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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
CFR Citation: 50 CFR Part 648
Docket ID: [Docket No. 010208032-1109-02; I.D. 110701E]
NOTICE: RULES
ACTION: Fishery conservation and management:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Commercial quota transfer.
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; Commercial Quota Transfer
DATES: Effective November 15, 2001 through December 31, 2001.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia has transferred a total of 100,000 lb (45,372 kg) of commercial bluefish quota to the State of New York for 2001. NMFS has adjusted the quotas and announces the revised commercial quotas for Virginia and New York. This action is permitted under the regulations implementing the Fishery Management Plan for the Bluefish Fishery (FMP) and is intended to reduce discards and prevent negative economic impacts to the New York commercial bluefish fishery.
SUMMARY: Northeastern United States fisheries—; Atlantic bluefish,
SUPPLEMENTAL 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 are described in Sec. 648.160. The initial total commercial quota for bluefish for the 2001
calendar year was set equal to 9,583,010 lb (4,348,008 kg) (66 FR
23625, May 9, 2001). The resulting quota for New York was 995,204 lb
(451,544 kg), and for Virginia was 1,138,412 lb (516,521 kg). Effective
August 2, 2001, (66 FR 41151) Virginia transferred 300,000 lb (136,116 kg) of its
[[Page 57399]]
quota to North Carolina, leaving 838,412 lb (380,405 kg) available to Virginia.
The FMP allows two or more states, under mutual agreement and with the concurrence of the Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), to transfer or combine part or all of their annual commercial quota. 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.
Virginia has agreed to transfer 100,000 lb (45,360 kg) of its 2001 commercial quota to New York. The revised quotas for the calendar year 2001 are: Virginia, 738,412 lb (335,033 kg), and New York, 1,095,204 lb (496,784 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 2001 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: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 9, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 0128663 Filed 111401; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 351022S
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Myles Raizin, Fishery Policy Analyst, (978) 2819104, fax (978)2819135, email Myles.A.Raizin@noaa.gov.
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