[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 246 (Thursday, December 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80797-80798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32217]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XA108
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing and scoping meeting series.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will
hold a series of public hearings regarding Regulatory Amendment 9 to
the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South
Atlantic Region, a Comprehensive Annual Catch Limit (ACL) Amendment,
and its Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 2. The Council will
also conduct scoping meetings regarding Amendments 21, 22, and 24 to
the Snapper Grouper FMP and Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab Fishery
Management Plan for the South Atlantic Region. See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
DATES: The series of 6 public hearings and scoping meetings will be
held January 24, 2011 through February 3, 2011. All scoping meetings
will be open from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Council staff will be available
for informal discussions and to answer questions. Members of the public
will have an opportunity to go on record at any time during the meeting
hours to record their comments on the public hearing topics and scoping
issues for Council consideration. Local Council representatives will
attend the meetings and take public comment. Written comments will be
accepted from January 12, 2011 until 5 p.m. on February 14, 2011.
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Bob Mahood, Executive
Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place
Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405, or via e-mail to:
[email protected] for Regulatory Amendment 9 to the Snapper
Grouper FMP; [email protected] for the Comprehensive ACL
Amendment; [email protected] for Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based
Amendment 2; [email protected] for Amendment 21 to the Snapper
Grouper FMP; [email protected] for Amendment 22 to the Snapper
Grouper FMP; [email protected] for Amendment 24 to the Snapper
Grouper FMP; and [email protected] for Amendment 5 to the
Golden Crab FMP.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Iverson, South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North
Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: (843) 571-4366; fax: (843) 769-4520;
e-mail address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of the meeting schedule, public
hearings will be held on Regulatory Amendment 9 to the Snapper Grouper
FMP. The regulatory amendment includes alternatives for commercial trip
limits for greater amberjack, vermilion snapper, black sea bass and
gag. The amendment also includes management options for split season
quotas and spawning season closures for black sea bass. A public
hearing will also be held on the Comprehensive ACL Amendment. The
amendment establishes ACLs and Accountability Measures for species
managed by the Council that are not currently listed as undergoing
overfishing as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This includes species in the
Snapper Grouper management complex as well as dolphin, wahoo, and
golden crab. Public hearings will also be conducted for the
Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based 2 that includes regulatory actions
relative to the management of octocorals, and non-regulatory actions
that update existing Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) information. The
amendment also addresses modifying the management of South Carolina's
Special Management Zones (SMZs), amending the sea turtle release gear
requirements for the snapper grouper fishery, and designating new EFH
and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) areas for snapper
grouper species, coral, and sargassum.
The public scoping meetings will address overlapping fisheries
issues for the South Atlantic region. Items under consideration for
public scoping include Amendment 21 to the Snapper Grouper FMP. This
amendment addresses the possible use of catch share programs for
snapper grouper species currently under management through quotas
(except for snowy grouper), effort and participation reduction, and
endorsement actions. The amendment will include options for the use of
Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs), cooperatives, regional and state
by state quota analysis, and other components.
The Council will also hold scoping meetings on Amendment 22 to the
Snapper Grouper FMP addressing options for long-term management
measures for red snapper as the stock begins to rebuild; Amendment 24
to the Snapper Grouper FMP to end overfishing and rebuild the red
grouper stock, according the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act; and
Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab FMP with options to implement catch
shares for the commercial golden crab fishery in the South Atlantic
Region.
Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting Schedule
1. January 24, 2011--Hilton New Bern/Riverfront, 100 Middle Street,
New Bern, NC 28560, telephone: 1-252-638-3585;
2. January 26, 2011--Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport, 4831 Tanger
Outlet Boulevard, North Charleston, SC 29418, telephone: 843-744-4422;
3. January 27, 2011--Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne
Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322, telephone: 912-748-8888;
4. January 31, 2011--Jacksonville Marriott Hotel, 4670 Salisbury
Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256, telephone: 904-296-2222;
5. February 1, 2011--International Palms Resort, 1300 N. Atlantic
Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931, telephone: 321-783-2271;
6. February 3, 2011--Key Largo Grande Resort, 97000 Overseas
Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037, telephone: 305-852-5553.
Written comments will be received from January 12, 2011 until 5
p.m. on February 14, 2011.
Copies of the public hearing and scoping documents are available by
[[Page 80798]]
contacting Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North
Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free at (866)
SAFMC-10. Copies will also be available online at http://www.safmc.net
as they become available.
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)
3 days prior to the start of each meeting.
Dated: December 17, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-32217 Filed 12-22-10; 8:45 am]
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