[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 202 (Friday, October 22, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58595-58596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23054]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 201209-0332]
RTID 0648-XB525


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish 
Fishery; Quota Transfers from NJ to RI and MD to NC

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 states of New Jersey and Maryland are 
transferring a portion of their 2021 commercial bluefish quota to the 
States of Rhode Island and North Carolina, 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 New Jersey, 
Rhode Island, Maryland, and North Carolina.

DATES: Effective October 21, 2021, through December 31, 2021.

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 2021 allocations were 
published on December 16, 2020 (85 FR 81421).
    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

[[Page 58596]]

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 Act.
    New Jersey is transferring 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) to Rhode Island, 
and Maryland is transferring 30,000 lb (13,608 kg) to North Carolina 
through mutual agreement of the states. These transfers were requested 
to ensure that Rhode Island and North Carolina would not exceed their 
2021 state quota. The revised bluefish quotas for 2021 are: New Jersey, 
290,082 lb (131,579 kg); Rhode Island, 253,434 lb (114,955 kg); 
Maryland 53,084 lb (24,078 kg); and, North Carolina, 957,377 lb 
(434,259 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 exempted 
from review under Executive Order 12866.

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

    Dated: October 19, 2021.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-23054 Filed 10-21-21; 8:45 am]
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