[Federal Register: December 2, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 231)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 71488-71489]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02de02-23]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 011109274-1301-02; I.D. 101602D]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery;
Commercial Quota Harvested for Winter II Period
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Scup commercial quota harvested for Winter II period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the scup commercial quota available in
the 2002 Winter II period (November - December) to the coastal states
from Maine to North Carolina has been harvested. Federally permitted
commercial vessels may not land scup in these states for the remainder
of the 2002 Winter II quota period (through December 31, 2002).
Regulations governing the scup fishery require publication of this
notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through North
Carolina that the scup quota has been harvested and to advise Federal
vessel permit holders and Federal dealer permit holders.
DATES: Effective 0001 hrs local time, December 2, 2002, through 2400
hrs local time, December 31, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard A. Pearson, Fishery Policy
Analyst, (978) 281-9279.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the scup fishery are
found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual specification
of a commercial quota that is allocated into three quota periods. The
Winter II commercial quota (November through December) is distributed
to the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina. The process to
set the annual commercial quota and the seasonal allocation is
described at Sec. 648.120.
The total commercial quota for scup for the 2002 calendar year was
initially set at 8,000,000 lb (3,628,739 kg) and then adjusted downward
to 7,834,522 lb (3,553,679 kg), to account for research quota set-
asides (66 FR 66351; December 26, 2001). The Winter II period quota,
which is equal to 15.94 percent of the annual commercial quota, was
1,248,823 lb (566,456 kg). The 2002 Winter II quota allocation was then
adjusted downward to compensate for 2001 Winter II landings in excess
of the 2001 Winter II quota (67 FR 49621, July 31, 2002), consistent
with the procedures specified at Sec. 648.120(d)(3)(ii). Accordingly,
the final adjusted 2002 Winter II period commercial quota is 1,179,502
lb (535,013 kg).
Section 648.121 requires the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS
(Regional Administrator) to monitor the commercial scup quota for each
quota period and, based upon dealer reports, state data, and other
available information, to determine when the commercial quota has been
harvested. NMFS is required to publish notification in the Federal
Register advising and notifying federally permitted commercial vessels
and federally permitted dealers that, effective upon a specific date,
the scup commercial quota has been harvested. The Regional
Administrator has determined, based upon dealer reports and other
available information, that the scup commercial quota for the 2002
Winter II period has been harvested.
The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal scup
moratorium permit holders agree, as a condition of the permit, not to
land scup in any state after NMFS has published a notification in the
Federal Register stating that the commercial quota for the period has
been harvested and that no commercial quota for scup is available.
Therefore, effective 0001 hours, December 2, 2002, further landings of
scup by vessels holding Federal scup moratorium permits are prohibited
through December 31, 2002. The 2003 Winter I period for commercial scup
harvest will open on January 1, 2003. Effective 0001 hours, December 2,
2002, federally permitted dealers are also advised that they may not
purchase scup from federally permitted vessels that land in coastal
states from Maine through North
[[Page 71489]]
Carolina for the remainder of the Winter II period (through December
31, 2002).
Classification
This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 25, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-30452 Filed 11-26-02; 5:00 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S