[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 154 (Thursday, August 10, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40815-40816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19701]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 646

[I.D. 072895E]


The Snapper-Grouper Fishery and other Finfish Fisheries of the 
South Atlantic; Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public scoping meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is 
holding public scoping meetings to solicit comments on: The sale of 
fish (all species) caught under the recreational bag limits established 
by the Council's fishery management plans (FMPs); and on the issue of 
recreational catch and the commercial bycatch of wreckfish under the 
FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic. See the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for additional information on the 
scoping meetings.

DATES: The public scoping meetings are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. 
on Monday, August 21, 1995, in Charleston, SC.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meetings will be held in conjunction with 
the South Atlantic Council public meetings at the Town and Country Inn, 
2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407; telephone (1-800) 334-
6660.
    Requests for copies of public scoping documents should be sent to 
the Council at the following address: South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council, One Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert K. Mahood, Council Executive 
Director; telephone: (803) 571-4366; fax: (803) 769-4520.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A public scoping meeting will be held to 
solicit comments on the sale of fish caught under the recreational bag 
limit (all species). The Council has considered this issue on numerous 
occasions over the past several years, and both commercial and 
recreational fishermen have expressed concerns about this matter. 
Currently, all of the Council's FMPs allow for the sale of fish taken 
under a legal bag limit. The issue regarding the sale of fish caught 
under bag limits involves several considerations including: (1) The 
definitions of recreational and commercial fishermen; (2) the ethical 
question of a ``recreational'' fisherman selling his catch; and (3) the 
impacts of selling fish caught under an FMP-established bag limit on an 
FMP-established commercial quota for the same species. The Council will 
consider prohibiting the sale of fish by recreational anglers. The 
Council is inviting and will consider the views of recreational and 
commercial fishermen and other interested persons on this matter prior 
to taking any formal and final action; the Council is particularly 
interested in hearing about the possible impacts of prohibiting the 
sale of recreationally-caught fish.
    The Council will also hold a public scoping meeting to solicit 
comments on wreckfish caught by recreational fishermen and on the 
commercial bycatch of wreckfish outside of the Blake Plateau. 
Amendments 3 and 4 to the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the 
South Atlantic (Snapper-Grouper FMP) established a management program 
for wreckfish in the South Atlantic region. A regulatory adjustment 
framework measure was also included in the Snapper-Grouper FMP allowing 
the Council to set total allowable catch (TAC) each year and at the 
same time consider other management changes or options. 

[[Page 40816]]
Amendment 5 to the Snapper-Grouper FMP established an individual 
transferable quota (ITQ) system in the wreckfish fishery that allows 
only ITQ shareholders to land and sell wreckfish, and allows only 
permitted dealers to handle wreckfish and to buy wreckfish from ITQ 
shareholders. Recently, reports indicate that wreckfish is being caught 
by recreational fishermen fishing primarily for red grouper off Key 
West, FL. Also, commercial snapper-grouper fishermen, especially off 
south Florida, are experiencing occasional wreckfish bycatch. These 
reports do not indicate frequency or poundage of catches, how the 
catches are being disposed of, that the catches are of significant 
quantities or the frequency of these occurrences.
    The Council is considering the following management options for 
regulating this fishery: (1) No action (i.e., continue to prohibit the 
taking or landing of wreckfish in the South Atlantic region except by 
individual transferable quota (ITQ) shareholders; (2) set a 
recreational bag limit of 1 or 2 fish per fisherman per trip; (3) set a 
recreational bag limit of 1 or 2 fish per boat per trip; (4) set a 
recreational bag limit of 1 or 2 fish per boat per day; (5) set an 
undetermined recreational bag limit; (6) set a bag limit of 1 or 2 fish 
per boat per trip for commercial fishermen in the South Atlantic region 
who are not wreckfish ITQ shareholders; (7) set a bag limit of 1 or 2 
fish per boat per day for commercial fishermen in the South Atlantic 
region who are not wreckfish ITQ shareholders; (8) set a bag limit of 1 
or 2 fish per boat per trip for commercial fishermen in the south 
Florida area who are not wreckfish ITQ shareholders; (9) set a bag 
limit of 1 to 2 fish per boat per day for commercial fishermen in the 
south Florida area who are not wreckfish ITQ shareholders; (10) allow 
for an undetermined commercial bag limit in the South Atlantic region; 
and (11) allow for an undetermined commercial bag limit only in the 
South Florida area.
    Written public comments on the subjects of the scoping meetings, 
including any Council scoping documents made available to the public, 
may be submitted to the Council from the time of the scoping meetings 
until such time as the Council has prepared appropriate and related 
public hearing documents that are available for public comment. For 
copies of the public scoping documents (see ADDRESSES).
    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 by June 16, 
1995.
    For special accommodations regarding the meetings and hearing, 
contact the Council (see ADDRESSES).

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et. seq.

    Dated: August 3, 1995.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-19701 Filed 8-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F