Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 216 / Friday, November 7, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 66323 

season end date in the Federal Register 

prior to the start of the recreational 

fishing year on April 1. On and after the 

effective date of the recreational closure 

notification, the bag and possession 

limit for black sea bass in or from the 

South Atlantic EEZ is zero. This bag and 

possession limit applies in the South 

Atlantic on board a vessel for which a 

valid Federal charter vessel/headboat 

permit for South Atlantic snappergrouper has been issued, without regard 

to where such species were harvested, 

i.e. in state or Federal waters. 

* * * * * 

(f) * * * 

(2) Recreational sector. (i) If 

recreational landings, as estimated by 

the SRD, reach or are projected to reach 

the applicable recreational ACL 

specified in paragraph (f)(2)(iv) of this 

section the AA will file a notification 

with the Office of the Federal Register 

to close the recreational sector for 

vermilion snapper for the remainder of 

the fishing year. On and after the 

effective date of such notification, the 

bag and possession limit for 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 commercial or 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. 

(ii) If the combined vermilion snapper 

commercial and recreational landings 

exceed the combined vermilion snapper 

ACLs specified in paragraphs (f)(1) and 

(f)(2)(iv) of this section, and vermilion 

snapper are overfished, based 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, at or near the 

beginning of the following fishing year 

to reduce the recreational ACL for that 

following year by the amount of the 

recreational overage in the prior fishing 

year. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2014–26501 Filed 11–6–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 130903775–4276–02] 

RIN 0648–XD603 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and 

Butterfish Fishery; Notification of 

Butterfish Quota Transfer 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason 

adjustment. 

SUMMARY: NMFS transfers quota to the 

2014 butterfish domestic annual harvest 

allocation from the butterfish mortality 

cap on the longfin squid fishery in order 

to prevent an overage of the directed 

butterfish fishery. This action complies 

with the 2014 specifications and 

management measures for the Atlantic 

Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Fishery 

Management Plan. 

DATES: Effective November 3, 2014, 

through December 31, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aja 

Szumylo, Fishery Policy Analyst, (978) 

281–9195. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulations governing the butterfish 

fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. 

The regulations require annual 

specification of the overfishing limit, 

acceptable biological catch (ABC), 

annual catch limit (ACL), domestic 

harvest and processing (DAH and DAP), 

and butterfish mortality cap on the 

longfin squid fishery. The 2014 

butterfish DAH for the directed 

butterfish fishery was set as 3,200 mt, 

and the butterfish mortality cap on the 

longfin squid fishery was set at 3,844 mt 

(79 FR 18834, April 4, 2014). The 

regulations allow NMFS to transfer up 

to 50 percent of any unused butterfish 

allocation from the butterfish mortality 

cap allocation to the butterfish domestic 

annual harvest (DAH) if harvest of 

butterfish in the directed butterfish 

fishery is likely to exceed the DAH, and 

provided the transfer of butterfish from 

the butterfish mortality cap allocation 

does not increase the likelihood of 

closing the longfin squid fishery due to 

the harvest of the butterfish mortality 

cap. When such a determination is 

made, NMFS is required to publish a 

notification in the Federal Register to 

adjust the butterfish DAH and butterfish 

mortality cap. 

NMFS has determined that only 12 

percent of the butterfish mortality cap 

has been harvested as of October 30, 

2014, that 86 percent of the butterfish 

DAH has been harvested, and that the 

butterfish mortality cap will not be 

exceeded if 50 percent of the allocation 

is transferred to the butterfish DAH. 

Therefore, effective immediately, 1,900 

mt will be transferred from the 

butterfish mortality cap to the butterfish 

DAH in order to prevent a DAH overage, 

and to allow for the continued operation 

of the directed butterfish fishery. The 

adjusted butterfish mortality cap on the 

longfin squid fishery is 1,984 mt, and 

the adjusted butterfish DAH is 5,100 mt. 

The three-phase management system for 

butterfish still applies to the directed 

butterfish fishery, meaning that, during 

November and December, the fishery 

will move to phase 2 (i.e., the 

possession limit for the directed fishery 

will be reduced to 5,000 mt for vessels 

fishing with greater than 3 inch (76 mm) 

mesh) when the butterfish harvest 

reaches 82 percent of the DAH (4,182 

mt). Similarly, the closure threshold for 

the butterfish mortality cap on the 

longfin squid fishery would still apply, 

meaning that the directed longfin squid 

fishery would be closed if butterfish 

discards reach 1,885 mt (95 percent of 

the 1,984 mt butterfish mortality cap). 

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 (AA), finds good cause 

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

prior notice and the opportunity for 

public comment because it is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This action increases the 

butterfish DAH by 1,900 mt (from 3,200 

mt to 5,100 mt) through December 31, 

2014. The regulations at § 648.24(c)(5) 

allow for a transfer of allocation from 

the butterfish mortality cap to the 

butterfish DAH to allow for efficient 

utilization of the butterfish resource. 

The butterfish fishing year extends from 

January 1 to December 31. Data indicate 

that, as of October 30, 2014, 86 percent 

of the butterfish DAH has been 

harvested. For the month of October, 

vessels participating in the directed 

butterfish fishery have been able to 

harvest an average of 51,000 lb (19 mt) 

per day, or close to 350,000 lb (131 mt) 

per week. The longfin squid fishery has 

harvested butterfish discards, which 

count against the butterfish mortality 

cap, at a very slow rate this year. As of 

October 30, 2014, only 12 percent of the 

butterfish mortality cap on the longfin 

squid fishery has been harvested, 


rmajette on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with RULES
66324 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 216 / Friday, November 7, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

meaning that just over 1 percent of the 

butterfish mortality cap has been 

harvested each month. At this rate, 

NMFS has projected that less than 15 

percent of the current (3,884 mt) 

butterfish mortality cap will be 

harvested by December 31, 2014. If 

implementation of this quota transfer is 

delayed to solicit public comment, the 

increase may not be effective prior to 

the end of the 2014 fishing year and 

butterfish that is currently allocated to 

the longfin squid fishery may go 

unutilized, thereby undermining the 

intended economic benefits associated 

with this action. Transferring the 

allocation allows the directed butterfish 

fishery to continue to target butterfish 

while the fish are available. NMFS 

further finds, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3), good cause to waive the 30- 

day delayed effectiveness period for the 

reasons stated above. 

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

Dated: November 3, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–26413 Filed 11–3–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 140214138–4482–02] 

RIN 0648–XD584 

Fisheries of the Northeastern United 

States; Bluefish 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 Florida is transferring a portion 

of its 2014 commercial bluefish quota to 

the State of New York. By this action, 

NMFS adjusts the quotas and announces 

the revised commercial quota for each 

state involved. 

DATES: Effective November 3, 2014 

through December 31, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carly Bari, Fishery Management 

Specialist, 978–281–9224. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulations governing the 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 are described in § 648.162. 

The final rule implementing 

Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Fishery 

Management Plan, which was published 

in the Federal Register on July 26, 2000 

(65 FR 45844), provided a mechanism 

for bluefish quota to be transferred from 

one state to another. Two or more states, 

under mutual agreement and with the 

concurrence of the Administrator, 

Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), can transfer or 

combine bluefish commercial quota 

under § 648.162(e). The Regional 

Administrator is required to consider 

the criteria in § 648.162(e)(1) in the 

evaluation of requests for quota transfers 

or combinations. 

Florida has agreed to transfer 250,000 

lb (113,398 kg) of its 2014 commercial 

quota to New York. This transfer was 

prompted by the diligent efforts of state 

officials in New York not to exceed the 

commercial bluefish quota. The 

Regional Administrator has determined 

that the criteria set forth in 

§ 648.162(e)(1) have been met. The 

revised bluefish quotas for calendar year 

2014 are: Florida, 500,309 lb (226,936 

kg); and New York, 1,024,579 lb 

(464,741 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: November 3, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–26412 Filed 11–3–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 131115973–4885–02] 

RIN 0648–BD74 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Amendment 96 to the 

Gulf of Alaska Fishery Management 

Plan; Management of Community 

Quota Entities 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: NMFS publishes regulations 

to implement Amendment 96 to the 

Fishery Management Plan for 

Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP) 

and an amendment to the Pacific halibut 

commercial fishery regulations for 

waters in and off Alaska. Amendment 

96 to the FMP and the regulatory 

amendment modify the Individual 

Fishing Quota Program for the FixedGear Commercial Fisheries for Pacific 

Halibut and Sablefish in Waters in and 

off Alaska (IFQ Program). This action 

will remove a regulation that prohibits 

a Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Community 

Quota Entity (CQE) from transferring 

and holding small blocks of halibut and 

sablefish quota share (QS). This action 

will allow CQEs to acquire additional 

QS and facilitate CQE community 

resident participation in the IFQ 

Program. This action promotes the goals 

and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act, the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 

1982, the FMP, and other applicable 

law. 

DATES: Effective December 8, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of this 

rule, the Regulatory Impact Review 

(RIR)/Initial Regulatory Flexibility 

Analysis (IRFA) (collectively, Analysis), 

and the proposed rule prepared for 

Amendment 96 and the regulatory 

amendment may be obtained from 

http://www.regulations.gov or from the 

NMFS Alaska Region Web site at http:// 

alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. An electronic 

copy of the 2010 Review of the CQE 

Program under the Halibut and 

Sablefish IFQ Program prepared by the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council) is available from the 

Council Web site at www.npfmc.org/

community-quota-entity-program. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peggy Murphy, (907) 586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulatory Authority 

NMFS issues regulations to 

implement Amendment 96 to the FMP 

and revise the halibut and sablefish 

provisions of the CQE Program. The 

Council recommended and NMFS 

approved the FMP in 1978 under the 

authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) (16 U.S.C. 

1801 et seq.). Regulations implementing 

the FMP and general regulations 

governing sablefish appear at 50 CFR 

part 679. Fishing for Pacific halibut 

(Hippoglossus stenolepis) is managed by 


rmajette on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with RULES