[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 162 (Monday, August 22, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56536-56537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19997]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 151130999-6225-01]
RIN 0648-XE802


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish 
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 Florida and Delaware and the 
Commonwealth of Virginia are transferring portions of their 2016 
commercial bluefish quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These 
quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Atlantic Bluefish 
Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement 
informs the public of the revised commercial quotas.

DATES: Effective August 19, 2016, through December 31, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid Lichwell, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9112.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Atlantic bluefish 
fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.160 through 648.167. The regulations 
require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 
among the coastal states from Maine through Florida. The process to set 
the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to each state are 
described in Sec.  648.162.
    The final rule implementing Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery 
Management Plan published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2000 (65 
FR 45844), provided a mechanism for transferring bluefish quota 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 bluefish 
commercial quota under Sec.  648.162(e)(1)(i) through (iii). The 
Regional Administrator is required to consider the criteria in Sec.  
648.162(e) in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or 
combinations.
    The transfers and the final revised quotas are shown in Table 1. 
These quota transfers were requested by the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts to ensure that its 2016 quota would not be exceeded. The 
Regional Administrator has determined that the criteria set forth in 
Sec.  648.162(e)(1)(i) through (iii) have been met. The quotas in Table 
1 are based on the final rule implementing the 2016-2018 Atlantic 
Bluefish Specifications that became effective August 4, 2016 (81 FR 
18559), and any subsequent approved state transfers.

                                 Table 1--Atlantic Bluefish Transfers, by State
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                                                             Transfer                    Final 2016 quota
                      State                      ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        lb              kg              lb              kg
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Massachusetts...................................         150,000          68,039         478,096         216,861
Delaware........................................         -50,000         -22,679          41,746          18,935
Virginia........................................         -50,000         -22,679         450,287         204,246
Florida.........................................         -50,000         -22,679         341,394         154,853
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[[Page 56537]]

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: August 17, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-19997 Filed 8-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P