[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 32072-32073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15439]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 052897C]


South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene seven public hearings on Draft Amendment 9 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic 
Region (FMP) and its draft supplemental environmental impact statement 
(draft SEIS).

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on July 11, 1997. 
The hearings will be held from June 17 to July 2, 1997. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent: By mail to Bob Mahood, 
Executive Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One 
Southpark Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699; via fax, South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council, (803) 769-4520; or via email, 
[email protected]. Copies of the draft amendment and SEIS are available 
from Susan Buchanan at 803-571-4366. The draft amendment and SEIS will 
also be available to the public at the hearings.
    The hearings will be held in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and 
North Carolina. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for locations of the 
hearings and special accommodations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Buchanan, Public Information 
Officer, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 803-571-4366; Fax: 
803-769-4520; E-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council will hold public hearings on 
Draft Amendment 9 to the FMP and the associated draft SEIS.
    Amendment 9 includes management measures that would: 1. Increase 
the red porgy minimum size limit from 12'' (30.5 cm.) total length (TL) 
to 13'' (33 cm) TL for both recreational and commercial fishermen, and 
establish a recreational bag limit of two red porgy per person per day;
    2. Increase the black sea bass minimum size limit from 8'' (20.3 
cm) TL to 10'' (25.4 cm) TL for both recreational and commercial 
fishermen, and establish a recreational bag limit of 20 black sea bass 
per person per day;
    3. Require escape vents and escape panels with degradable fasteners 
in black sea bass pots;
    4. Establish measures for greater amberjack that will: Prohibit all 
harvest in excess of the bag limit throughout the exclusive economic 
zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic during April and May; prohibit sale 
during April and May; reduce the recreational bag limit from three to 
one greater amberjack per person per day; and prohibit coring (removal 
of head and tail);
    5. Increase the recreational vermilion snapper minimum size limit 
from 10'' TL (25.4 cm) to 12'' (30.5 cm) TL;
    6. Increase the gag minimum size limit from 20'' (50.8 cm) TL to 
24'' (61 cm) TL for both recreational and commercial fishermen, and 
prohibit all harvest January through March;
    7. Increase the black grouper minimum size limit from 20'' (50.8 
cm) TL to 24'' (61 cm) TL for both recreational and commercial 
fishermen;
    8. Specify that within the current five-fish aggregate grouper bag 
limit (which includes tilefish and excludes jewfish and Nassau 
grouper), no more than two fish may be gag grouper or black grouper;
    9. Establish an aggregate recreational bag limit of 20 fish per 
person per day inclusive of all snapper and grouper species currently 
not under a bag limit;
    10. Specify that vessels with bottom longline gear aboard may only 
possess snowy grouper, warsaw grouper, yellowedge grouper, misty 
grouper, golden tilefish, blueline tilefish, and sand tilefish; and
    The Council is also evaluating use of one or more of the following 
measures to reduce fishing mortality, in addition to the species 
specific actions listed above:
    (1) Establish a variable 3-month closure of the EEZ for all 
temperate mid-shelf species (TEMS) in the snapper-grouper management 
unit. Individual snapper-grouper permit holders would be allowed to 
choose which 9 calendar months their permits would be effective. TEMS 
species consist of red porgy, vermilion snapper, red snapper, speckled 
hind, gag, scamp, red grouper, gray triggerfish, white grunt, and black 
grouper; black sea bass may also be included in the TEMS group.
    (2) For TEMS, establish an aggregate quota at 75 percent of the 
1993-1995 average landings (with and without black sea bass), establish 
a 2,000-lb (908-kg) trip limit, begin the fishing year on April 1, and 
close the fishery during February;
    (3) Establish a black sea bass quota at 75 percent of the 1993-1995 
average landings;
    (4) Establish by framework regulatory adjustment procedure closed 
seasons to achieve reductions in TEMS species (with and without black 
sea bass) of not less than 25 percent of the 1993-1995 average 
landings.
    The hearings will begin at 7 p.m. and will end when all business is 
completed. Staff members will be available at the hearing locations 
from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (1 hour before the

[[Page 32073]]

hearings) to answer questions pertaining to Amendment 9.
    The dates and locations are scheduled as follows:
    1. Tuesday, June 17, 1997--Pier House Resort, One Duval Street, Key 
West, FL; telephone: 305-296-4600; 1-800-327-8340;
    2. Tuesday, June 24, 1997--Comfort Inn, 5308 New Jesup Hwy, 
Brunswick, GA; telephone: 912-264-6540;
    3. Wednesday, June 25, 1997--Ramada Inn Daytona Speedway, 1798 W 
International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach FL; telephone: 904-255-2422;
    4. Thursday, June 26, 1997--Holiday Inn On The Oceanfront, 1350 S 
Ocean Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL; telephone: 954-941-7300;
    5. Friday, June 30, 1997--Sheraton Atlantic Beach, Salter Path 
Road, Atlantic Beach, NC; telephone: 919-240-1155;
    6. Tuesday, July 1, 1997--Holiday Inn Wilmington, 4903 Market 
Street, Wilmington, NC; telephone: 910-799-1440;
    7. Wednesday, July 2, 1997--Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Hwy, 
Charleston, SC; telephone: 803-571-1000.
    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 9, 1997.

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

    Dated: June 9, 1997.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-15439 Filed 6-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F