Proposed Rule2022-17179
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 20 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan
Primary source
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Published
August 10, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 20 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan for review and approval by the Secretary of Commerce. We are requesting comments from the public on the amendment. Amendment 20, also known as the Excessive Shares Amendment, would establish limits to the amount of surfclam or ocean quahog individual transferable quota share or annual allocation in the form of cage tags that an individual or their family members could hold.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 153 (Wednesday, August 10, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 10, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48617-48618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17179]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
RIN 0648-BI18
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 20 to the
Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed fishery management plan
amendment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council has submitted Amendment 20 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean
Quahog Fishery Management Plan for review and approval by the Secretary
of Commerce. We are requesting comments from the public on the
amendment. Amendment 20, also known as the Excessive Shares Amendment,
would establish limits to the amount of surfclam or ocean quahog
individual transferable quota share or annual allocation in the form of
cage tags that an individual or their family members could hold.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 11, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NMFS-2020-0112, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and enter NOAA-NMFS-2020-0112 in the Search box.
Click the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or
attach your comments.
<bullet> Mail: Submit written comments to Michael Pentony, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55
Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the
envelope: ``Comments on Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares
Amendment.''
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
Copies of Amendment 20, including the draft Environmental
Assessment (EA), are available on request from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901.
These documents are also accessible via the internet at <a href="https://www.mafmc.org">https://www.mafmc.org</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Potts, Fishery Policy Analyst,
978-281-9341.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are soliciting public comments on
Amendment 20, also known as the Excessive Shares Amendment, and its
incorporated documents through the end of the comment period stated in
this notice of availability. We will soon publish a proposed rule that
would implement the amendment's management measures in the Federal
Register for public comment, allowing for NMFS's evaluation of the
proposed rule under the procedures of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act. Public comments on the proposed rule
must be received by the end of the comment period provided in this
notice of availability to be considered in the approval/disapproval
decision on the amendment. All comments received by October 11, 2022,
whether specifically directed to the amendment or the proposed rule
will be considered in the approval/disapproval decision on the
amendment. To be considered, comments must be received by close of
business on the last day of the comment period. Comments received after
that date will not be considered in the decision to approve or
disapprove Amendment 20, including those
[[Page 48618]]
postmarked or otherwise transmitted by the last day of the comment
period.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council developed this
amendment to limit the amount of surfclam or ocean quahog individual
transferable quota (ITQ) share or annual allocation in the form of cage
tags that an individual or their family members could hold. The
Amendment would prohibit an ITQ shareholder, including business owners
and their immediate family members, from acquiring ownership of more
than 35 percent of the surfclam quota or 40 percent of the ocean quahog
quota. A separate, higher cap would be established for the maximum
amount of available cage tags that an ITQ permit holder may acquire
through leasing or other transactions during the course of an
individual fishing year of 65 percent for surfclam tags and 70 percent
for ocean quahog tags.
Additional details of the proposed measures are available in the
amendment document and the proposed rule.
(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.)
Dated: August 5, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-17179 Filed 8-9-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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