[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 20, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10267-10268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05283]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 190213108-9232-01]
RIN 0648-XG820-X


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Monkfish Fishery; 
2019 Monkfish Specifications

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are implementing specifications for the 2019 monkfish 
fishery. This action is necessary to ensure allowable monkfish harvest 
levels that will prevent overfishing and allow harvesting of optimum 
yield. This action is intended to establish the allowable 2019 harvest 
levels, consistent with the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan and 
previously announced multi-year specifications.

DATES: The final specifications for the 2019 monkfish fishery are 
effective May 1, 2019, through April 30, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Murphy, Fishery Policy 
Analyst, (978) 281-9122.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
Management Councils jointly manage the monkfish fishery. The fishery is 
divided into Northern and Southern Fishery Management Areas and there 
are different management measures for each area. Primary effort 
controls include a yearly allocation of days-at-sea (DAS) and landing 
limits that are designed to enable the fishery to catch, but not 
exceed, its annual quotas. This action would continue the 2017-2019 
specifications approved by the Councils in Framework Adjustment 10 to 
the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan.
    On July 12, 2017, we approved measures in Framework 10 for the 2017 
fishing year (82 FR 32145), based on a recent stock assessment update 
and consistent with the Councils' Scientific and Statistical Committee 
recommendations. At that time, we also approved the projected 
specifications for 2018 and 2019. Final 2019 total allowable landings 
in both the Northern and Southern Fishery Management Areas are 
summarized in Table 1. These 2019 measures are the same as those 
implemented in 2017 and 2018. All other requirements remain the same.

         Table 1--Monkfish Specifications for Fishing Year 2019
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                                                               Total
                     Management area                         allowable
                                                           landings (mt)
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Northern Fishery Management Area........................           6,338
Southern Fishery Management Area........................           9,011
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    We have reviewed available 2018 fishery information against the 
2019 specifications and we do not expect that the 2018 annual catch 
limit will be exceeded. Further, there is no new biological information 
that would require altering the projected 2019 specifications. Neither 
Council has recommended any changes to the previous multi-year 
specifications. Based on this, we are implementing the 2019 
specifications as outlined in the Framework 10 final rule (82 FR 32145, 
July 12, 2017). The 2019 specifications will be effective until April 
30, 2020. This is the final year of these specifications and new 
specifications will be developed by the Councils for 2020 through 2022.

Classification

    The NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this final 
rule is consistent with the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan, the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other 
applicable law.

[[Page 10268]]

    This rule is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), we find good cause to waive prior 
public notice and opportunity for public comment on the catch limit and 
allocation adjustments because allowing time for notice and comment is 
unnecessary. The Framework 10 proposed rule provided the public with 
the opportunity to comment on the 2017-2019 specifications (82 FR 
21498, May 9, 2017). While comments in the Framework 10 final rule were 
mixed on whether limits should be liberalized or made more restrictive, 
no comments were received on the announced 2019 specifications. Thus, 
the proposed and final rules that contained the projected 2017-2019 
specifications provided a full opportunity for the public to comment on 
the substance and process of this action. Furthermore, no circumstances 
or conditions have changed in the 2018 monkfish fishery that would 
cause new concern or necessitate reopening the comment period. Finally, 
the final 2019 specifications being implemented by this rule are 
unchanged from those projected in the Framework 10 final rule.
    The Chief Counsel for Regulation, Department of Commerce, 
previously certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small 
Business Administration (SBA) that the 2017-2019 monkfish 
specifications would not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. Implementing status quo 
specifications for 2019 will not change the conclusions drawn in that 
previous certification to the SBA. Because advance notice and the 
opportunity for public comment are not required for this action under 
the Administrative Procedure Act, or any other law, the analytical 
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., 
do not apply to this rule. Therefore, no new regulatory flexibility 
analysis is required and none has been prepared.
    This action does not contain a collection of information 
requirement for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

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

    Dated: March 15, 2019.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-05283 Filed 3-19-19; 8:45 am]
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