Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 250 / Thursday, December 30, 2010 / Rules and Regulations 82295 

on the most recent Status of U.S. 

Fisheries Report to Congress, the AA 

will file a notification with the Office of 

the Federal Register to close the 

recreational fishery for vermilion 

snapper for the remainder of the fishing 

year. On and after the effective date of 

such notification, the bag and 

possession limit of vermilion snapper in 

or from the South Atlantic EEZ is zero. 

This bag and possession limit also 

applies in the South Atlantic on board 

a vessel for which a valid Federal 

charter vessel/headboat permit for 

South Atlantic snapper-grouper has 

been issued, without regard to where 

such species were harvested, i.e., in 

State or Federal waters. 

(B) Without regard to overfished 

status, if vermilion snapper recreational 

landings exceed the ACL, the AA will 

file a notification with the Office of the 

Federal Register, at or near the 

beginning of the following fishing year, 

to reduce the ACL for that fishing year 

by the amount of the overage. 

(C) Recreational landings will be 

evaluated relative to the ACL as follows. 

For 2010, only 2010 recreational 

landings will be compared to the ACL; 

in 2011, the average of 2010 and 2011 

recreational landings will be compared 

to the ACL; and in 2012 and subsequent 

fishing years, the most recent 3-year 

running average recreational landings 

will be compared to the ACL. 

[FR Doc. 2010–32831 Filed 12–29–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 0908191244–91427–02] 

RIN 0648–XA073 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Summer Flounder Fishery; 

Quota Transfer 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 

State of North Carolina is transferring a 

portion of its 2010 commercial summer 

flounder quota to the Commonwealth of 

Virginia. In addition, the State of Maine 

is transferring a portion of its 2010 

commercial summer flounder quota to 

the State of Rhode Island. By this action, 

NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces 

the revised commercial quota for each 

state involved. 

DATES: Effective December 27, 2010, 

through December 31, 2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah Heil, Fishery Management 

Specialist, 978–281–9257. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulations governing the summer 

flounder 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 North Carolina through Maine. The 

process to set the annual commercial 

quota and the percent allocated to each 

state are described in § 648.100. 

The final rule implementing 

Amendment 5 to the Summer Flounder, 

Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery 

Management Plan, which was published 

on December 17, 1993 (58 FR 65936), 

provided a mechanism for summer 

flounder quota to be transferred from 

one state to another. Two or more states, 

under mutual agreement and with the 

concurrence of the Administrator, 

Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional 

Administrator), can transfer or combine 

summer flounder commercial quota 

under § 648.100(d). The Regional 

Administrator is required to consider 

the criteria set forth in § 648.100(d)(3) in 

the evaluation of requests for quota 

transfers or combinations. 

North Carolina has agreed to transfer 

11,815 lb (5,359 kg) of its 2010 

commercial quota to Virginia. This 

transfer was prompted by summer 

flounder landings of two North Carolina 

vessels that were granted safe harbor in 

Virginia due to mechanical problems on 

November 19, 2010, and December 6, 

2010. In addition, Maine has agreed to 

transfer 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) of its 2010 

commercial quota to Rhode Island. The 

Regional Administrator has determined 

that the criteria set forth in 

§ 648.100(d)(3) have been met. The 

revised summer flounder quotas for 

calendar year 2010 are: North Carolina, 

3,358,231 lb (1,523,268 kg); Virginia, 

2,922,226 lb (1,325,499 kg); Maine, 126 

lb (57 kg); and Rhode Island, 2,025,915 

lb (918,940 kg). 

Classification 

This action is taken under 50 CFR 

part 648 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: December 27, 2010. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–32947 Filed 12–27–10; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 100204079–0199–02] 

RIN 0648–XA084 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; 

Quota Transfer 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason quota 

transfer. 

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 

Commonwealth of Virginia is 

transferring commercial bluefish quota 

to the State of North Carolina from its 

2010 quota. By this action, NMFS 

adjusts the quotas and announces the 

revised commercial quotas for Virginia 

and North Carolina. 

DATES: Effective December 27, 2010 

through December 31, 2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sarah Heil, Fishery Management 

Specialist, (978) 281–9257. 

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 Florida through Maine. The 

process to set the annual commercial 

quota and the percent allocated to each 

State is described in § 648.160. 

Two or more States, under mutual 

agreement and with the concurrence of 

the Administrator, Northeast Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator), can 

transfer or combine bluefish commercial 

quota under § 648.160(f). The Regional 

Administrator is required to consider 

the criteria set forth in § 648.160(f)(1) in 

the evaluation of requests for quota 

transfers or combinations. 

Virginia has agreed to transfer 250,000 

lb (113,398 kg) of its 2010 commercial 

quota to North Carolina. The Regional 

Administrator has determined that the 

criteria set forth in § 648.160(f)(1) have 

been met. The revised bluefish quotas 

for calendar year 2010 are: Virginia, 

963,280 lb (436,937 kg); and North 

Carolina, 3,524,441 lb (1,528,860 kg). 

Classification 

This action is taken under 50 CFR 

part 648 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866. 

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


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with RULES