[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 241 (Tuesday, December 15, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 81155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27538]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 200623-0167; RTID 0648-XA706]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish 
Fishery; Quota Transfers From MA to NC, DE to RI, and VA to NY

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

ACTION: Notification; quota transfers.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the 
State of Delaware, and the Commonwealth of Virginia are transferring a 
portion of their 2020 commercial bluefish quota to the State of North 
Carolina, the State of Rhode Island, and the State of New York, 
respectively. These quota adjustments are 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 Massachusetts, North Carolina, Delaware, Rhode Island, 
Virginia, and New York.

DATES: Effective December 14, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Hansen, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9225.

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 final 2020 allocations were 
published on June 29, 2020 (85 FR 38794).
    The final rule implementing Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) 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 approve any such transfer based on the 
criteria in Sec.  648.162(e). In evaluating requests to transfer a 
quota or combine quotas, the Regional Administrator shall consider 
whether: The transfer or combinations would preclude the overall annual 
quota from being fully harvested; the transfer addresses an unforeseen 
variation or contingency in the fishery; and the transfer is consistent 
with the objectives of the FMP and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act.
    Massachusetts is transferring 55,000 lb (24,948 kg) of bluefish 
commercial quota to North Carolina; Delaware is transferring 30,000 lb 
(13,608 kg) to Rhode Island; and Virginia is transferring 50,000 lb 
(22,679 kg) to New York, through mutual agreement of the states. These 
transfers were requested to ensure that North Carolina, Rhode Island, 
and New York would not exceed their 2020 state quotas. The revised 
bluefish quotas for 2020 are: Massachusetts, 115,838 lb (52,543 kg); 
North Carolina, 1,056,058 lb (479,020 kg); Delaware, 21,966 lb (9,964 
kg); Rhode Island, 343,366 lb (155,748 kg); Virginia, 203,682 lb 
(92,389 kg); and New York, 387,335 lb (175,692 kg).

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 648.162(e)(1)(i) through 
(iii), which was issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: December 10, 2020.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-27538 Filed 12-14-20; 8:45 am]
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