[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 27, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 95060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31194]



[[Page 95060]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 150903814-5999-02]
RIN 0648-XF096


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of Connecticut

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 2016 summer flounder commercial quota 
allocated to the State of Connecticut has been harvested. Vessels 
issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder 
fishery may not land summer flounder in Connecticut for the remainder 
of calendar year 2016. Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery require publication of this notification to advise Connecticut 
that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit holders 
and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available 
for landing summer flounder in Connecticut.

DATES:  Effective 0001 hours, December 22, 2016, through December 31, 
2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Hanson, (978) 281-9180, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual 
specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned on a percentage 
basis among the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina. The 
process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to 
each state is described in Sec.  648.102.
    The initial commercial quota for summer flounder for the 2016 
calendar year was set equal to 8,124,035 lb (3,684,997 kg) (80 FR 
80689, December 28, 2015). The percent allocated to vessels landing 
summer flounder in Connecticut is 2.25708 percent, resulting in a 
commercial quota of 183,366 lb (83,173 kg). This allocation was 
adjusted to 187,166 lb (84,897 kg) to account for quota transfers from 
other states.
    The NMFS Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Region (Regional 
Administrator), monitors the state commercial landings and determines 
when a state's commercial quota has been harvested. NMFS is required to 
publish notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying 
commercial vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a 
specific date, the state's commercial quota has been harvested and no 
commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in that 
state. The Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer 
reports and other available information, that the 2016 Connecticut 
commercial summer flounder quota will be harvested by December 22, 
2016.
    Section 648.4(b) provides that Federal permit holders agree, as a 
condition of the permit, not to land summer flounder in any state that 
the Regional Administrator has determined no longer has commercial 
quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hours, December 22, 2016, 
landings of summer flounder in Connecticut by vessels holding summer 
flounder commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited for the 
remainder of the 2016 calendar year. Effective 0001 hours, December 22, 
2016, federally permitted dealers are also notified that they may not 
purchase summer flounder from federally permitted vessels that land in 
Connecticut for the remainder of the calendar year.

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the 
opportunity for public comment because it would be contrary to the 
public interest. This action closes the summer flounder fishery for 
Connecticut until January 1, 2017, under current regulations. The 
regulations at Sec.  648.103(b) require such action to ensure that 
summer flounder vessels do not exceed quotas allocated to the states. 
If implementation of this closure was delayed to solicit prior public 
comment, the quota for this fishing year will be exceeded, thereby 
undermining the conservation objectives of the Summer Flounder Fishery 
Management Plan. The Assistant Administrator further finds, pursuant to 
5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), good cause to waive the 30-day delayed 
effectiveness period for the reason stated above.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: December 21, 2016.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-31194 Filed 12-21-16; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P