Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 2 / Thursday, January 3, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 411 

■ 13. In § 622.31, paragraph (c) is 

revised to read as follows: 

§ 622.31 Prohibited gear and methods. 

* * * * * 

(c) Fish traps. A fish trap may not be 

used or possessed in the Gulf or South 

Atlantic EEZ. A fish trap deployed in 

the Gulf or South Atlantic EEZ may be 

disposed of in any appropriate manner 

by the Assistant Administrator or an 

authorized officer. 

* * * * * 

§ 622.34 [Amended] 

■ 14. In § 622.34, paragraph (g)(3) is 

removed, and paragraph (n) is removed 

and reserved. 

■ 15. In § 622.37, paragraphs (d)(1)(ii) 

and (e)(1)(ii) are revised to read as 

follows: 

§ 622.37 Size limits. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(ii) Vermilion snapper—10 inches 

(25.4 cm), TL. 

* * * * * 

(e) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(ii) Vermilion snapper—12 inches 

(30.5 cm), TL. 

* * * * * 

■ 16. In § 622.39, paragraphs (a)(2)(iv), 

and (b)(1)(ii) are revised; paragraph 

(b)(1)(ix) is removed and reserved; and 

paragraph (b)(1)(x) is added to read as 

follows: 

§ 622.39 Bag and possession limits. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(2) * * * 

(iv) When the vessel has on board or 

is tending any trap other than a stone 

crab trap or a spiny lobster trap. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(1) * * * 

(ii) Groupers, combined, excluding 

goliath grouper and Nassau grouper—5 

per person per day, but not to exceed 1 

speckled hind or 1 warsaw grouper per 

vessel per day or 1 red grouper per 

person per day. However, no grouper 

may be retained by the captain or crew 

of a vessel operating as a charter vessel 

or headboat. The bag limit for such 

captain and crew is zero. 

* * * * * 

(x) Gulf reef fish, combined, 

excluding those specified in paragraphs 

(b)(1)(i), (ii) , (iv), (vi), (vii), and (viii) of 

this section and excluding dwarf sand 

perch and sand perch—20. 

* * * * * 

§ 622.40 [Amended] 

■ 17. In § 622.40, paragraphs (a)(2), 

(b)(2), (c)(2), and (d)(1) are removed; 

paragraphs (a)(3), (b)(3), (c)(3), and 

(d)(2) are redesignated as paragraphs 

(a)(2), (b)(2), (c)(2), and (d)(1), 

respectively, and paragraph (d)(2) is 

added and reserved. 

■ 18. In § 622.41, paragraphs (a)(4) and 

(i) are revised to read as follows: 

§ 622.41 Species specific limitations. 

(a) * * * 

(4) Not less than 24 hours prior to 

harvest of aquacultured live rock, the 

owner or operator of the harvesting 

vessel must provide the following 

information to the NMFS Office for Law 

Enforcement, Southeast Region, St. 

Petersburg, FL, by telephone (727–824–

5344): 

* * * * * 

(i) Gulf reef fish exhibiting trap rash. 

Possession of Gulf reef fish in or from 

the Gulf EEZ that exhibit trap rash is 

prima facie evidence of illegal trap use 

and is prohibited. For the purpose of 

this paragraph, trap rash is defined as 

physical damage to fish that 

characteristically results from contact 

with wire fish traps. Such damage 

includes, but is not limited to, broken 

fin spines, fin rays, or teeth; visually 

obvious loss of scales; and cuts or 

abrasions on the body of the fish, 

particularly on the head, snout, or 

mouth. 

* * * * * 

§ 622.42 [Amended] 

■ 19. In § 622.42, paragraph (e)(1)(i) is 

removed and paragraphs (e)(1)(ii) and 

(iii) are redesignated as (e)(1)(i) and (ii), 

respectively. 

§ 622.44 [Amended] 

■ 20. In § 622.44, paragraph (c)(3)(i) is 

removed and paragraphs (c)(3)(ii) 

through (iv) are redesignated as 

paragraphs (c)(3)(i) through (iii), 

respectively. 

§ 622.45 [Amended] 

■ 21. In § 622.45, paragraph (c)(5) is 

removed. 

■ 22. In addition to the amendments set 

forth above, in 50 CFR part 622, revise 

all references to ‘‘NMFS, Office of 

Enforcement’’; ‘‘NMFS Office of 

Enforcement’’; ‘‘NMFS Office of Law 

Enforcement’’; and ‘‘NMFS Law 

Enforcement Office’’ to read ‘‘NMFS 

Office for Law Enforcement’’ wherever 

they occur. 

[FR Doc. E7–25584 Filed 1–2–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 061109296–7009–02] 

RIN 0648–XE43 

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 

State of Florida is transferring 

commercial bluefish quota to the State 

of New York from its 2007 quota. By 

this action, NMFS adjusts the quotas 

and announces the revised commercial 

quota for each state involved. 

DATES: Effective December 28, 2007 

through December 31, 2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Emily Bryant, Fishery Management 

Specialist, (978) 281–9244, fax (978) 

281–9135. 

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. 

Florida has agreed to transfer 100,000 

lb (45,359 kg) of its 2007 commercial 

quota to New York. 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 2007 are: New York, 

1,334,278 lb (605,218 kg); and Florida, 

453,488 lb (205,699 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. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with RULES
412 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 2 / Thursday, January 3, 2008 / Rules and Regulations 

Dated: December 28, 2007. 

Alan D. Risenhoover 

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 07–6289 Filed 12–28–07; 2:21 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with RULES