Rule2026-18623
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; Quota Transfer From New Jersey to North Carolina
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 11, 2026
Effective
September 10, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces that the State of New Jersey is transferring a portion of their 2026 commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2026 commercial bluefish quotas for New Jersey and North Carolina.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 175 (Friday, September 11, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 175 (Friday, September 11, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57803-57804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18623]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 241203-0308; RTID 0648-XG045]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish
Fishery; Quota Transfer From New Jersey to North Carolina
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 New Jersey is transferring a
portion of their 2026 commercial bluefish quota to the State of North
Carolina. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the
Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer
provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2026
commercial bluefish quotas for New Jersey and North Carolina.
DATES: Effective September 10, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Rigdon, Fishery Management
Specialist, (978) 281-9336.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations governing the Atlantic bluefish
fishery are found in 50 CFR 648.160 through 648.167. These 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 is
described in Sec. 648.162, and the final 2026 allocations were
published on February 19, 2026 (91 FR 7896).
The final rule implementing amendment 1 to the FMP, as published in
the Federal Register on July 26, 2000 (65 FR 45844), provided a
mechanism for transferring bluefish commercial quota from one state to
another. Two or more states, under mutual agreement and with the
concurrence of the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator, can
request approval to transfer or combine bluefish commercial quota under
Sec. 648.162(e). The Regional Administrator is required to consider
three criteria in the evaluation of requests for quota transfers or
combinations: (1) the transfers would not preclude the overall annual
quota from being fully harvested; (2) the transfers address an
unforeseen variation or contingency in the fishery; and (3) the
transfers are consistent with the objectives of the FMP and the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act). The Regional Administrator has determined these criteria
have been met for the transfers approved in this notification.
New Jersey is transferring 250,000 pounds (lb) (113,398 kilograms
(kg)) of Atlantic bluefish to North Carolina through mutual agreement
of the states. This transfer was requested to ensure North Carolina
would not exceed its
[[Page 57804]]
2026 state quota. The revised bluefish quotas for 2026 are: New Jersey,
408,379 lb (185,238 kg); and North Carolina, 1,743,521 lb (790,848 kg).
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR 648.162(e)(1)(i) through
(iii), which was issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempted
from review under Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 9, 2026.
Shannon Bettridge,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-18623 Filed 9-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 11, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.