[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]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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