[Federal Register: June 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 120)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 33424-33425]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23jn99-19]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 981014259-8312-02; I.D. 061699C]

 
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup Fishery; 
Commercial Quota Harvested for Summer Period

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Commercial quota harvest for Summer period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the scup commercial quota available in the 
Summer period to the coastal states from Maine to North Carolina has 
been harvested. Commercial vessels may not land scup in the northeast 
region for the remainder of the 1999 Summer quota period (through 
October 31, 1999). Regulations governing the scup fishery require 
publication of this notification to advise the coastal states from 
Maine through North Carolina that the quota has been harvested and to 
advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no 
commercial quota is available for landing scup in these states.

DATES: Effective 0001 hours June 28, 1999, through October 31, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul H. Jones, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
(978) 281-9273.

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, based 
upon percentages of the annual quota. The Summer commercial quota (May 
through October) is distributed to the coastal states from Maine 
through North Carolina. The process to set the annual commercial quota 
and the percent allocated to each state is described in Sec. 648.120.
    The initial total commercial quota for scup for the 1999 calendar 
year was set equal to 2,534,000 lb (1,149,403 kg)(63 FR 72203, December 
31, 1998). The Summer period quota, which is equal to 38.95 percent of 
the annual commercial quota (minus a discard estimate), was set at 
986,993 lb (447,692 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. The Regional Administrator is further required to publish 
notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying commercial 
vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, 
the scup commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota is 
available for landing scup for the remainder of the Summer period. The 
Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer reports

[[Page 33425]]

and other available information, that the scup commercial quota for the 
1999 Summer 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 the scup is available. 
The Regional Administrator has determined that the Summer period for 
scup no longer has commercial quota available. Therefore, effective 
0001 hours June 28, 1999, further landings of scup in coastal states 
from Maine through North Carolina, by vessels holding Federal scup 
moratorium permits are prohibited through October 31, 1999. The Winter 
II period for commercial scup harvest will open on November 1, 1999. 
Effective 0001 hours June 28, 1999, 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 Carolina 
for the remainder of the Summer period (through October 31, 1999).

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under E.O. 12866.

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

    Dated: June 17, 1999.
George H. Darcy,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-15831 Filed 6-17-99; 4:06 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F