67122 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 010208032–1109–02; I.D.

121901B]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United

States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery;

Commercial Quota Transfer

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Commercial quota transfer;

fishery reopening.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the

State of Maine, the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts, the State of Connecticut,

the State of Florida, and the State of

Maryland have transferred a total of

434,000 lb (196,859 kg) of commercial

bluefish quota to the State of North

Carolina from their respective 2001

quotas. NMFS also announces that the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts has

transferred 100,000 lb (45,359 kg) of

commercial bluefish quota to the State

of New York from its 2001 quota. NMFS

has adjusted the quotas and announces

the revised commercial quotas of

Atlantic bluefish for each state involved,

and announces the reopening of the

commercial bluefish fishery in New

York. This action is permitted under the

regulations implementing the Fishery

Management Plan for the Bluefish

Fishery (FMP) and is intended to reduce

discards and economic impacts in the

North Carolina commercial bluefish

fishery.

DATES: Effective December 21, 2001

through December 31, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Allison Ferreira, Fishery Management

Specialist, (978) 281–9103, fax

(978)281–9135, e-mail

Allison.Ferreira@noaa.gov.

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 Maine through Florida. The

process to set the annual commercial

quota and the percent allocated to each

state are described in § 648.160. The

initial total commercial quota for

bluefish for the 2001 calendar year was

set equal to 9,583,010 lb (4,348,008 kg)

(66 FR 23625, May 9, 2001). The

resulting quota for North Carolina was

3,072,386 lb (1,394,005 kg), for New

York was 995,204 lb (451,417 kg), for

Maine was 64,062 lb (29,066 kg), for

Connecticut was 121,350 lb (55,059 kg),

for Florida was 964,021 lb (437,396 kg),

for Virginia was 1,138,412 lb (516,521

kg) and for Maryland was 287,662 lb

(130,518 kg).The commercial quota for

North Carolina was attained and the

fishery closed on May 15, 2001 (May 16,

2001; 66 FR 27043). Through a quota

transfer from the State of Maryland, the

Commonwealth of Virginia, and the

State of Florida, the Atlantic bluefish

fishery in North Carolina was reopened

on August 2, 2001 (August 7, 2001; 66

FR 41151). As a result of this quota

transfer, the revised quotas for the

calendar year 2001 were: Maryland,

187,662 lb (85,122 kg); Virginia, 838,412

lb (380,405 kg); Florida, 664,021

(301,195 kg); and North Carolina,

3,772,386 lb (1,711,126 kg).

The commercial quota for the State of

New York was adjusted effective

November 15, 2001, by means of a quota

transfer of 100,000 lb (45,359 kg) from

the Commonwealth of Virginia

(November 15, 2001; 66 FR 57398). The

revised quota for the 2001 calendar year

for the State of New York was 1,095,204

lb (496,784 kg), and for Virginia was

738,412 lb (335,045 kg). However, this

revised quota was exceeded, and the

commercial bluefish fishery in New

York closed effective December 3, 2001

(December 4, 2001; 66 FR 63003).

The final rule implementing

Amendment 1 to the FMP was

published on July 26, 2000 (65 FR

45844), and allows two or more states,

under mutual agreement and with the

concurrence of the Administrator,

Northeast Region, NMFS (Regional

Administrator), to transfer or combine

part or all of their annual commercial

quota. The Regional Administrator must

consider the criteria set forth in §

648.160(f)(1) in the evaluation of

requests for quota transfers or

combinations.

Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut,

Florida, and Maryland have agreed to

transfer 64,000 lb (29,030 kg), 100,000 lb

(45,359 kg), 70,000 lb (31,751 kg),

100,000 lb (45,359 kg), and 100,000 lb

(45,359 kg) of their respective 2001

commercial quotas to North Carolina. In

addition, the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts has agreed to transfer

100,000 lb (45,359 kg) of its 2001

commercial quota to New York. The

Regional Administrator has determined

that the criteria set forth in

§648.160(f)(1) have been met, and

publishes this notification of quota

transfer. The revised quotas for the

calendar year 2001 are: Maine 62 lb (28

kg); Massachusetts 443,661 lb (201,241

kg); Connecticut 51,350 lb (23,292 kg);

New York, 1,195,204 lb (542,135 kg);

Florida, 564,021 lb (255,836 kg);

Maryland, 87,662 lb (39,763 kg); and

North Carolina 4,206,386 lb (1,907,985

kg).

This action does not alter any of the

conclusions reached in the

environmental impact statement

prepared for Amendment 1 to the FMP

regarding the effects of bluefish fishing

activity on the human environment.

Amendment 1 established procedures

for setting an annual coastwide

commercial quota for bluefish and a

formula for determining the commercial

quota for each state. Amendment 1 also

established the quota transfer provision.

This is a routine administrative action

that reallocates commercial quota

within the scope of previously

published environmental analyses.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR

part 648 and is exempt from review

under E.O. 12866.

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

Dated: December 20, 2001.

Jonathan Kurland,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–31966 Filed 12–21–01; 2:27 pm]

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