[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59658-59659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29098]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 102497D]


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 (Council) will 
hold a meeting of its Habitat Committee and Habitat Research and 
Monitoring Subgroup, Joint Habitat Committee and Habitat Advisory Panel 
chairmen and agency representatives to the Habitat Advisory Panel, 
Marine Reserves Committee, Information and Education (I & E) Committee, 
Mackerel Committee, Scientific and Statistical Selection Committee 
(CLOSED SESSION), Advisory Panel Selection Committee (CLOSED SESSION), 
Personnel Committee (CLOSED SESSION), Snapper Grouper Committee, and a 
Scoping Meeting of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program. 
A Council Session will also be held.

DATES: The meetings will be held from November 17-21, 1997. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Duke University Nicholas 
School of the Environment Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, 
Beaufort, NC 28516; telephone: (919) 504-7504.
    Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One 
Southpark Circle, Suite 306; Charleston, SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Buchanan, Public Information 
Officer; telephone: (803) 571-4366; fax: (803) 769-4520; email: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates

    November 17, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Habitat Committee/
Habitat Research and Monitoring Subgroup;
    The Committee will observe the Subgroup workshop. The Subgroup will 
review present research efforts to identify and describe essential fish 
habitat and determine fishery and non-fishery impacts on these habitats 
and discuss the structure of the research section of the Habitat 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
    November 17, 1997, 5:00 p.m. until all business is complete --
Atlantic Coastal

[[Page 59659]]

Cooperative Statistics Program Scoping Meeting;
    The purpose of this scoping meeting is to provide the public an 
opportunity to express their views on ways to improve commercial and 
recreational fisheries data collection.
    November 18, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Joint Habitat Committee 
and Habitat Advisory Panel chairmen and state & Federal representatives 
to the Habitat Advisory Panel;
    The Committee, chairmen and representatives will review the status 
of the Habitat FMP and comprehensive Habitat Amendment, review fishing 
threats to essential fish habitat, determine fishery impacts on 
habitat, and develop management options for the Habitat FMP.
    November 18, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.--Marine Reserves 
Committee;
    The Committee will review recent activities in the country that 
have focused on marine reserves, such as meetings, workshops and 
research, review the status of the Oculina Bank closed area, hear a 
report from NMFS law enforcement on fishing vessel monitoring systems 
and the potential for enforcing marine reserves, and discuss a Council 
approach for addressing marine reserves in the South Atlantic.
    November 18, 1997, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.--Information and 
Education (I & E) Committee;
    The Committee will review current Council I & E activities, hear an 
overview of the NMFS Southeast Regional Office plan for fishery I & E 
activities, and discuss additional and/or future I & E activities.
    November 19, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Mackerel Committee;
    The Committee will review items for Amendment 9 to the Coastal 
Migratory Pelagics FMP proposed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council, discuss the Gulf Council's response to the South 
Atlantic Council's request for true lead in dolphin and wahoo 
management, and hear the status of Amendment 8 to the Coastal Migratory 
Pelagics FMP and the 1997-98 framework seasonal adjustments.
    November 19, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.--Scientific and 
Statistical Selection (SSC) Committee (CLOSED SESSION);
    The Committee will review resumes and develop recommendations for 
appointment to SSC.
    November 19, 1997, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.--Advisory Panel Selection 
Committee (CLOSED SESSION);
    The Committee will review applications and develop recommendations 
for appointments to advisory panels.
    November 19, 1997, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Personnel Committee 
(CLOSED SESSION);
    The Committee will discuss Council personnel issues.
    November 20, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Snapper Grouper 
Committee;
    The Committee will hear status reports on Amendments 8 and 9 to the 
Snapper Grouper FMP, hear stock assessment reports on scamp and 
vermilion snapper species, hear the snapper grouper logbook report, a 
report on the economic survey results, and review special management 
zone requests and develop recommendations.
    November 20, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.--Snapper Grouper 
Committee continued;
    November 20, 1997, 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.--Council Session;
    The full Council will convene to hear comments from Rear Admiral 
Norman T. Saunders, Commander of the 7th Coast Guard District, and to 
begin development of the Magnuson-Stevens Act Generic Amendment (the 
Council will review definitions of overfishing and rebuilding 
timeframes for each FMP, develop new definitions and rebuilding 
timeframes where required, and review other Magnuson-Stevens Act 
requirements).
    November 21, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Council Session;
    The full Council will convene to hear committee reports at the 
following times.
    8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.--Habitat Committee report;
    The Council will approve Habitat Amendment management options.
    9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.--Snapper Grouper Committee report;
    The Council will take action on special management zone requests.
    9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.--Marine Reserves Committee report;
    10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.--Mackerel Committee report;
    The Council will take action on Gulf Council proposed actions for 
Coastal Migratory Pelagics Amendment 9.
    10:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.--I & E Committee report;
    11:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.--SSC Selection Committee report (CLOSED 
SESSION);
    The Council will approve new SSC members.
    11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.--Advisory Panel Selection Committee report 
(CLOSED SESSION);
    The Council will approve new advisory panel members.
    11:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Personnel Committee report (CLOSED 
SESSION);
    1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the Federal aid program and the South 
Florida restoration project; modify the Bycatch Reduction Device 
Protocol; hear reports on the status of the investigation of the four 
golden crab permits; the golden crab framework action; the Operations 
Plan meeting, the Dolphin/Wahoo FMP request; progress of the Calico 
Scallop FMP development; the Highly Migratory Species longline Advisory 
Panel meeting; the Highly Migratory Species billfish advisory Panel 
meeting; and the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program before 
making Council recommendations. The Council will also hear agency and 
liaison reports and discuss other business.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council/Committee for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not 
be the subject of formal Council/Committee action during this meeting. 
Council/Committee action will be restricted to those issues 
specifically identified in the agenda listed in this notice.

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 November 10, 1997.

    Dated: October 29, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-29098 Filed 10-30-97; 10:28 am]
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