[Federal Register: December 27, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 249)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 78994-78995]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27de02-24]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 020215032-2127 02; I.D. 121702A]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish
Fishery; Commercial Quota Transfers
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Commercial quota transfers.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina has
transferred 43,000 lb (19,504.5 kg) of its 2002 commercial quota to the
State of Maryland; and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has
transferred 150,000 lb (68,038.9 kg) of its 2002 commercial quota to
the State of New York. The revised quotas for the calendar year 2002
following the transfer are: North Carolina, 3,323,384 lb (1,507,461.6
kg); Maryland, 315,400 lb (143,063.0 kg); Massachusetts, 555,254 lb
(251,859.0 kg); and New York, 1,449,372 lb (657,424.1 kg). NMFS has
adjusted the quotas and announces the revised commercial quotas. This
action is permitted under the regulations implementing the Fishery
Management Plan for the Bluefish Fishery (FMP) and is intended to
prevent negative economic impacts to the Maryland and New York
commercial bluefish fisheries.
DATES: Effective December 26, 2002 through December 31, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hannah Goodale, Fishery Policy
Analyst, (978) 281-9101, fax (978)281-9135, e-mail
Hannah.F.Goodale@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Atlantic bluefish
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The 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. 648.160.
The FMP allows two or more states, under mutual agreement and with
the concurrence of the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS, to
transfer or combine part or all of their annual commercial bluefish
quotas. The Regional Administrator must consider the criteria set forth
in Sec. 648.160(f)(1) in the evaluation of requests for quota
transfers or combinations.
The total commercial quota for bluefish for the 2002 calendar year
was set equal to 10,500,000 lb (4,762,720 kg) (66 FR 23625, May 9,
2002). The resulting quotas for North Carolina and Maryland were
3,366,384 (1,526,966 kg), and 315,189 lb (142,967 kg), respectively.
Effective, October 8, 2002, (67 FR 62650) Maryland's quota was reduced
by 42,789 lb (19,408.8 kg) to 272,400 lb (123,558.6 kg). North Carolina
has agreed to transfer 43,000 lb (19,504.5 kg) to Maryland. The revised
quotas for the calendar year 2002 following the transfer are: North
Carolina, 3,323,384 (1,507,461.6 kg) and Maryland, 315,400 lb
(143,063.0 kg).
The initial 2002 commercial quotas for Massachusetts and New York
were 705,254 lb (319,897.8 kg) and 1,090,436 lb (494,613.4 kg),
respectively. Effective
[[Page 78995]]
September 12, 2002, (67 FR 57758) New York's quota was reduced by
216,064 lb (98,033 kg) to 874,372 lb (396,721 kg). Effective October
10, 2002, (67 FR 63311) New York's quota was increased as the result of
a quota transfer by 425,000 lb (192,776.8 kg) to 1,299,372 lb (589,284
kg). Massachusetts has agreed to transfer 150,000 lb (68,038.8 kg) of
its 2002 commercial quota to New York. The revised quotas for the
calendar year 2002 are: Massachusetts, 555,254 lb (251,859.0 kg) and
New York, 1,449,372 lb (657,424.1 kg).
The Regional Administrator has determined that the criteria set
forth in Sec. 648.160(f)(1) have been met. This action does not alter
any of the conclusions reached in the environmental assessment for the
2002 specifications for the Atlantic bluefish fishery. This is a
routine administrative action that reallocates commercial quota within
the scope of previously published environmental analyses.
Classification
This action is taken under 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 18, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-32619 Filed 12-26-02; 8:45 am]
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