[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8826-8828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04506]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 181010932-9124-02]
RIN 0648-XG562


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish 
Fishery; 2019 Bluefish Specifications

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues final specifications for the 2019 Atlantic 
bluefish fishery. This action establishes allowable harvest levels for 
the bluefish stock, to prevent overfishing while allowing optimum 
yield, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act and the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan. This 
rule is also intended to inform the public of these specifications for 
the 2019 fishing year.

DATES: Effective March 12, 2019, through December 31, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Copies of these specifications, including the Supplemental 
Information Report, and other supporting documents for the action, are 
available upon request from Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Executive 
Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Suite 201, 800 N 
State Street, Dover, DE 19901. These documents are also accessible via 
the internet at http://www.mafmc.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Ferrio, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9180.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The bluefish fishery is jointly managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 
under the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The FMP 
requires the specification of the acceptable biological catch (ABC), 
annual catch limit (ACL), annual catch targets (ACT), commercial 
quotas, recreational harvest limit, and other management measures, for 
up to three years at a time. This action implements final 2019 
specifications for the bluefish fishery, which are very similar to 
2018. The bluefish stock will undergo an operational assessment in mid-
2019 that is designed to incorporate updated

[[Page 8827]]

Marine Recreational Information Program information. It is expected 
that the 2020 specifications will be developed using this assessment.
    The proposed rule for this action published in the Federal Register 
on December 26, 2018 (83 FR 66234), and public comments were accepted 
through January 10, 2019. Additional background information regarding 
the development of these specifications was provided in the proposed 
rule and is not repeated here.

Final Specifications

    This action implements the 2019 Atlantic bluefish specifications 
(Table 1), as outlined in the proposed rule. Because the most recent 
data update indicated that the bluefish stock is not overfished and 
overfishing is not occurring, the 2019 specifications are very similar 
to 2018, with only minor adjustments to the final commercial quota and 
recreational harvest limit to account for the most recent full year of 
recreational catch data (2017), and an adjusted sector transfer. All 
other management measures, including the recreational possession limit 
of 15 fish per person, remain unchanged. For more information on the 
Council's recommendations and decisionmaking process, please see the 
proposed rule (83 FR 66234).

         Table 1--Summary of Final 2019 Bluefish Specifications
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                                             Final 2019 specifications
                                         -------------------------------
                                              pounds        metric tons
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Overfishing Limit.......................      27,972,252          12,688
ABC = ACL...............................      21,814,741           9,895
Commercial ACT..........................       3,708,175           1,682
Recreational ACT........................      18,106,565           8,213
Commercial TAL..........................       3,708,175           1,682
Recreational TAL........................      15,615,342           7,083
Sector Transfer.........................       3,999,185           1,814
Commercial Quota........................       7,709,565           3,497
Recreational Harvest Limit..............      11,620,566           5,271
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    Table 2 provides the commercial fishery state allocations for 2019 
based on the final 2019 coast-wide commercial quota and the allocated 
percentages defined in the FMP. No states exceeded their state 
allocated quota in 2018; therefore, no accountability measures need to 
be implemented for the 2019 fishing year.

                            Table 2--2019 Bluefish State Commercial Quota Allocations
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                                                                                       Quota           Quota
                              State                                Percent share    allocation      allocation
                                                                                       (lb)            (mt)
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Maine...........................................................            0.67          51,538           23.38
New Hampshire...................................................            0.41          31,956           14.49
Massachusetts...................................................            6.72         517,828          234.88
Rhode Island....................................................            6.81         524,874          238.08
Connecticut.....................................................            1.27          97,626           44.28
New York........................................................           10.39         800,645          363.17
New Jersey......................................................           14.82       1,142,264          518.12
Delaware........................................................            1.88         144,801           65.68
Maryland........................................................            3.00         231,426          104.97
Virginia........................................................           11.88         915,857          415.43
North Carolina..................................................           32.06       2,471,746         1121.17
South Carolina..................................................            0.04           2,714            1.23
Georgia.........................................................            0.01             732            0.33
Florida.........................................................           10.06         775,558          351.79
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          100.00       7,709,565        3,497.00
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Comments

    The public comment period for the proposed rule ended on January 
10, 2019. One comment received from the public claimed rampant 
overfishing in the bluefish fishery is occurring due to widespread 
corruption and commercial profiteering. However, this commenter 
presented no rationale or evidence supporting these claims, and the 
most recent assessment updates indicate that the bluefish stock is not 
overfished and overfishing is not occurring. No changes to the proposed 
specifications were made as a result of this comment.

Changes From the Proposed Rule

    There are no changes from the proposed rule.

Classification

    Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the 
NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this final rule is 
consistent with the Bluefish FMP, other provisions of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, and other applicable law.
    This final rule is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866 
because this action contains no implementing regulations.
    This final rule does not duplicate, conflict, or overlap with any 
existing Federal rules.
    This action does not contain a collection of information 
requirement for purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

[[Page 8828]]

    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration during the proposed rule stage that this action would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The factual basis for the certification was published in the 
proposed rule and is not repeated here. No comments were received 
regarding this certification, and the initial certification remains 
unchanged. As a result, a final regulatory flexibility analysis is not 
required and none has been prepared.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause 
under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay of effectiveness 
period for this rule, to ensure that the final specifications are in 
place as close as practicable to the start of the 2019 Atlantic 
bluefish fishing year, which began on January 1, 2019. This action 
establishes the final specifications (i.e., annual catch limits) for 
the bluefish fishery for the 2019 fishing year. A delay in 
effectiveness well beyond the start of the 2019 fishing year would be 
contrary to the public interest, as it could create confusion in the 
commercial bluefish industry.
    This rule is being issued at the earliest possible date. The 
proposed rule was prepared and published in December 2018, and the 
public comment period ended on January 10, 2019. The partial Federal 
government shutdown prevented any work on this action from December 22, 
2018, through January 25, 2019. We had expected to prepare and publish 
this final rule in January but were unable to do so because of the 
shutdown. A 30-day delay in effectiveness would only prolong the amount 
of time the bluefish fishery is forced to function in the 2019 fishing 
year without established specifications, which is contrary to the 
public interest.
    Furthermore, regulated parties do not require any additional time 
to come into compliance with this rule, and thus, a 30-day delay does 
not provide any benefit. Unlike actions that require an adjustment 
period to comply with new rules, bluefish fishery participants will not 
have to purchase new equipment or otherwise expend time or money to 
comply with these status quo management measures. Rather, complying 
with this final rule simply means adhering to the catch limits and 
management measures set for bluefish fishing year 2019. Therefore, 
there would be no benefit to delaying the implementation of these 
specifications.
    For these reasons, a 30-day delay in effectiveness would be 
contrary to the public interest, and is therefore waived. As a result, 
there is good cause to implement these specifications on March 12, 
2019.

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

    Dated: March 7, 2019.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-04506 Filed 3-11-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P