[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 8821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02043]



[[Page 8821]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 635

[Docket No. 160527473-6999-02]
RIN 0648-BG09


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Individual Bluefin Quota 
Program; Inseason Transfers

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

ACTION: Stay of final rule.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2017, from 
the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled 
``Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,'' published in the Federal Register 
on January 24, 2017 (the Memorandum), this action stays the final rule 
NMFS published on December 29, 2016, in order to delay its effective 
date.

DATES: Effective January 31, 2017, the final rule amending 50 CFR part 
635, that published on December 29, 2016, at 81 FR 95903, is stayed 
until March 21, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Warren or Sarah McLaughlin, 
978-281-9260; Carrie Soltanoff, 301-427-8503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 29, 2016, NMFS published this 
final rule modifying the Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) 
regulations regarding the distribution of inseason Atlantic bluefin 
tuna quota transfers to the Longline category. This final rule provides 
NMFS the ability to distribute quota inseason either to all qualified 
Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) share recipients (i.e., share recipients 
who have associated their permit with a vessel) or only to permitted 
Atlantic Tunas Longline vessels with recent fishing activity, whether 
or not they are associated with IBQ shares. This action is necessary to 
optimize fishing opportunity in the directed pelagic longline fishery 
for target species such as tuna and swordfish and to improve the 
functioning of the IBQ Program and its leasing provisions consistent 
with the objectives of Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery 
Management Plan.
    On January 20, 2017, the White House issued a memo instructing 
Federal agencies to temporarily postpone the effective date for 60 days 
after January 20, 2017, of any regulations or guidance documents that 
have published in the Federal Register but not yet taken effect, for 
the purpose of ``reviewing questions of fact, law, and policy they 
raise.'' Because its effective date has already passed, we are enacting 
this stay of the rule published on December 29, 2016, at 81 FR 95903 
(see DATES above) until March 21, 2017.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 635

    Fisheries, Fishing, Fishing vessels, Foreign relations, Imports, 
Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Treaties.

    Dated: January 26, 2017.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 635 is amended 
as follows:

PART 635--ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES

0
1. The authority citation for part 635 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.


Sec.  635.15  [Amended]

0
2. In Sec.  635.15, paragraphs (b) introductory text and (b)(9) are 
stayed until March 21, 2017.

[FR Doc. 2017-02043 Filed 1-30-17; 8:45 am]
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