Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 235 / Monday, December 8, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 72557 

this section. These quotas are specified 

in gutted weight, that is eviscerated, but 

otherwise whole. 

(A) For fishing year 2014—1.110 

million lb (0.503 million kg). 

(B) For fishing year 2015—1.101 

million lb (0.499 million kg). 

(C) For fishing year 2016 and 

subsequent fishing years—1.024 million 

lb (0.464 million kg). 

(iii) * * * 

(A) Other SWG combined. (1) For 

fishing year 2014—523,000 lb (237,229 

kg). 

(2) For fishing year 2015 and 

subsequent fishing years—525,000 lb 

(238,136 kg). 

* * * * * 

■ 3. In § 622.41, paragraphs (c)(1), (f)(1), 

and (g)(1) are revised to read as follows: 

§ 622.41 Annual catch limits (ACLs), 

annual catch targets (ACTs), and 

accountability measures (AMs). 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(1) Commercial sector. The IFQ 

program for groupers and tilefishes in 

the Gulf of Mexico serves as the 

accountability measure for commercial 

Other SWG. The commercial ACT for 

Other SWG is equal to the applicable 

quota specified in § 622.39(a)(1)(iii)(A). 

The commercial ACL for Other SWG, in 

gutted weight, is 545,000 lb (247,208 kg) 

for 2014, and 547,000 lb (248,115 kg) for 

2015 and subsequent fishing years. 

* * * * * 

(f) * * * 

(1) Commercial sector. The IFQ 

program for groupers and tilefishes in 

the Gulf of Mexico serves as the 

accountability measure for commercial 

DWG. The commercial ACT for DWG is 

equal to the applicable quota specified 

in § 622.39(a)(1)(ii). The commercial 

ACL for DWG, in gutted weight, is 1.160 

million lb (0.526 million kg) for 2014, 

1.150 million lb (0.522 million kg) for 

2015, and 1.070 million lb (0.485 

million kg) for 2016 and subsequent 

fishing years. 

* * * * * 

(g) * * * 

(1) Commercial sector. The IFQ 

program for groupers and tilefishes in 

the Gulf of Mexico serves as the 

accountability measure for commercial 

tilefishes. The commercial ACT for 

tilefishes is equal to the quota specified 

in § 622.39(a)(1)(iv). The commercial 

ACL for tilefishes, in gutted weight, is 

606,000 lb (274,877 kg). 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2014–28630 Filed 12–5–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 635 

[Docket No. 140324263–4990–02] 

RIN 0648–BE12 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 

Transshipment, Port Inspection, and 

Vessel Identification 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This final rule implements 

regulations governing transshipment 

and international port inspection for 

vessels with Atlantic highly migratory 

species (HMS) permits to fulfill recent 

recommendations adopted by the 

International Commission for the 

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). 

The final rule expands the current 

prohibition on transfer at sea to include 

any tuna, tuna-like species, or other 

Atlantic HMS both at sea and in port 

inside the Atlantic Ocean, and prohibits 

the transfer of Atlantic HMS by U.S. 

vessels outside of the Atlantic Ocean 

and its surrounding seas. However, 

Atlantic tuna purse seine category 

vessels are still allowed to transfer 

Atlantic bluefin tuna from the catcher 

vessel to the receiving vessel in certain 

limited circumstances. Additionally, 

this final rule revises current regulations 

for U.S.-permitted vessels landing tuna, 

tuna-like species, or other HMS in 

foreign ports or making port calls in 

foreign ports by updating information 

and reporting procedures. Finally, 

NMFS is notifying commercial HMS 

permit holders with vessels 20 meters or 

larger of an ICCAT requirement that 

they provide an International Maritime 

Organization (IMO)/Lloyd’s Registry 

(LR) number on their permit application 

by no later than January 1, 2016. The 

purpose of this rule is to ensure U.S. 

compliance with ICCAT 

recommendations and to facilitate 

implementation of international 

monitoring, control, and surveillance 

measures for Atlantic HMS fisheries. 

DATES: This rule is effective on January 

7, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Other documents relevant 

to this final rule are available from the 

Atlantic HMS Management Division 

Web site at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/

sfa/hms/ or upon request from the 

Atlantic HMS Management Division at 

1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 

MD 20910. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick 

Pearson at 727–824–5399 or LeAnn 

Hogan at 301–427–8503. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic 

HMS fisheries are managed under the 

2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS 

Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and 

regulations at 50 CFR part 635, pursuant 

to the dual authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 

Act), and the Atlantic Tunas Convention 

Act (ATCA). Under ATCA, the Secretary 

promulgates such regulations as may be 

necessary and appropriate to carry out 

ICCAT recommendations. 

Background 

A brief summary of the background of 

this final action is provided below. The 

details are described in the proposed 

rule for this action (79 FR 54247, 

September 11, 2014) and are not 

repeated here. Additional information 

regarding Atlantic HMS management 

can be found in the 2006 Consolidated 

Atlantic HMS FMP and its amendments, 

the annual HMS Stock Assessment and 

Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Reports, and 

online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/ 

hms/. The comments received on the 

proposed rule for this action, and our 

responses to those comments, are 

summarized below in the section 

labeled ‘‘Response to Comments.’’ 

In 2012 and 2013, ICCAT adopted 

binding measures for its Contracting 

Parties to further combat illegal, 

unregulated, and unreported (IUU) 

fishing activities. Consistent with these 

recent ICCAT recommendations, this 

final rule implements domestic 

regulations pertaining to transfer at sea 

and transshipment, and international 

port inspection for vessels that are 

issued, or required to be issued, Atlantic 

HMS permits. It also notifies owners of 

commercial HMS-permitted vessels that 

are 20 meters in length or greater of the 

need to obtain an IMO/LR number and 

to provide that number on their permit 

applications by no later than January 1, 

2016. 

Transfer at Sea and Transshipment 

ICCAT Recommendation 12–06 

expands and strengthens ICCAT’s 

previously adopted program for 

transshipment. These changes were 

designed to enhance the quality of data 

collected for use in compliance 

assessments and for scientific purposes, 

and to eliminate any incentive for 

vessels to transship outside of the 

ICCAT convention area in order to 

circumvent ICCAT rules. Current 


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72558 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 235 / Monday, December 8, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

domestic transfer at sea regulations 

already prohibit the transfer at sea of 

Atlantic HMS within the Convention 

Area (i.e., all waters of the Atlantic 

Ocean including adjacent seas), 

regardless of where the fish were 

harvested. The current regulations also 

require that permitted vessels offload 

Atlantic HMS to permitted dealers, 

thereby precluding transfers in port. In 

this rulemaking, NMFS is amending the 

regulations to expand the prohibition on 

transfer at sea to include any tuna, tunalike species, or other HMS within the 

Convention Area both at sea or in port, 

and to also prohibit the transfer of these 

species at sea outside of the Convention 

Area, regardless of where the fish were 

harvested. With these minor changes, it 

would become unlawful for Atlantic 

HMS-permitted vessels (or vessels 

required to have an Atlantic HMS 

permit) to transfer tuna, tuna-like 

species, or other HMS in port or at sea, 

both within or outside the Convention 

Area. However, Atlantic tuna purse 

seine category vessels would continue 

to be allowed to transfer only Atlantic 

bluefin tuna from the catcher vessel to 

the receiving vessel provided that the 

amount transferred does not cause the 

receiving vessel to exceed its currently 

authorized vessel allocation, including 

incidental catch limits. 

The HMS transfer at sea prohibition 

was first implemented in 1999 (64 FR 

29090, May 28, 1999) in conjunction 

with publication of the 1999 Fishery 

Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, 

Swordfish, and Sharks (1999 FMP) and 

was analyzed in the environmental 

impact statement for that action. The 

transfer at sea regulation has remained 

largely unchanged since then, with only 

two minor amendments in 2010 and 

2011. This final action does not 

significantly alter the regulation. Also, 

there have been no known transfers of 

Atlantic tuna, tuna-like species, or other 

HMS by U.S. permitted vessels outside 

of the Convention Area (e.g., in the 

Panama Canal or Pacific Ocean). Thus, 

this final action is limited in magnitude 

and is not a significant change from the 

original environmental action. It is not 

expected to result in socio-economic 

impacts on U.S. fishermen. 

Port Inspection 

ICCAT Recommendation 12–07 

establishes a scheme for minimum 

standards for inspection in port and 

revises and strengthens ICCAT’s 

previous port inspection program 

(Recommendation 97–10). Pursuant to 

Recommendation 12–07, port State 

responsibilities include: (1) Designating 

and publicizing their ports where 

foreign fishing vessels can land or 

transship ICCAT-managed species that 

have not previously been landed or 

transshipped at port; (2) requiring 

advance notice from foreign fishing 

vessels seeking to enter those ports; (3) 

deciding whether or not to grant entry 

to such vessels in consideration of the 

information received; and, (4) carrying 

out inspections of at least five percent 

of landing or transshipment operations 

made by foreign vessels once in port. 

The provisions of Recommendation 12– 

07 are to be applied to foreign fishing 

vessels equal to or greater than 12 

meters in length overall. 

Notwithstanding the above minimum 

standards, port States may adopt more 

stringent port inspection requirements. 

ICCAT Recommendation 12–07 also 

requires that flag States take necessary 

action to ensure that masters facilitate 

safe access to the fishing vessel, 

cooperate with the competent 

authorities of the port State, facilitate 

the inspection and communication and 

not obstruct, intimidate or interfere, or 

cause other persons to obstruct, 

intimidate or interfere with port State 

inspectors in the execution of their 

duties. 

NOAA, the United States Coast Guard 

(USCG), and other relevant Federal 

agencies are in inter-agency discussions 

on implementation of those provisions 

of Recommendation 12–07 that pertain 

to U.S. responsibilities as a port State, 

such as advance notice of arrival by 

foreign fishing vessels. Full 

implementation of those provisions will 

require separate, additional rulemaking 

in the future by one or more U.S. 

agencies and may be addressed in 

concert with other port State 

requirements stemming from measures 

adopted by other Regional Fishery 

Management Organizations (RFMOs), as 

well as the Agreement on Port State 

Measures to Prevent and Deter, and 

Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and 

Unregulated Fishing, adopted by the 

United Nations Food and Agricultural 

Organization (FAO) in 2009, should the 

United States become a party. The U.S. 

Senate gave its advice and consent for 

ratification of this treaty in April 2014 

and Congress is currently considering 

implementing legislation. 

In this final rule, NMFS is only 

implementing certain provisions of 

Recommendation 12–07. It revises 50 

CFR 635.52 to include technical and 

electronic equipment, records, and other 

relevant documents deemed necessary 

to ensure compliance with ICCAT 

measures as examples of what may be 

inspected by an authorized officer of a 

port State when offloading tuna, tunalike species or other HMS in a foreign 

port or when making a port call in 

foreign ports. It also adds new language 

at § 635.53 to inform U.S. vessel 

operators of the information that they 

must provide to a port State prior to 

arrival in a foreign port. Finally, this 

rule adds § 635.54, which notifies U.S. 

vessel operators of the updated 

procedures for the port State when 

reporting the results of any port 

inspection conducted by an authorized 

foreign port State inspector. These final 

regulations are necessary to maintain 

consistency with current ICCAT 

recommendations and to ensure that 

operators of U.S. permitted fishing 

vessels have the most current 

information available to comply with 

the requirements of foreign countries 

pursuant to ICCAT Recommendation 

12–07. These changes are limited in 

magnitude and are not expected to 

result in socio-economic impacts on 

U.S. fishermen. 

Unique Vessel Identifiers 

ICCAT Recommendation 13–13 

requires vessels 20 meters or greater in 

length to obtain an IMO/LR number by 

no later than January 1, 2016. Current 

HMS regulations at § 635.4(h) are 

sufficient to comply with this 

Recommendation, as they allow NMFS 

to collect required supporting 

documents, which would include an 

IMO/LR number, as a condition for 

obtaining an Atlantic HMS permit and 

for being included on the ICCAT list of 

authorized large scale fishing vessels. 

Permit applications that do not contain 

the required supporting documents are 

considered incomplete. However, NMFS 

will need to amend the HMS permit 

applications to add a new field for the 

IMO/LR number. NMFS intends to 

amend the permit applications so that 

affected constituents can provide their 

IMO/LR number on the application for 

their 2015 permits. Therefore, through 

this rulemaking, NMFS is informing 

affected constituents about the need to 

obtain an IMO/LR number and to 

provide that number on their permit 

application by no later than January 1, 

2016. No regulatory changes are being 

implemented to comply with ICCAT 

Recommendation 13–13. 

Technical Correction 

A final rule to lift trade restrictions on 

bigeye tuna from Bolivia and Georgia 

was published in the Federal Register 

on August 29, 2012 (77 FR 52259). The 

prohibition on the import of bigeye tuna 

from Bolivia and Georgia at 50 CFR 

635.71(b)(29) was inadvertently not 

removed by NMFS in that final rule. A 

technical correction to remove and 

reserve § 635.71(b)(29) is included in 

this final rule. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 235 / Monday, December 8, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 72559 

Response to Comments 

The comment period for the proposed 

rule closed on October 14, 2014. NMFS 

did not receive any written comments 

from non-governmental organizations, 

fishermen, dealers, and other interested 

parties. NMFS received one comment 

from a constituent participating on the 

conference call/webinar on September 

19, 2014. A summary of that comment 

is provided below along with NMFS’ 

response. 

Comment 1: I support the proposed 

measures because implementation 

would demonstrate U.S. compliance 

with ICCAT trade measures. 

Response: NMFS agrees that the 

measures implemented by this rule 

would demonstrate U.S. compliance 

with ICCAT trade measures. 

Changes From the Proposed Rule (79 

FR 54247, September 11, 2014) 

The proposed rule for this action 

added a new paragraph at 

§ 635.71(a)(57). However, another 

rulemaking, the proposed rule for 

Amendment 7 to the Consolidated 

Atlantic HMS FMP (78 FR 52032, 

August 21, 2013), proposed to add 

provisions at the same paragraph 

number and others (§ 635.71(a)(57)– 

(60)). Because the paragraphs in the 

final rule for Amendment 7 to the 

Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP 

published and became effective prior to 

this action, the provisions proposed to 

be codified at § 635.71(a)(57) are now 

codified at § 635.71(a)(61) in this final 

rule. There is no change to the 

regulatory language contained in the 

proposed paragraph. 

Classification 

The NMFS Assistant Administrator 

has determined that this final action is 

necessary for the conservation and 

management of the Atlantic HMS 

fisheries, and that it is consistent with 

the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the 2006 

Consolidated Atlantic HMS FMP and its 

amendments, ATCA, and other 

applicable laws. 

This final action has been determined 

to be categorically excluded from the 

requirement to prepare an 

environmental assessment in 

accordance with NOAA Administrative 

Order 216–6. A memorandum for the 

file has been prepared that sets forth the 

decision to use a categorical exclusion 

because the rule would implement 

minor adjustments to the regulations 

and would not have a significant effect, 

individually or cumulatively, on the 

human environment. 

This final rule has been determined to 

be not significant for purposes of 

Executive Order 12866. 

The Chief Counsel for Regulation of 

the Department of Commerce certified 

to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 

Small Business Administration during 

the proposed rule stage that this action 

would not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. The factual basis for the 

certification was published in the 

proposed rule and is not repeated here. 

No comments were received regarding 

this certification. As a result, a 

regulatory flexibility analysis was not 

required and none was prepared. 

This final rule contains a collectionof-information requirement subject to 

review and approval by OMB under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). ICCAT 

Recommendation 13–13 requires 

commercial vessels 20 meters or greater 

to obtain an IMO/LR number by no later 

than January 1, 2016. To comply with 

this Recommendation, as a condition for 

obtaining an Atlantic HMS permit, 

NMFS will require that an IMO/LR 

number be provided on the HMS permit 

application from affected constituents 

by no later than January 1, 2016. A 

permit application will be considered 

incomplete if an IMO/LR number is not 

provided by an affected constituent. An 

amendment to OMB Control Number 

0648–0205 (Southeast Region Federal 

Fisheries Permit Family of Forms) and 

Control Number 0648–0327 (HMS 

Vessel Permits) will be submitted to the 

Office of Management and Budget for 

approval. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 635 

Fisheries, Fishing, Fishing vessels, 

Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Treaties. 

Dated: November 25, 2014. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

For reasons set out in the preamble, 

NMFS amends 50 CFR part 635 as 

follows: 

PART 635—ATLANTIC HIGHLY 

MIGRATORY SPECIES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 635 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

1801 et seq. 

■ 2. Section 635.29 is revised to read as 

follows: 

§ 635.29 Transfer at sea and 

transshipment. 

(a) A person who owns or operates a 

vessel issued a permit, or required to be 

issued a permit, under § 635.4 may not 

transfer any tuna or tuna-like species, or 

other HMS, at sea or in port, regardless 

of where the fish was harvested, except 

as provided in paragraph (c) of this 

section. 

(b) For the purposes of this part, 

‘‘transfer’’ means the act of 

‘‘transshipping’’ as defined at 50 CFR 

300.301. Notwithstanding the definition 

of ‘‘harvest’’ at § 600.10, for the 

purposes of this part, transfer also 

includes, but is not limited to, moving 

or attempting to move a tuna that is on 

fishing gear or other gear in the water 

from one vessel to another vessel. 

(c) An owner or operator of a vessel 

for which an Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine 

category permit has been issued under 

§ 635.4 may transfer large medium and 

giant Atlantic BFT at sea from the net 

of the catching vessel to another vessel 

for which an Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine 

category permit has been issued, 

provided the amount transferred does 

not cause the receiving vessel to exceed 

its currently authorized vessel 

allocation, including incidental catch 

limits. 

■ 3. Section 635.51 is revised to read as 

follows: 

§ 635.51 Authorized officer. 

For the purposes of this subpart, an 

authorized officer is a person appointed 

by an ICCAT contracting party to 

conduct inspections for the purpose of 

determining compliance with ICCAT 

conservation and management measures 

and who possesses identification issued 

by the authorized officer’s national 

government. 

■ 4. Section 635.52 is revised to read as 

follows: 

§ 635.52 Vessels subject to inspection. 

(a) All U.S. fishing vessels carrying 

fish species subject to regulation 

pursuant to a recommendation of ICCAT 

that have not been previously landed or 

transshipped at port, as well as the 

vessel’s catch, gear, equipment, records, 

and any documents the authorized 

officer deems necessary to determine 

compliance with ICCAT conservation 

and management measures, are subject 

to inspection when in a port of any 

ICCAT contracting or cooperating noncontracting party. A list of ports, 

designated by ICCAT contracting or 

cooperating non-contracting parties, to 

which foreign vessels carrying fish 

species subject to regulation pursuant to 

a recommendation of ICCAT may seek 

entry is available on the ICCAT Web 

site. 

(b) While in port, the master, 

crewmember, or any other person on a 

U.S. vessel carrying fish species subject 

to regulation pursuant to a 

recommendation of ICCAT must 


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72560 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 235 / Monday, December 8, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

cooperate with an authorized officer 

during the conduct of an inspection, 

including by facilitating safe boarding. 

ICCAT recommendations require that 

inspections be carried out so that the 

vessel suffers minimum interference 

and inconvenience, and so that 

degradation of the quality of catch is 

avoided. 

■ 5. Section 635.53 is revised to read as 

follows: 

§ 635.53 Prior notification. 

(a) U.S. vessels carrying tuna or tunalike species or other HMS that are 

seeking to enter the port of another 

ICCAT contracting or cooperating party 

must provide to the port State, at least 

72 hours before the estimated time of 

arrival at the port or in accordance with 

any other time period specified by the 

foreign government, the following 

information: 

(1) Vessel identification (External 

identification; Name; Flag State; ICCAT 

Record No., if any; IMO No., if any; and 

international radio call sign); 

(2) Name of the designated port, as 

referred to in the ICCAT register, to 

which it seeks entry and the purpose of 

the port call; 

(3) Fishing authorization or, where 

appropriate, any other authorization 

held by the vessel to support fishing 

operations on ICCAT-managed species 

and/or fish products originating from 

such species; 

(4) Estimated date and time of arrival 

in port; 

(5) In kilograms, the estimated 

quantities of each ICCAT-managed 

species and/or fish products originating 

from such species to be held on board 

and to be landed, with associated catch 

areas; 

(6) Other information, as requested by 

the foreign ICCAT contracting or 

cooperating non-contracting party, to 

determine whether a vessel has engaged 

in IUU fishing, or related activities; 

(b) After receiving information 

pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, 

the foreign ICCAT contracting or 

cooperating non-contracting party 

should decide whether to authorize or 

deny the entry of a vessel into its port. 

■ 6. Section 635.54 is added to read as 

follows: 

§ 635.54 Reports. 

Owners and operators of U.S. vessels 

subject to inspection under § 635.23 are 

hereby notified that the ICCAT 

recommendation establishing a scheme 

for minimum standards for inspection 

in port requires that: 

(a) Upon completion of the 

inspection, the authorized officer shall 

provide the Master of the U.S. fishing 

vessel with the inspection report 

containing the findings of the 

inspection, including any violations 

found and possible subsequent 

measures that could be taken by the 

foreign ICCAT contracting or 

cooperating non-contracting party. The 

Master of the U.S. vessel is entitled to 

add or have added to the report any 

comments or objections, and to add his 

or her own signature as an 

acknowledgement of receipt, 

(b) Copies of the inspection report 

shall also be provided by the port State 

to the ICCAT Secretariat and, as 

appropriate, to NMFS and other 

contracting or cooperating noncontracting parties of ICCAT, 

(c) Any enforcement action taken by 

the foreign ICCAT contracting or 

cooperating non-contracting party in 

response to an infringement shall be 

reported to the United States and to the 

ICCAT Secretariat, and 

(d) The foreign ICCAT contracting or 

cooperating non-contracting party shall 

refer any infringements found that do 

not fall within its jurisdiction, or with 

respect to which it has not taken action, 

to the flag State of the vessel (i.e., to 

NMFS). 

■ 7. In § 635.71: 

■ a. Add paragraph (a)(61); 

■ b. Revise paragraph (b)(21); 

■ c. Remove and reserve paragraph 

(b)(29); 

■ d. Revise paragraphs (c)(2), (d)(5), and 

(e)(5) to read as follows: 

§ 635.71 Prohibitions. 

* * * * * 

(a) * * * 

(61) Transfer in port or at sea any 

tuna, tuna-like species, or other HMS, as 

specified in § 635.29(a). 

(b) * * * 

(21) Transfer a tuna, except as may be 

authorized for the transfer of Atlantic 

BFT between purse seine vessels, as 

specified in § 635.29(c). 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(2) Transfer a billfish in port or at sea, 

as specified in§ 635.29(a). 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(5) Transfer a shark in port or at sea, 

as specified in§ 635.29(a). 

* * * * * 

(e) * * * 

(5) Transfer a swordfish in port or at 

sea, as specified in § 635.29(a). 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2014–28628 Filed 12–5–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 140214138–4482–02] 

RIN 0648–XD638 

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 Maryland is transferring a 

portion of its 2014 commercial bluefish 

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 3, 2014, 

through December 31, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid 

Lichwell, Fishery Management 

Specialist, 978–281–9112. 

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. 

Maryland has agreed to transfer 

50,000 lb (22,679.6 kg) of its 2014 

commercial quota to Rhode Island. This 

transfer was prompted by the diligent 

efforts of state officials in Rhode Island 

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 


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