[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 234 (Thursday, December 5, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 66630]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26291]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 181010932-9124-02; RTID 0648-XX028]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish 
Fishery; Quota Transfer From NC to RI

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

ACTION: Notification of quota transfer.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is 
transferring a portion of its 2019 commercial bluefish quota to the 
State of Rhode Island. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply 
with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer 
provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 
commercial bluefish quotas for North Carolina and Rhode Island.

DATES: Effective December 4, 2019, through December 31, 2019.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Atlantic bluefish 
fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.160 through 648.167. These regulations 
require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 
among the coastal states from Maine through Florida. The process to set 
the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to each state is 
described in Sec.  648.162 and the initial 2019 allocations were 
published on March 12, 2019 (84 FR 8826).
    The final rule implementing Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery 
Management Plan published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2000 (65 
FR 45844), and provided a mechanism for transferring bluefish quota 
from one state to another. Two or more states, under mutual agreement 
and with the concurrence of the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional 
Administrator, can request approval to transfer or combine bluefish 
commercial quota under Sec.  648.162(e)(1)(i) through (iii). The 
Regional Administrator must first approve any such transfer based on 
the criteria in Sec.  648.162(e).
    North Carolina is transferring 150,000 lb (63 mt) of bluefish 
commercial quota to Rhode Island through mutual agreement of the 
states. This transfer was requested to ensure that Rhode Island would 
not exceed its allocated 2019 state quota. The revised bluefish quotas 
for 2019 are: North Carolina, 2,321,746 lb (1,053 mt); and Rhode 
Island, 674,874 lb (306 mt).

Classification

    This action is taken under 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: December 2, 2019.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-26291 Filed 12-4-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P