[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 99 (Monday, May 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28783-28785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12317]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XW58
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a
meeting of its Spiny Lobster Committee and Advisory Panel jointly with
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Spiny Lobster Committee
and Advisory Panel, a meeting of its Mackerel Committee jointly with
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Mackerel Committee, and
a meeting of the Full Council. The Council will take action as
necessary. The Council will also hold an informal public question and
answer session, and a public comment session regarding agenda items.
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional details.
DATES: The meeting will be held June 7-11, 2010. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Renaissance Orlando Airport
Hotel, 5445 Forbes Place, Orlando, FL 32812; telephone: (800) 545-1985
or (407) 240-1000; fax: (407) 240-1005. Copies of documents are
available from Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North
Charleston, SC 29405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information
Officer; telephone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free at (866) SAFMC-10; fax:
(843) 769-4520; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Meeting Dates:
1. Joint Spiny Lobster Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting with the
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Spiny Lobster Committee and
Advisory Panel: June 7, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m..
Committees and Advisory Panels from both the South Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils will meet to review options
for Amendment 10 to the joint Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Spiny
Lobster for Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. Amendment 10 will
address the requirements of the Reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) including establishment of Annual
Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures (AMs). Other potential
actions in the amendment include options for tailing permits, the use
of undersized lobster as an attractant, and consideration of delegation
of management to the State of Florida. The Committees will provide
recommendations to both the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Councils.
Note: There will be an informal public question and answer
session with NOAA Fisheries Services' Regional Administrator and the
Council Chairman on June 7, 2010 beginning at 6 p.m.
2. Joint South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Mackerel Committees Meeting:
June 8, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The joint Mackerel Committees will review the reports from their
respective Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSCs) regarding
Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stocks of king mackerel and Spanish
mackerel. The Committees will also review Amendment 18 to the FMP for
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources, discuss a king mackerel catch
shares program and establish public hearing dates and locations.
Amendment 18 addresses requirements of the MSA to set ACLs and AMs for
species managed in the FMP. The Committees will provide recommendations
and direction to staff.
3. Council Session: June 8, 2010, 3:15 p.m. until 6:15 p.m., June 9,
2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., June 10, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.,
June 11, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until noon.
Council Session: June 8, 2010, 3:15 p.m. until 6:15 p.m.
3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., the Council will call the meeting to order,
adopt the agenda, and approve the March 2010 meeting minutes.
3:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., the Council will receive presentations
relative to Snapper Grouper issues, including a report from the SSC, an
update on activities relative to the Oculina Bank Experimental Closed
Area, quota monitoring programs, and data collection programs.
Note: A public comment period on any of the June meeting agenda
items will be held on June 8, 2010 beginning at 6:30 p.m. This
includes Amendment 17A to the Snapper Grouper FMP regarding
management measures for red snapper.
Council Session: June 9, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will review comments received on
the Draft Environmental Statement relative to Amendment 17A to the
Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic, modify
the document as appropriate, and approve the amendment for submission
to the Secretary of Commerce for formal review. Amendment 17A includes
actions to meet the requirements of the MSA for red snapper, including
ending overfishing and rebuilding the stock. Management measures
include a closure
[[Page 28784]]
of the red snapper fishery, an area closure for all snapper grouper
species, requirements for circle hooks, and establishment of a red
snapper monitoring program.
10 a.m. - 11 a.m., in the event the red snapper benchmark stock
assessment allows for modification to the proposed management actions
in Amendment 17A, the Council will review options for modification of
existing actions. These include various alternatives for the area
closure and approaches or mechanisms appropriate to modify the actions.
11 a.m. - 12 noon, the Council will also continue to review
management measures proposed in Amendment 18 to the Snapper Grouper
FMP, provide guidance for any new items that may be added, and approve
for a second round of public hearings if necessary. Amendment 18
includes management measures to extend the range of the Snapper Grouper
FMP north, designate Essential Fish Habitat in any new northern areas,
measures to limit participation in the commercial golden tilefish and
changes to the golden tilefish fishing year, measures to reduce
participation, effort and bycatch in the commercial black sea bass
fishery, and measures to improve data collection.
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., the Council will review Amendment 20 to the
Snapper Grouper FMP, modify the document as necessary and provide
guidance to staff. Amendment 20 includes management measures to meet
the requirements of the MSA relative to the wreckfish fishery. The
fishery currently operates under an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ)
system.
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., the Council will review alternatives within the
Comprehensive Annual Catch Limit Amendment designed to meet the
requirements of the MSA, including the establishment of ACLs and AMs
for all species not undergoing overfishing within the Council's
jurisdiction by 2011. The Council will review alternatives, including
those needed in response to recent black grouper and red grouper stock
assessments, modify the document as necessary, and provide guidance to
staff.
4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., the Council will review alternatives for
Amendment 21 to the Snapper Grouper FMP. The amendment currently
involves the following species: vermilion snapper, golden tilefish,
black sea bass, gag, greater amberjack, red grouper, and black grouper,
and includes options for trip limits, effort and participation
reduction and endorsement actions, and options for catch share programs
for quota species except snowy grouper. The Council will provide
guidance to staff regarding the development of the amendment.
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., the Council will review alternatives for
Amendment 22 to the Snapper Grouper FMP. The amendment includes long-
term management measures for the red snapper fishery as the stock
begins to rebuild. The Council will provide guidance to staff regarding
the development of the amendment.
5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., the Council will discuss a potential interim
rule request for black sea bass, vermilion snapper, and gag grouper
trip limits and provide guidance to staff.
6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., the Council will consider options to modify sea
turtle handling and release gear requirements and take action as
necessary.
Council Session: June 10, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. (CLOSED SESSION) - The Council will receive
legal briefing on litigation.
9 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will review SSC recommendations
regarding golden crab, receive a status report on the development of
Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab FMP regarding establishment of a catch
share program for the fishery, develop recommendations for the
Comprehensive ACL Amendment and take action as necessary.
10 a.m. - 11 a.m., the Council will review SSC recommendations
regarding species managed in the Dolphin Wahoo FMP, develop
recommendations for the Comprehensive ACL Amendment and take action as
necessary.
11 a.m. - 12 noon, the Council will review the status of the
Calendar Year (CY) 2010 budget, receive a report on the Council
Coordinating Committee meeting, and take action as appropriate.
1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m., the Council will review input from the SSC
regarding the Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 2 addressing
requirements for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and EFH-Habitat Areas of
Particular Concern as required by the Final Rule, harvest requirements
for corals, and evaluation of fishing gear impacts. The Council will
review alternatives and take action as necessary. The Council will also
develop input for Sargassum relative to the Comprehensive ACL
Amendment, review and provide guidance to staff on the Council's
Invasive Species Policy statement.
3 p.m. - 4 p.m., the Council will review the conflict of interest
disclosure form regarding the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review
(SEDAR) stock assessment program, make SSC appointments to the Goliath
grouper SEDAR assessment and review panels, and the SEDAR Spiny Lobster
review panel.
4 p.m. - 5 p.m., the Council will revise its Standard Operations
and Procedures Policy (SOPPs) as dictated by the Final Rule, and take
action as necessary.
5 p.m. - 6 p.m. (CLOSED SESSION) - The Council will review updated
SSC job descriptions, review applicants to the SSC and appoint members
as necessary.
Council Session: June 11, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.
8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m., the Council will receive recommendations from
the Spiny Lobster Committee and take action as appropriate.
9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., the Council will receive recommendations from
the Mackerel Committee and take action as appropriate.
9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will receive a report from the SSC
Selection Committee and appoint or reappoint members as necessary.
10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., the Council will review and develop
recommendations on Experimental Fishing Permits as necessary.
10:30 a.m. - 12 noon, the Council will receive status reports from
NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Regional Office, NOAA Fisheries' Southeast
Fisheries Science Center, agency and liaison reports, and discuss other
business including upcoming meetings.
Documents regarding these issues are available from the Council
office (see ADDRESSES).
Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come
before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be the
subjects of formal final Council action during these meetings. Council
action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this
notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that
require emergency action under section 305 (c) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to
take final action to address the emergency.
Except for advertised (scheduled) public hearings and public
comment, the times and sequence specified on this agenda are subject to
change.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES)
by June 3, 2010.
[[Page 28785]]
Dated: May 18, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-12317 Filed 5-21-10; 8:45 am]
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