[Federal Register: October 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 195)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 57500-57501]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10oc07-8]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 061020273-7001-03]
RIN 0648-XC92
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder
Fishery; Rescission of Commercial Closure for Connecticut
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; rescission of closure.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces rescission of the closure previously issued for
the State of Connecticut. This notification is consistent with
Connecticut's announcement to reopen the commercial summer flounder
fishery within State waters, effective September 24, 2007. The
rescission of this closure is due to catch accounting corrections that
have reduced previously reported landings in Connecticut. The public is
advised that landings are allowed for
[[Page 57501]]
summer flounder Federal permit holders until it is determined that the
quota has been fully harvested.
DATES: Effective 0001 hours, October 10, 2007, through December 31,
2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Bryant, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9244.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the summer flounder
fishery are at 50 CFR part 648. The regulations require annual
specification of a commercial quota that is apportioned on a percentage
basis among the coastal states from North Carolina through Maine. The
process to set the annual commercial quota and the percent allocated to
each state is described in Sec. 648.100.
NMFS, in compliance with regulations found at 50 CFR part 648,
closed the Federal commercial summer flounder fishery for the State of
Connecticut after determining through quota monitoring that Connecticut
had harvested its allocated summer flounder quota. This closure
published at 72 FR 48945, August 27, 2007, was effective August 27,
2007, and was intended to last through December 31, 2007.
Later analyses comparing electronic dealer reports to commercial
fishermen logbooks and Federal fishing vessel trip reports have
revealed instances of summer flounder landings being attributed to
Connecticut that were actually landed in other states. Due to this new
information, Connecticut has reinstated a possession limit for the
commercial harvest of summer flounder of 75 lb (34 kg). This
notification announces NMFS's decision to allow Federally permitted
vessels to land summer flounder in Connecticut until the quota is
determined to be fully harvested. Therefore, effective 0001 hours
October 10, 2007, through December 31, 2007, further landings of summer
flounder in Connecticut by vessels holding summer flounder commercial
Federal fisheries permits are allowed until the remaining quota has
been harvested. Effective 0001 hours, October 10, 2007, through
December 31, 2007, federally permitted dealers are also notified that
they may purchase summer flounder from federally permitted vessels that
land in Connecticut for the remainder of the quota harvest.
Classification
This action is required by 50 CFR part 648 and is exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: October 3, 2007.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Services.
[FR Doc. E7-19928 Filed 10-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S