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 March 7, 2016, through December 31, 2016.

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 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)(A) through (C) in the evaluation of requests for quota 
transfers or combinations.
    North Carolina is transferring a total of 64,978 lb (29,473 kg) of 
summer flounder commercial quota to the following states: New Jersey, 
13,200 lb (5,987 kg); Massachusetts, 9,805 lb (4,447 kg); Virginia, 
30,573 lb (13,868 kg); and Rhode Island, 11,400 lb (5,171 kg). These 
transfers were requested by the State of North Carolina to repay 
landings by North Carolina permitted vessels that landed in these other 
states under safe harbor agreements.
    The revised summer flounder quotas for calendar year 2016 are: 
North Carolina, 2,164,731 lb (981,905 kg); Virginia, 1,762,354 lb 
(799,390 kg); Rhode Island, 1,285,491 lb (583,089 kg); Massachusetts, 
563,902 lb (255,782 kg); and New Jersey, 1,371,944 lb (622,303 kg), 
based on the quotas published in the 2016-2018 Summer Flounder, Scup

[[Page 12031]]

and Black Sea Bass Specifications, (December 28, 2015, 80 FR 80689).

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 3, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-05132 Filed 3-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P