Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; Emergency Rule

NMFS is implementing, through this emergency rule, revised summer flounder total allowable landings (TAL) for the 2007 fishing year. This emergency rule specifies allowed harvest limits for both the commercial and recreational summer flounder fisheries. The TAL contained within this emergency rule supersedes the previous harvest limits for summer flounder that became effective on January 1, 2007. This action continues the prohibition on federally permitted commercial vessels landing summer flounder in Delaware in 2007 due to continued quota repayment of previous year's overages. This emergency rule is necessary to increase the 2007 summer flounder harvest levels consistent with the recently enacted Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act), while ensuring compliance with regulations implementing the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP). In addition, this action will continue to ensure that fishing mortality rates (F) or exploitation rates, as specified in the FMP, are not exceeded.