[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 112 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 36646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14518]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 000119014-0137-02; I.D. 060200A]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Black Sea Bass
Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Quarter 2 Period
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Commercial quota harvest for Quarter 2 period.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the black sea bass commercial quota
available in the Quarter 2 period to the coastal states from Maine
through North Carolina has been harvested. Commercial vessels may not
land black sea bass in the Northeast Region for the remainder of the
2000 Quarter 2 quota period (through June 30, 2000). Regulations
governing the black sea bass fishery require publication of this
notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through North
Carolina that the quota has been harvested and to advise vessel permit
holders and dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available
for landing black sea bass in these states north of 35 deg.15.3' N.lat.
DATES: Effective June 9, 2000, 0001 hrs, local time through June 30,
2000, 2400 hrs, local time.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer L. Anderson, Fishery
Management Specialist, at (978) 281-9226.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the black sea bass
fishery are found at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual
specification of a commercial quota that is allocated into four quota
periods based upon percentages of the annual quota. The Quarter 2
commercial quota (April through June) is distributed to the coastal
states from Maine through North Carolina. The process to set the annual
commercial quota is described in Sec. 648.140.
The initial total commercial quota for black sea bass for the 2000
calendar year was set equal to 3,024,742 lb (1,372,000 kg) (65 FR
33486, May 24, 2000). The Quarter 2 period quota, which is equal to
29.26 percent of the annual commercial quota, was set at 885,040 lb
(401,447 kg).
Section 648.141 requires the Regional Administrator, Northeast
Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator), to monitor the commercial black
sea bass quota for each quota period that is based upon dealer reports,
state data, and other available information to determine when the
commercial quota has been harvested. NMFS is required to publish a
notification in the Federal Register advising and notifying commercial
vessels and dealer permit holders that, effective upon a specific date,
the black sea bass commercial quota has been harvested and no
commercial quota is available for landing black sea bass for the
remainder of the Quarter 2 period, north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat. The
Regional Administrator has determined, based upon dealer reports and
other available information, that the black sea bass commercial quota
for the 2000 Quarter 2 period has been harvested.
The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) provide that Federal black sea
bass moratorium permit holders agree as a condition of the permit not
to land black sea bass in any state after NMFS has published a
notification in the Federal Register stating that the commercial quota
for the period has been harvested and that no commercial quota for the
black sea bass is available. The Regional Administrator has determined
that the Quarter 2 period for black sea bass no longer has commercial
quota available. Therefore, effective 0001 hrs local time, June 9,
2000, further landings of black sea bass in coastal states from Maine
through North Carolina, north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat. by vessels
holding commercial Federal fisheries permits are prohibited through
June 30, 2000, 2400 hrs local time. The Quarter 3 period for commercial
black sea bass harvest will open on July 1, 2000. Effective June 9,
2000, federally permitted dealers are also advised that they may not
purchase black sea bass from federally permitted black sea bass
moratorium permit holders that land in coastal states from Maine
through North Carolina for the remainder of the Quarter 2 period
(through June 30, 2000).
The regulations at Sec. 648.4(b) also provide that, if the
commercial black sea bass quota for a period is harvested and the coast
is closed to the possession of black sea bass north of 35 deg.15.3' N.
lat., any vessel owners who hold valid commercial permits for both the
black sea bass and the NMFS Southeast Region Snapper-Grouper fisheries
may surrender their Black Sea Bass moratorium permit by certified mail
addressed to the Regional Administrator (see Table to Sec. 600.502) and
fish pursuant to their Snapper-Grouper permit, as long as fishing is
conducted exclusively in waters, and landings are made, south of
35 deg.15.3' N. lat. A moratorium permit for the black sea bass fishery
that is voluntarily relinquished or surrendered will be reissued upon
the receipt of the vessel owner's written request after a minimum
period of 6 months from the date of cancellation.
Classification
This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under E.O. 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: June 5, 2000.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-14518 Filed 6-5-00; 4:17 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F