Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Scup and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; 2001 Specifications; Commercial Quota Harvested for Winter I Scup Period; Commercial Quota Harvested for Black Sea Bass Quarter I Period

NMFS issues final specifications for the 2001 scup and black sea bass fisheries and makes preliminary adjustments to the 2001 commercial quotas for these fisheries. The annual specifications for the scup fishery modify the Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs) that were established in the Mid-Atlantic Bight to reduce scup bycatch in small- mesh fisheries. The trip limit provisions in the scup and black sea bass fisheries are modified to be possession limits, and these limits are further specified to be the maximum amount allowed to be landed within a 24-hour period (calendar day). NMFS also announces that the scup commercial quota available in the Winter I period and the black sea bass commercial quota available in the Quarter 1 period to the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina has been harvested. Federally permitted commercial vessels may not land scup in these states for the remainder of the 2001 Winter I quota period (through April 30, 2001). Federally permitted commercial vessels may not land black sea bass in these states for the remainder of the 2001 Quarter I quota period (through March 31, 2001). Regulations governing the scup and black sea bass fisheries require publication of this notification to advise the coastal states from Maine through North Carolina that these quotas have been harvested and to advise Federal vessel permit holders and Federal dealer permit holders that no commercial quota is available for landing scup in these states, and for landing black sea bass in these states north of 35 deg.15.3' N. lat. The intent of this action is to comply with implementing regulations for the Fishery Management Plan for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries (FMP), which require NMFS to publish measures for the upcoming fishing year that will prevent overfishing of these fisheries. The specifications for the 2001 summer flounder fishery will be published in the Federal Register at a later date.