[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7762-7763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3792]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 021098E]


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 Joint Habitat Committee and Habitat and Coral 
Advisory Panels; Habitat Committee; Atlantic Coastal Cooperative 
Statistics Program Scoping Meeting; Joint Snapper Grouper Committee and 
Wreckfish Advisory Panel; Snapper Grouper Committee; and Marine 
Reserves Committee. A Council Session will also be held.

DATES: The meetings will be held from March 2-6, 1998. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Jekyll Island Club, 371 
Riverview Drive, Jekyll Island, GA; telephone: (912) 635-2600.
    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

    March 2, 1998, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Mackerel Committee; The 
Committee will review public hearing and NMFS comments on Amendment 9 
to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Coastal Migratory Pelagic 
Resources (Amendment 9), develop recommended action on measures in 
Amendment 9, hear the status of Amendment 8 to the FMP for Coastal 
Migratory Pelagic Resources (Amendment 8) and Mackerel Framework 
actions, and hear a status report on Atlantic king and Spanish mackerel 
quotas;
    March 2, 1998, 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.--Joint Habitat Committee and 
Habitat and Coral Advisory Panels;
    The Committee and Advisory Panels will review and provide comments 
on the draft Habitat FMP, hear a summary of the American Fisheries 
Society report on the impact of fishing gear on habitat, and review and 
provide comments on the draft Comprehensive Habitat Amendment;
    March 3, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon; 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.--
Habitat Committee;
    The Committee will develop Committee recommendations on the draft 
Habitat FMP and Comprehensive Habitat Amendment;
    March 3, 1998, 5:00 p.m. until all business is complete-- Atlantic 
Coastal 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;
    March 4, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.--Joint Snapper Grouper 
Committee and Wreckfish Advisory Panel;
    The Committee and Advisory Panel will review updated catch data and 
the Assessment Group report, develop Advisory Panel and Committee 
recommendations for setting Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and other 
framework measures;
    March 4, 1998, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Snapper Grouper Committee;
    The Council will develop recommendations regarding approval or 
disapproval of the Special Management Zone (SMZ) requests; March 4, 
1998, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Snapper Grouper Committee;
    The Committee will hear the scamp stock assessment report, hear the 
updated trends and spawning potential ratio analysis, review and take 
action on the Assessment Group report, and review the Florida Keys 
National Marine Sanctuary request; A closed session will also be held 
to develop recommendations for membership on

[[Page 7763]]

the Snapper Grouper Assessment Group;
    March 5, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.--Marine Reserves Committee;
    The Committee will review Assessment Group and Law Enforcement 
Advisory Panel and Committee recommendations on criteria for 
establishing marine reserves, begin developing Council criteria for 
developing marine reserves, and discuss coordination with the NOAA 
Marine Sanctuary Program;
    March 5, 1998, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Council Session; March 5, 
1998, 11:15 a.m. to 12 noon-- the full Council will hear the Marine 
Reserves Committee Report;
    March 5, 1998, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.-- Mackerel Committee Report;
    The Council will take public comment on Amendment 9 at 1:30 p.m. 
and approve the Amendment for submission to the Secretary of Commerce;
    March 5, 1998, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.--Snapper Grouper Committee 
report;
    The Council will take public comment on the SMZ requests and 
wreckfish framework measures at 2:30 p.m., approve or disapprove the 
SMZ requests and the wreckfish framework measures, take action on the 
Assessment Group report, and consider the Florida Keys National Marine 
Sanctuary request; A closed session will also be held to appoint 
members to the Assessment Group;
    March 5, 1998, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.--Development of Magnuson-
Stevens Act Generic Amendment;
    The Council will address all measures to be included in the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act Generic Amendment and approve the Amendment for 
public hearing;
    March 5, 1998, 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Status of the Mid-Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council/Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission 
Bluefish FMP Amendment;
    The Council will develop comments on the Bluefish Amendment; March 
6, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.--Habitat Committee report;
    The Council will approve the Habitat FMP and Comprehensive 
Amendment management options for public hearing;
    March 6, 1998, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--The Council will develop 
recommendations on the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program;
    March 6, 1998, 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.-- The Council will hear 
Reports/status of the Golden Crab framework, the status of the 
Council's request to manage dolphin-fish and wahoo throughout the 
Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, the Highly Migratory Species 
and Billfish Advisory Panel meetings;
    March 6, 1998, 2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.--The Council will hear Agency 
and liaison reports;
    March 6, 1998, 2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.--The Council will address 
other business.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
these groups for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal action during this meeting. 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 February 23, 1998.

    Dated: February 10, 1998.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-3792 Filed 2-13-98; 8:45 am]
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