[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 47845-47846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20624]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 170828822-70999-02]
RIN 0648-XG475
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery;
Adjustment to the 2018 Winter II Quota
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason adjustment.
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SUMMARY: NMFS adjusts the 2018 Winter II commercial scup quota and per-
trip Federal landing limit. This action is intended to comply with
Framework Adjustment 3 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
Fishery Management Plan that established the rollover of unused
commercial scup quota from the Winter I to Winter II period. This
document is intended to inform the public of this quota and trip limit
change.
DATES: Effective October 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018.
[[Page 47846]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Hanson, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9180; or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS published a final rule for Framework
Adjustment 3 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery
Management Plan in the Federal Register on November 3, 2003 (68 FR
62250), implementing a process to roll over unused Winter I commercial
scup quota (January 1 through April 30) to be added to the Winter II
period quota (October 1 through December 31).\1\ The framework also
allows adjustment of the commercial possession limit for the Winter II
period dependent on the amount of quota rolled over from the Winter I
period.
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\1\ Effective May 21, 2018, the Winter II period start date was
changed from November 1 to October 1 as a part of Framework
Adjustment 12 (83 FR 17314; April 19, 2018).
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For 2018, the initial Winter II quota is 3,822,816 lb (1,734 mt).
The best available landings information indicates that 5,943,861 lb
(2,696 mt) remain of the 10,820,000-lb (4,908-mt) Winter I quota.
Consistent with Framework 3, the full amount of unused 2018 Winter I
quota is being transferred to Winter II, resulting in a revised 2018
Winter II quota of 9,766,677 lb (4,430 mt). Because the amount
transferred is between 5.5 and 6.0 million lb (2,495 to 2,722 mt), the
Federal per trip possession limit will increase from 12,000 lb (5.4 mt)
to 28,500 lb (13 mt), as outlined in the final rule that established
the possession limit and quota rollover procedures for this year,
published on December 22, 2017 (82 FR 60682).
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
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the opportunity for
public comment on this in-season adjustment because it would be
contrary to the public interest. This action transfers unused quota
from Winter I Period to the remaining Winter II Period to make it
accessible to the commercial scup fishery. If implementation of this
in-season action is delayed to solicit prior public comment, the
objective of the fishery management plan to achieve the optimum yield
from the fishery could be compromised. Deteriorating weather conditions
during the latter part of the fishing year may reduce fishing effort,
and could also prevent the annual quota from being fully harvested.
This would conflict with the agency's legal obligation under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to achieve the
optimum yield from a fishery on a continuing basis, resulting in a
negative economic impact on vessels permitted to fish in this fishery.
Moreover, the rollover process being applied here was the subject of
notice and comment rulemaking, and the range of potential trip limit
changes were outlined in the final 2018 scup specifications that were
published December 22, 2017; which were developed through public notice
and comment. Based on these considerations, NMFS further finds,
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), good cause to waive the 30-day delayed
effectiveness period for the reasons stated above.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 18, 2018.
Margo B. Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-20624 Filed 9-20-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P