Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Adjustment of Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Yellowtail Flounder Catch Limits

This action transfers unused quota of Southern New England/ Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder from the Atlantic sea scallop fishery to the Northeast multispecies fishery for the remainder of the 2017 fishing year. This transfer implements an inseason adjustment of annual catch limits authorized by regulations implementing the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that apply when the scallop fishery is not expected to catch its entire allocation of yellowtail flounder. The transfer is intended to achieve optimum yield for both fisheries while ensuring the total annual catch limit is not exceeded.