79136 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 237 / Wednesday, December 9, 2020 / Rules and Regulations 

specified in 50 CFR 622.190(a)(1)(i) and 

(ii). 

After the January through June 2020 

fishing season, 3,048 lb (1,382 kg) of the 

snowy grouper commercial quota 

remained unharvested. As specified in 

50 CFR 622.190(a)(1)(iii), NMFS added 

this unused portion of the snowy 

grouper commercial quota to the 

commercial quota for the July through 

December 2020 fishing season. 

Therefore, the snowy grouper 

commercial quota for the July through 

December 2020 fishing season is 49,229 

lb (22,329 kg). Any unused commercial 

quota for the July through December 

fishing season becomes void and will 

not be added to any subsequent quota 

(622.190(a)(1)(iii)). 

Under 50 CFR 622.193(b)(1), NMFS is 

required to close the commercial sector 

for snowy grouper when the commercial 

quota specified in 50 CFR 622.190(a)(1) 

is reached or is projected to be reached, 

by filing a notification to that effect with 

the Office of the Federal Register. NMFS 

projects that commercial landings of 

South Atlantic snowy grouper, as 

estimated by the Science and Research 

Director, will reach the adjusted July 

through December 2020 commercial 

quota by December 12, 2020. 

Accordingly, the commercial sector for 

South Atlantic snowy grouper is closed 

effective at 12:01 a.m., local time, on 

December 12, 2020, and remains closed 

until the start of the next January 

through June fishing season on January 

1, 2021. 

The operator of a vessel with a valid 

commercial vessel permit for South 

Atlantic snapper-grouper having snowy 

grouper on board must have landed and 

bartered, traded, or sold such snowy 

grouper prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, 

on December 12, 2020. During the 

commercial closure, harvest and 

possession of snowy grouper in or from 

the South Atlantic EEZ is limited to the 

bag and possession limits, as specified 

in § 622.187(b)(2)(ii) and (c)(1). Also 

during the commercial closure, the sale 

or purchase of snowy grouper taken 

from the EEZ is prohibited. The 

prohibition on sale or purchase does not 

apply to the sale or purchase of snowy 

grouper that were harvested, landed 

ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m., 

local time, on December 12, 2020, and 

were held in cold storage by a dealer or 

processor. 

For a person on board a vessel for 

which a Federal commercial or charter 

vessel/headboat permit for South 

Atlantic snapper-grouper has been 

issued, the bag and possession limits 

and the sale and purchase provisions 

during the commercial closure for 

snowy grouper apply regardless of 

whether the fish are harvested in state 

or Federal waters, as specified in 50 

CFR 622.190(c)(1)(ii). 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

622.193(b)(1), which was issued 

pursuant to section 304(b) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is exempt 

from review under Executive Order 

12866. 

These measures are exempt from the 

procedures of the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act because the temporary rule is issued 

without opportunity for prior notice and 

comment. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there 

is good cause to waive prior notice and 

an opportunity for public comment as 

such procedures are unnecessary and 

contrary to the public interest. Such 

procedures are unnecessary because the 

regulations associated with the 

commercial quota for South Atlantic 

snowy grouper have already been 

subject to notice and comment, and all 

that remains is to notify the public of 

the commercial closure for the 

remainder of the July through December 

2020 fishing season. Prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment on this 

action is contrary to the public interest 

because of the need to immediately 

implement the commercial closure to 

protect South Atlantic snowy grouper, 

because the capacity of the fishing fleet 

allows for rapid harvest of the 

commercial quota. Prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment would 

require time and would potentially 

result in a harvest that exceeds the 

commercial quota. 

For the aforementioned reasons, there 

is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) 

to waive the 30-day delay in the 

effective date of this action. 

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

Dated: December 4, 2020. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–27064 Filed 12–7–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 635 

[Docket No. 120627194–3657–02] 

RTID 0648–XA629 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 

North Atlantic Swordfish Fishery 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason 

Swordfish General Commercial permit 

retention limit adjustment. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is adjusting the 

Swordfish General Commercial permit 

retention limits for the Northwest 

Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. 

Caribbean regions for January through 

June of the 2021 fishing year, unless 

otherwise later noticed. The Swordfish 

General Commercial permit retention 

limit in each of these regions is 

increased from the regulatory default 

limit (either two or three fish) to six 

swordfish per vessel per trip. The 

Swordfish General Commercial permit 

retention limit in the Florida Swordfish 

Management Area will remain 

unchanged at the default limit of zero 

swordfish per vessel per trip, as 

discussed in more detail below. These 

adjustments apply to Swordfish General 

Commercial permitted vessels and to 

Highly Migratory Species (HMS) 

Charter/Headboat permitted vessels 

with a commercial endorsement when 

on a non-for-hire trip. This action is 

based upon consideration of the 

applicable inseason regional retention 

limit adjustment criteria. 

DATES: The adjusted Swordfish General 

Commercial permit retention limits in 

the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, 

and U.S. Caribbean regions are effective 

from January 1, 2021, through June 30, 

2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah McLaughlin, sarah.mclaughlin@

noaa.gov 978–281–9260, Lauren 

Latchford, lauren.latchford@noaa.gov 

301–427–8503, or Larry Redd, 

larry.redd@noaa.gov 301–427–8503. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulations implemented under the 

authority of the Atlantic Tunas 

Convention Act (ATCA; 16 U.S.C. 971 et 

seq.) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801 

et seq.) governing the harvest of North 

Atlantic swordfish by persons and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 237 / Wednesday, December 9, 2020 / Rules and Regulations 79137 

vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction are 

found at 50 CFR part 635. Section 

635.27 subdivides the U.S. North 

Atlantic swordfish quota recommended 

by the International Commission for the 

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 

and implemented by the United States 

into two equal semi-annual directed 

fishery quotas; an annual incidental 

catch quota for fishermen targeting other 

species or catching swordfish 

recreationally, and a reserve category, 

according to the allocations established 

in the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic 

Highly Migratory Species Fishery 

Management Plan (2006 Consolidated 

Atlantic HMS FMP) (71 FR 58058, 

October 2, 2006), as amended, and in 

accordance with implementing 

regulations. NMFS is required under 

ATCA and the Magnuson-Stevens Act to 

provide U.S. fishing vessels with a 

reasonable opportunity to harvest the 

ICCAT-recommended quota. 

The increase in the retention limit 

will help provide a reasonable 

opportunity to harvest available quota. 

The current annual U.S. baseline quota 

is 2,937.6 mt dressed weight (dw) (3,907 

mt whole weight (ww)). Under 

§ 635.27(c)(3)(ii), and consistent with 

the applicable ICCAT recommendation, 

NMFS may carry over underharvest 

from 2020, limited to 15 percent of the 

2020 annual baseline quota, which is a 

maximum of 440.6 mt dw (586.0 mt 

ww). With underharvest as expected in 

2020, NMFS anticipates carrying over 

the maximum underharvest allowed, 

which would result in an adjusted 

North Atlantic swordfish quota for the 

2021 fishing year of 3,378.2 mt dw 

(2,937.6 + 440.6 = 3,378.2 mt dw). As in 

past years, NMFS anticipates allocating 

50 mt dw from the adjusted quota to the 

Reserve category for inseason 

adjustments/research and allocating 300 

mt dw to the Incidental category, which 

includes recreational landings and 

landings by incidental swordfish permit 

holders, consistent with 

§ 635.27(c)(1)(i)(D) and (B). This would 

result in a final adjusted quota of 

3,028.2 mt dw for the directed fishery, 

which would be split equally (1,514.1 

mt dw) between the two semi-annual 

periods in 2021 (January through June, 

and July through December). 

For additional context and 

information on a related matter, NMFS 

notes that earlier this year, NMFS 

published a proposed rule to modify the 

North Atlantic swordfish and shark 

retention limits for certain permit 

holders and add inseason adjustment 

authorization criteria (85 FR 23315, 

April 27, 2020). Relevant to swordfish, 

the proposed rule would modify 

retention limits for highly migratory 

species (HMS) Commercial Caribbean 

Small Boat (CCSB) permit holders, 

Swordfish General Commercial permit 

holders, and HMS Charter/Headboat 

permit holders with a commercial 

endorsement on a non-for hire (i.e., 

commercial) trip, and add inseason 

adjustment criteria to the CCSB permit. 

NMFS anticipates that the proposed rule 

would streamline HMS regulations to 

align retention limits for commercial 

swordfish permits established for HMS 

CCSB permit holders under Amendment 

4 with those established in Amendment 

8 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP 

for Swordfish General Commercial 

permit holders. If the rule were to be 

finalized as proposed, NMFS anticipates 

that it would no longer be necessary to 

increase the default swordfish retention 

limit through inseason adjustment for 

Swordfish General Commercial permit 

holders and HMS Charter/Headboat 

permit with a commercial endorsement 

on a commercial trip to provide 

additional fishing opportunities for 

these permit holders. The ability to 

reduce the default retention limit 

through inseason adjustment to account 

for possible quota overages would 

remain in effect. 

Adjustment of Swordfish General 

Commercial Permit Vessel Retention 

Limits 

The 2021 North Atlantic swordfish 

fishing year will begin on January 1, 

2021. Regional default retention limits 

for the Swordfish General Commercial 

permit have been established and are 

automatically effective from January 1 

through December 31 each year, unless 

changed based on the inseason regional 

retention limit adjustment criteria at 

§ 635.24(b)(4)(iv). The Swordfish 

General Commercial permit default 

retention limits are: (1) Northwest 

Atlantic region—three swordfish per 

vessel per trip; (2) Gulf of Mexico 

region—three swordfish per vessel per 

trip; (3) U.S. Caribbean region—two 

swordfish per vessel per trip; and, (4) 

Florida Swordfish Management Area— 

zero swordfish per vessel per trip. The 

default retention limits apply to 

Swordfish General Commercial 

permitted vessels and to HMS Charter/ 

Headboat permitted vessels with a 

commercial endorsement when fishing 

on non-for-hire trips. Permitted vessels 

may not possess, retain, or land any 

more swordfish than is specified for the 

region in which the vessel is located. 

Under § 635.24(b)(4)(iii), NMFS may 

increase or decrease the Swordfish 

General Commercial permit vessel 

retention limit in any region within a 

range from zero to a maximum of six 

swordfish per vessel per trip. Any 

adjustments to the retention limits must 

be based upon a consideration of the 

relevant criteria provided in 

§ 635.24(b)(4)(iv). NMFS has considered 

these criteria as discussed below and 

their applicability to the Swordfish 

General Commercial permit retention 

limit in all regions for January through 

June of the 2021 North Atlantic 

swordfish fishing year. 

NMFS must consider the effects of the 

adjustment on accomplishing the 

objectives of the fishery management 

plan and its amendments. See 

§ 635.24(b)(4)(iv)(D). The objective is to 

provide opportunities to harvest the full 

North Atlantic directed swordfish quota 

without exceeding it, and the goal, 

based upon the 2006 Consolidated 

Atlantic HMS FMP, is to manage 

Atlantic HMS fisheries for continuing 

optimum yield so as to provide the 

greatest overall benefit to the Nation, 

particularly with respect to food 

production, providing recreational 

opportunities, preserving traditional 

fisheries, and taking into account the 

protection of marine ecosystems. This 

action will help preserve the swordfish 

handgear fishery (rod and reel, 

handline, harpoon, bandit gear, and 

greenstick). Although this action does 

not specifically provide recreational 

fishing opportunities, it will have a 

minimal impact on the recreational 

sector because recreational landings are 

counted against a separate incidental 

swordfish quota. 

NMFS has examined dealer reports 

and landing trends and determined that 

the information obtained from biological 

sampling and monitoring of the North 

Atlantic swordfish stock is useful. See 

§ 635.24(b)(4)(iv)(A). Regarding the 

estimated ability of vessels participating 

in the fishery to land the amount of 

swordfish quota available before the end 

of the fishing year, § 635.24(b)(4)(iv)(B), 

NMFS reviewed electronic dealer 

landings data, which indicates that 

sufficient directed swordfish quota 

should be available for the January 

through June 2021 semi-annual quota 

period if recent swordfish landings 

trends continue. The directed swordfish 

quota has not been fully harvested for 

several years and, based upon current 

landing trends, is not likely to be 

harvested or exceeded in 2021. Based 

upon recent landings rates from dealer 

reports, an increase in the vessel 

retention limits to six fish for Swordfish 

General Commercial permit holders and 

Charter/Headboat permit holders with a 

commercial endorsement (when on a 

non-for-hire trip) in three regions is not 

likely to cause quotas for other 

categories of the fishery to be exceeded. 

See § 635.24(b)(4)(iv)(C). Similarly, 


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79138 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 237 / Wednesday, December 9, 2020 / Rules and Regulations 

regarding the criteria about the effects of 

catch rates in one region precluding 

vessels in another region from having a 

reasonable opportunity to harvest a 

portion of the overall swordfish quota, 

§ 635.24(b)(4)(iv)(F), NMFS expects 

there to be sufficient swordfish quota for 

the entirety of the 2021 fishing year. 

Thus, increased catch rates in these 

three regions as a result of this action 

would not be expected to preclude 

vessels in the other region (e.g., the 

buoy gear fishery in the Florida 

Swordfish Management Area) from 

having a reasonable opportunity to 

harvest a portion of the overall 

swordfish quota. 

In making adjustments to the 

retention limits, NMFS must also 

consider variations in seasonal 

distribution, abundance, or migration 

patterns of swordfish, and the 

availability of swordfish on the fishing 

grounds. See § 635.24(b)(4)(iv)((E) and 

(G). With regard to swordfish 

abundance, the 2020 report by ICCAT’s 

Standing Committee on Research and 

Statistics indicated that the North 

Atlantic swordfish stock is not 

overfished and overfishing is not 

occurring. Increasing retention limits for 

the General Commercial fishery is not 

expected to affect the swordfish stock 

status determination because any 

additional landings would be within the 

ICCAT-recommended U.S. North 

Atlantic swordfish quota allocation, 

which is consistent with conservation 

and management measures to prevent 

overfishing on the stock. Increasing 

opportunities by increasing retention 

limits from the default levels beginning 

on January 1, 2021, is also important 

because of the migratory nature and 

seasonal distribution of swordfish. In a 

particular geographic region, or waters 

accessible from a particular port, the 

amount of fishing opportunity for 

swordfish may be constrained by the 

short amount of time that the swordfish 

are present in the area as they migrate. 

NMFS has determined that the 

retention limit for the Swordfish 

General Commercial permit will remain 

at zero swordfish per vessel per trip in 

the Florida Swordfish Management Area 

at this time. As described in 

Amendment 8 to the 2006 Consolidated 

Atlantic HMS FMP (78 FR 52011, 

August 21, 2013), the area off the 

southeastern coast of Florida, 

particularly the Florida Straits, contains 

oceanographic features that make the 

area biologically unique. It provides 

important juvenile swordfish habitat, 

and is essentially a narrow migratory 

corridor containing high concentrations 

of swordfish located in close proximity 

to high concentrations of people who 

may fish for them. Public comment on 

Amendment 8 indicated concern about 

the resultant high potential for the 

improper rapid growth of a commercial 

fishery, increased catches of undersized 

swordfish, the potential for larger 

numbers of fishermen in the area, and 

the potential for crowding of fishermen, 

which could lead to gear and user 

conflicts. These concerns remain valid. 

NMFS continues to collect information 

to evaluate the appropriateness of the 

retention limit in the Florida Swordfish 

Management Area and other regional 

retention limits. 

The directed swordfish quota has not 

been fully harvested for several years 

and, based upon current landing trends, 

is not likely to be harvested or exceeded 

during 2021. In 2020, a six swordfish 

per vessel trip limit was in effect for 

Swordfish General Commercial permit 

holders in the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf 

of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean regions 

for the entire fishing season. As of 

October 31, 2020, this limit resulted in 

total annual directed swordfish landings 

of approximately 760.1 mt dw, or 25.1 

percent of the 3,028.2-mt dw annual 

adjusted directed quota for 2020, which 

includes landings under the six-fish trip 

limit. This information indicates that 

sufficient directed swordfish quota 

should be available from January 1 

through June 30, 2021, at the higher 

retention levels, within the limits of the 

scientifically-supported Total Allowable 

Catch (TAC) and consistent with the 

goals of the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic 

HMS FMP as amended, ATCA, and the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, and are not 

expected to negatively impact stock 

health. 

Given that 2020 swordfish directed 

landings will likely fall well below the 

available 2020 quota, and that 2021 

landings will likely follow a similar 

trend, and in consideration of the 

inseason regional retention limit 

adjustment criteria above, NMFS has 

determined that the Swordfish General 

Commercial permit retention limits in 

the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, 

and U.S. Caribbean regions applicable to 

persons issued a Swordfish General 

Commercial permit or HMS Charter/ 

Headboat permit with a commercial 

endorsement (when on a non-for-hire 

trip) should be increased from the 

default levels that would otherwise 

automatically become effective on 

January 1, 2021, to six swordfish per 

vessel per trip from January 1 through 

June 31, 2021. These are the same limits 

that were implemented through an 

inseason adjustment for the period July 

1 through December 31, 2020 (85 FR 

38091, June 25, 2020). Given the rebuilt 

status of the stock and the availability 

of quota, increasing the Swordfish 

General Commercial permit retention 

limits in three regions to six fish per 

vessel per trip will increase the 

likelihood that directed swordfish 

landings will approach, but not exceed, 

the available annual swordfish quota, 

and increase the opportunity for 

catching swordfish during the 2021 

fishing year. 

Monitoring and Reporting 

NMFS will continue to monitor the 

swordfish fishery closely during 2021 

through mandatory landings and catch 

reports. Dealers are required to submit 

landing reports and negative reports (if 

no swordfish were purchased) on a 

weekly basis. 

Depending upon the level of fishing 

effort and catch rates of swordfish, 

NMFS may determine that additional 

retention limit adjustments or closures 

are necessary to ensure that the 

available quota is not exceeded or to 

enhance fishing opportunities. 

Subsequent actions, if any, will be 

published in the Federal Register. In 

addition, fishermen may access https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highlymigratory-species/atlantic-highlymigratory-species-landings-updates for 

updates on quota monitoring. 

Classification 

NMFS issues this action pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 

part 635, which was issued pursuant to 

section 304(c), and is exempt from 

review under Executive Order 12866. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

NMFS (AA) finds that it is impracticable 

and contrary to the public interest to 

provide prior notice of, and an 

opportunity for public comment on, this 

action for the following reasons: 

The regulations implementing the 

2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP, 

as amended, provide for inseason 

retention limit adjustments to respond 

to changes in swordfish landings, the 

availability of swordfish on the fishing 

grounds, the migratory nature of this 

species, and regional variations in the 

fishery. Based on available swordfish 

quota, stock abundance, fishery 

performance in recent years, and the 

availability of swordfish on the fishing 

grounds, among other considerations, 

adjustment to the Swordfish General 

Commercial permit retention limits 

from the default levels of two or three 

fish to six swordfish per vessel per trip 

as discussed above is warranted, while 

maintaining the default limit of zerofish retention in the Florida Swordfish 

Management Area. Analysis of available 

data shows that adjustment to the 


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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 237 / Wednesday, December 9, 2020 / Rules and Regulations 79139 

swordfish retention limit from the 

default levels would result in minimal 

risk of exceeding the ICCAT-allocated 

quota. 

Delays in temporarily increasing these 

retention limits caused by the time 

required to publish a proposed rule and 

accept public comment would adversely 

and unnecessarily affect those 

Swordfish General Commercial permit 

holders and HMS Charter/Headboat 

permit holders with a commercial 

endorsement (when on a non-for-hire 

trip) that would otherwise have an 

opportunity to harvest more than the 

otherwise applicable lower default 

retention limits of three swordfish per 

vessel per trip in the Northwest Atlantic 

and Gulf of Mexico regions, and two 

swordfish per vessel per trip in the U.S. 

Caribbean region. Limiting 

opportunities to harvest available 

directed swordfish quota may have 

negative social and economic impacts 

for U.S. fishermen. Adjustment of the 

retention limits needs to be effective on 

January 1, 2021, to allow Swordfish 

General Commercial permit holders and 

HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders 

with a commercial endorsement (when 

on a non-for-hire trip) to benefit from 

the adjustment during the relevant time 

period, which could pass by for some 

fishermen who have access to the 

fishery during a short time period 

because of seasonal fish migration, if the 

action is delayed for notice and public 

comment. Furthermore, the public was 

given an opportunity to comment on the 

underlying rulemakings, including the 

adoption of the North Atlantic 

swordfish U.S. quota, and the retention 

limit adjustments in this action would 

not have any additional effects or 

impacts since the retention limit does 

not affect the overall quota. Thus, there 

would be little opportunity for 

meaningful input and review with 

public comment on this action. 

Therefore, the AA finds good cause 

under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior 

notice and the opportunity for public 

comment. For all of the above reasons, 

there is also good cause under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d) to waive the 30-day delay in 

effectiveness. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 

et seq. 

Dated: December 1, 2020. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–26796 Filed 12–8–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No.200623–0167; RTID 0648– 

XA697] 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; 

Quota Transfer From MA to RI 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notification; quota transfer. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts is 

transferring a portion of its 2020 

commercial bluefish quota to the State 

of Rhode Island. This quota adjustment 

is 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 

Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

DATES: Effective December 4, 2020, 

through December 31, 2020. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Laura Hansen, Fishery Management 

Specialist, (978) 281–9225. 

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 § 648.162, and the 

final 2020 allocations were published 

on June 29, 2020 (85 FR 38794). 

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 § 648.162(e)(1)(i) through (iii). 

The Regional Administrator must 

approve any such transfer based on the 

criteria in § 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. 

Massachusetts is transferring 15,000 

lb (6,804 kg) of bluefish commercial 

quota to Rhode Island through mutual 

agreement of the states. This transfer 

was requested to ensure that Rhode 

Island would not exceed its 2020 state 

quota. The revised bluefish quotas for 

2020 are: Massachusetts, 170,838 lb 

(77,491 kg); and Rhode Island, 313,366 

lb (142,140 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: December 4, 2020. 

Jennifer M. Wallace, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–27044 Filed 12–4–20; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 200604–0152] 

RIN 0648–BJ35 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone off Alaska; Modifying Seasonal 

Allocations of Pollock and Pacific Cod 

for Trawl Catcher Vessels in the 

Central and Western Gulf of Alaska; 

Correction 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule; correction. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is correcting a final 

rule that published in the Federal 

Register on June 25, 2020, 

implementing Amendment 109 to the 

Fishery Management Plan for 

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA 

FMP) and a regulatory amendment to 

the regulations governing pollock 

fishing in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The 

final rule’s intent as to Pacific cod was 

to change the seasonal apportionments 

of Pacific cod for the trawl catcher 


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