Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 23, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 76917 

Fishery Authorized gear types 

15. California Halibut, White Seabass Commercial Fisheries South of 42° N. 

lat. (Non-FMP): 

A. California halibut trawl ............................................................................... A. Trawl. 

B. California halibut and white seabass set net ............................................ B. Gillnet, trammel net. 

C. California halibut hook and line ................................................................. C. Hook and line. 

D. White seabass hook and line .................................................................... D. Hook and line. 

16. California Barracuda, White Seabass, and Yellowtail Drift-Net Commercial 

Fishery South of 42° N. lat. (Non-FMP).

Gillnet. 

17. Pacific Bonito Commercial Net Fishery South of 42° N. lat. (Non-FMP) ....... Purse seine. 

18. Lobster Commercial Pot and Trap Fishery South of 42° N. lat. (Non-FMP) Pot/trap. 

19. Finfish and Invertebrate Fisheries Not Listed Above and Not Otherwise 

Prohibited (Non-FMP): 

A. Commercial South of 46°15′ N. lat ........................................................... A. Hook and line, pot/trap, spear. 

B. Recreational ............................................................................................... B. Hook and line, spear, pot/trap, dip net, cast net, hand harvest, rake, harpoon, bow and arrow. 

*******

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2014–30014 Filed 12–22–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 648 

[Docket No. 121009528–2729–02] 

RIN 0648–XD656 

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 Maine is transferring a portion 

of its 2014 commercial summer flounder 

quota to the State of Connecticut. NMFS 

is adjusting the quotas and announcing 

the revised commercial quota for each 

state involved. 

DATES: Effective December 18, 2014, 

through December 31, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reid 

Lichwell, Fishery Management 

Specialist, 978–281–9112. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Regulations governing the summer 

flounder fishery are in 50 CFR part 648, 

and 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 § 648.102. 

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, 

Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS 

(Regional Administrator), can transfer or 

combine summer flounder commercial 

quota under § 648.102(c)(2). The 

Regional Administrator is required to 

consider the criteria in § 648.102(c)(2)(i) 

to evaluate requests for quota transfers 

or combinations. 

Maine has agreed to transfer 4,900 lb 

(2,222.6 kg) of its 2014 commercial 

quota to Connecticut. The quota transfer 

from Maine to Connecticut was 

prompted by the diligent efforts of state 

officials in Connecticut not to exceed 

the commercial summer flounder quota. 

This quota transfer is conditioned. In 

the event that landings of summer 

flounder occur in Maine during the 

remaining months of 2014 resulting in 

an overage of Maine’s summer flounder 

commercial quota as a result of this 

transfer, Connecticut has agreed to 

transfer 2015 summer flounder quota to 

Maine sufficient to cover the overage. 

The Regional Administrator has 

determined that the criteria set forth in 

§ 648.102(c)(2)(i) have been met. The 

revised summer flounder commercial 

quotas for calendar year 2014 are: 

Maine, 98 lb (44.45 kg); and 

Connecticut, 242,106 lb (109,817.4 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 18, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30032 Filed 12–18–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 130925836–4174–02] 

RIN 0648–XD654 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by 

Catcher Vessels Using Hook-and-Line 

Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of 

the Gulf of Alaska 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed 

fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels 

less than 50 feet (15.2 meters (m)) length 

overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear 

in the Central Regulatory Area of the 

Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is 

necessary to prevent exceeding the 2014 

Pacific cod total allowable catch 

apportioned to catcher vessels less than 

50 feet (15.2 m) LOA using hook-andline gear in the Central Regulatory Area 

of the GOA. 

DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska 

local time (A.l.t.), December 18, 2014, 

through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 

2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Obren Davis, 907–586–7228. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
76918 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 23, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS 

manages the groundfish fishery in the 

GOA exclusive economic zone 

according to the Fishery Management 

Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of 

Alaska (FMP) prepared by the North 

Pacific Fishery Management Council 

under authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act. Regulations governing 

fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance 

with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 

CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679. 

Regulations governing sideboard 

protections for GOA groundfish 

fisheries appear at subpart B of 50 CFR 

part 680. 

The 2014 Pacific cod total allowable 

catch (TAC) apportioned to catcher 

vessels less than 50 feet (15.2 m) LOA 

using hook-and-line gear in the Central 

Regulatory Area of the GOA is 5,699 

metric tons (mt), as established by the 

final 2014 and 2015 harvest 

specifications for groundfish of the GOA 

(79 FR 12890, March 6, 2014). 

In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i), 

the Administrator, Alaska Region, 

NMFS (Regional Administrator) has 

determined that the 2014 Pacific cod 

TAC apportioned to catcher vessels less 

than 50 feet (15.2 m) LOA using hookand-line gear in the Central Regulatory 

Area of the GOA will soon be reached. 

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is 

establishing a directed fishing 

allowance of 5,689 mt and is setting 

aside the remaining 10 mt as bycatch to 

support other anticipated groundfish 

fisheries. In accordance with 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional 

Administrator finds that this directed 

fishing allowance has been reached. 

Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting 

directed fishing for Pacific cod by 

catcher vessels less than 50 feet (15.2 m) 

LOA using hook-and-line gear in the 

Central Regulatory Area of the GOA. 

After the effective date of this closure 

the maximum retainable amounts at 

§ 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time 

during a trip. 

Classification 

This action responds to the best 

available information recently obtained 

from the fishery. The Assistant 

Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA 

(AA), finds good cause to waive the 

requirement to provide prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment 

pursuant to the authority set forth at 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest. This requirement is 

impracticable and contrary to the public 

interest as it would prevent NMFS from 

responding to the most recent fisheries 

data in a timely fashion and would 

delay the directed fishing closure of 

Pacific cod for catcher vessels less than 

50 feet (15.2 m) LOA using hook-andline gear in the Central Regulatory Area 

of the GOA. NMFS was unable to 

publish a notice providing time for 

public comment because the most 

recent, relevant data only became 

available as of December 16, 2014. 

The AA also finds good cause to 

waive the 30-day delay in the effective 

date of this action under 5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3). This finding is based upon 

the reasons provided above for waiver of 

prior notice and opportunity for public 

comment. 

This action is required by § 679.20 

and is exempt from review under 

Executive Order 12866. 

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

Dated: December 17, 2014. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–29973 Filed 12–18–14; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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