[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 20, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43219-43220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15509]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 220126-0034; RTID 0648-XC185]


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

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 Virginia is 
transferring a portion of its 2022 commercial bluefish quota to the 
states of New York and Rhode Island. 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 Virginia, New York, and Rhode 
Island.

DATES: Effective July 19, 2022 through December 31, 2022.

[[Page 43220]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Deighan, Fishery Management 
Specialist, (978) 281-9184.

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 2022 allocations were 
published on February 2, 2022 (87 FR 5739).
    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 Act.
    Virginia is transferring 40,000 lb (18,144 kg) to New York and 
40,000 lb (18,144 kg) to Rhode Island through mutual agreement of the 
states. These transfers were requested to ensure that New York and 
Rhode Island would not exceed their 2022 state quotas. The revised 
bluefish quotas for 2022 are: Virginia, 309,802 lb (140,524 kg); New 
York, 454,693 lb (206,254 kg); and Rhode Island, 294,956 lb (133,790 
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: July 15, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-15509 Filed 7-19-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P