```

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 234 (Thursday, December 5, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 96616-96617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28482]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 231215-0305; RTID 0648-XE501]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder 
Fishery; 2024 Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of Rhode Island

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

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the 2024 summer flounder commercial quota 
allocated to the State of Rhode Island has been harvested. Vessels 
issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder 
fishery may not land summer flounder in Rhode Island for the remainder 
of calendar year 2024, unless additional quota becomes available 
through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer 
flounder fishery

[[Page 96617]]

require publication of this notification to advise Rhode Island that 
the quota has been harvested, and to advise vessel permit holders and 
dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for 
landing summer flounder in Rhode Island.

DATES: Effective 0001 hours December 5, 2024, through December 31, 
2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Rigdon, (978) 281-9336, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder 
fishery are found at 50 CFR 648.100 through 648.111. The regulations 
require annual specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned 
on a percentage basis among 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.  648.102.
    The commercial quota for summer flounder for 2024 was set equal to 
8,789,830 pounds (lb; 3,987,000 kilograms (kg)) (88 FR 88266, December 
23, 2023). The amount allocated to vessels landing summer flounder in 
Rhode Island is 1,378,507 lb (625,280 kg). Rhode Island received 
commercial summer flounder quota transfers of 3,799 lb (1,723 kg) (89 
FR 51986, June 21, 2024) from Virginia, and 12,120 lb (5,498 kg) (89 FR 
70124, August 29, 2024) and 1,835 lb (832 kg) (89 FR 80795, October 4, 
2024) from North Carolina, resulting in a revised commercial summer 
flounder quota for Rhode Island of 1,396,261 lb (633,333 kg).
    The NMFS Regional Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Region 
monitors the state commercial landings and determines when a state's 
commercial quota has been harvested. NMFS is required to publish 
notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying commercial 
vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date, 
the state's commercial quota has been harvested and no commercial quota 
is available for landing summer flounder in that state. Based on dealer 
reports and other available information, the Regional Administrator has 
determined that the available quota has been harvested. The Rhode 
Island Division of Marine Fisheries closed the state fishery on 
December 2, 2024, and this action promotes consistency between the 
state and Federal management measures.
    The regulations at 50 CFR 648.14(n) prohibit Federally permitted 
vessels from landing summer flounder for sale in a state, and prohibit 
all persons from purchasing or otherwise receiving summer flounder for 
a commercial purpose after the effective date published in the Federal 
Register notification that commercial quota is no longer available in 
that state. Therefore, effective 0001 hours on December 5, 2024, 
landings of summer flounder in Rhode Island by vessels holding Federal 
summer flounder commercial fishery permits are prohibited for the 
remainder of the 2024 calendar year, unless additional quota becomes 
available through a transfer and is announced in the Federal Register. 
Effective 0001 hours on December 5, 2024, federally permitted dealers 
are also notified that they may not purchase summer flounder from 
federally permitted vessels that land in Rhode Island for the remainder 
of the calendar year, or until additional quota becomes available 
through a transfer from another state.

Classification

    This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from 
review under Executive Order 12866.
    The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the 
opportunity for public comment because it would be contrary to the 
public interest. This action closes the commercial summer flounder 
fishery for Rhode Island until January 1, 2025, under current 
regulations. The regulations at 50 CFR 648.103(b) require such action 
to ensure that summer flounder vessels do not exceed quotas allocated 
to the states. If implementation of this closure was delayed to solicit 
prior public comment, the quota for this fishing year will be exceeded, 
thereby undermining the conservation objectives of the Summer Flounder, 
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. The Assistant 
Administrator further finds, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), good cause 
to waive the 30-day delayed effectiveness period for the reason stated 
above.

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

    Dated: December 2, 2024.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-28482 Filed 12-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
```