[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 171 (Friday, September 2, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 60635-60636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21206]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 151130999-6225-01]
RIN 0648-XE834


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; approval of quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces its approval of the State of North Carolina 
transferring a portion of its 2016 commercial bluefish quota to the 
State of New York. This approval of the quota complies with the 
Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. 
This announcement also informs the public of the revised commercial 
quotas for North Carolina and New York.

DATES: Effective September 1, 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), and 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 request approval of a transfer of 
bluefish commercial quota under Sec.  648.162(e)(1)(i) through (iii). 
The Regional Administrator must first approve any such transfer based 
on the criteria in Sec.  648.162(e).
    New York and North Carolina have requested the transfer of 100,000 
lb (45,359 kg) of Atlantic bluefish commercial quota from North 
Carolina

[[Page 60636]]

to New York and have certified that the transfer meets all pertinent 
state requirements. This quota transfer was requested by the State of 
New York to ensure that its 2016 quota would not be exceeded. The 
Regional Administrator has approved this quota transfer based on his 
determination that the criteria set forth in Sec.  648.162(e)(1)(i) 
through (iii) have been met. The revised bluefish quotas for calendar 
year 2016 are: North Carolina, 1,466,100 lb (665,012 kg); and New York, 
687,289 lb (311,749 kg). These quota adjustments revise the quotas 
specified in the final rule implementing the 2016-2018 Atlantic 
Bluefish Specifications published on August 4, 2016 (81 FR 51370), and 
reflect all subsequent commercial bluefish quota transfers completed to 
date.

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 30, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-21206 Filed 9-1-16; 8:45 am]
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