[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 52 (Thursday, March 17, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15146-15147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05649]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 220311-0070; RTID 0648-XX075]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Skate 
Complex; 2022 and 2023 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 Northeast skate specifications for the 2022 
fishing year, and projects specifications for fishing year 2023, as 
recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action 
is necessary to establish annual allowable harvest levels for the skate 
fishery that prevent overfishing while enabling optimum yield, using 
the best scientific information available.

DATES: Effective on May 1, 2022.

ADDRESSES: The New England Fishery Management Council prepared a 
Supplemental Information Report (SIR) for these specifications that 
describes the action and any changes from the original environmental 
assessment (EA) and analyses for this 2022-2023 specifications action. 
Copies of the SIR, original EA, and other supporting documents for this 
action, are available upon request from Thomas A. Nies, Executive 
Director, New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, 
Newburyport, MA 01950. These documents are also accessible via the 
internet at https://www.nefmc.org/management-plans/skates.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The New England Fishery Management Council manages a complex of 
seven skate species (barndoor, clearnose, little, rosette, smooth, 
thorny, and winter skate) in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions 
under the Northeast Skate Complex Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Skates 
are harvested and managed in two different fishery sectors, one for 
food (the wing fishery) and one for bait used in other fisheries (the 
bait fishery). The FMP requires the review and specification of an 
acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual catch limit (ACL), annual 
catch target (ACT), fishery-level total allowable landings (TAL) limit, 
separate TALs for the wing and bait fisheries, and other management 
measures, as needed, for up to two fishing years at a time. This action 
implements skate specifications for the 2022 fishing year, and projects 
specifications for 2023, as recommended by the Council.
    The proposed rule for this action published in the Federal Register 
on January 18, 2022 (87 FR 2587), and comments were accepted through 
February 17, 2022. NMFS did not receive any comments from the public 
during this period. Additional background information regarding the 
development of these specifications was provided in the proposed rule 
and is not repeated here.

Specifications

    This action implements the Council's recommended 2022 and projected 
2023 skate catch specifications (Table 1), as outlined in the proposed 
rule. These specifications increase the ABC by 14 percent and annual 
quotas for both the wing and bait fisheries by 18 percent in fishing 
year 2022. Specifications for fishing year 2023 are projected to be 
unchanged from 2022.

     Table 1--Summary of Final 2022 and Projected 2023 Skate Fishery
                             Specifications
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                                            Metric tons     Million lb
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ABC = ACL...............................          37,236          82.091
ACT.....................................          33,513          73.883
Overall Fishery TAL.....................          21,142          46.610
Wing TAL (66.5% of Overall TAL).........          14,059          30.995
Wing Season 1 TAL (57% of Wing TAL).....           8,014          17.668
Wing Season 2 TAL.......................           6,045          13.327
Bait TAL (33.5% of Overall TAL).........           7,082          15.613
Bait Season 1 TAL (30.8% of Bait TAL)...           2,181           4.808
Bait Season 2 TAL (37.1% of Bait TAL)...           2,627           5.792
Bait Season 3 TAL.......................           2,274           5.013
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    All other fishery management measures, such as trip limits, remain 
unchanged under this action. The Council will review the projected 
specifications for fishing year 2023 in light of any new information to 
determine if any changes need to be made prior to their implementation. 
NMFS will publish a notice prior to the 2023 fishing year to confirm 
these limits as projected or propose any necessary changes.

Comments and Responses

    The public comment period for the proposed rule ended on February 
17, 2022. NMFS received no comments from the public during this period.

Changes From the Proposed Rule

    There are no changes from the proposed rule.

Classification

    The NMFS Administrator, Greater Atlantic Region, has determined 
that these specifications are necessary for the conservation and 
management of the Northeast skate fishery, and that it is consistent 
with the Northeast Skate Complex FMP, other provisions of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, and other applicable laws.
    This final rule is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866 
because the action contains no implementing regulations.
    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.

[[Page 15147]]

No comments were received regarding this certification, and the initial 
certification remains unchanged. As a result, a final regulatory 
flexibility analysis was not required and none was prepared.
    This final rule does not duplicate, conflict, or overlap with any 
existing Federal rules.
    This action contains no information collection requirements under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

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

    Dated: March 11, 2022.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-05649 Filed 3-16-22; 8:45 am]
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