[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28160-28161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13208]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 051899F]


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 Scientific and Statistical, Personnel, Statement 
of Organizational Practices and Procedures (SOPPs) and joint Executive 
& Finance Committees, joint meetings of its Mackerel, Golden Crab, 
Spiny Lobster and Dolphin/Wahoo Advisory Panels (AP) and Committees; 
and a Council Session.

DATES: The meetings will be held from June 14-18, 1999. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Pier House, One Duval 
Street, Key West, FL 33040; telephone: (305) 296-4600.
    Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One 
Southpark Circle, Suite 306; Charleston, SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Mahood, Executive Director; 
telephone: (843) 571-4366; fax: (843) 769-4520; email: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates

    June 14, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.--Scientific and Statistical 
Committee;

[[Page 28161]]

    The committee will review and comment on the spiny lobster, golden 
crab, dolphin/wahoo snapper grouper, and mackerel Stock Assessment and 
Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports, hear the mackerel stock assessment 
presentation, review and comment on the Council's draft marine reserves 
document and approach to developing the marine reserve concept in the 
south Atlantic, hear a report on the status of the experimental closed 
area off of Florida and discuss ecosystem management;
    June 15, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Joint Mackerel Committee 
and AP;
    The committee and AP will review the mackerel SAFE report, develop 
recommendations for annual quotas and bag limits for the mackerel 
fishery, develop recommendations on other framework items as necessary, 
review draft Mackerel Amendment 12 and approve it for public hearing, 
and hear the status of bycatch data collection;
    June 15, 1999, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.--Joint Golden Crab Committee 
and AP;
    The committee and AP will review the Golden Crab SAFE Report and 
develop recommendations on framework action and/or plan amendment for 
the golden crab fishery;
    June 16, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Joint Spiny Lobster 
Committee and AP;
    The committee and AP will review the Spiny Lobster SAFE report, 
review Law Enforcement Committee recommendations for spiny lobster 
management, and develop recommendations on framework action and/or plan 
amendment for the spiny lobster fishery;
    June 16, 1999, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.--Joint Dolphin/Wahoo 
Committee and AP;
    The committee and AP will hear an update on the Council's request 
for lead on dolphin and wahoo management in the Atantic, Gulf of Mexico 
and Caribbean, review the Dolphin/Wahoo SAFE Report, and develop 
recommendations on the draft management options paper for the dolphin 
and wahoo fisheries;
    June 16, 1999, 5:45 p.m.--Public Comment
    The Council will take public comment on whether any further action 
is warrented by the Council concerning the issue of qualified 
individuals who missed the deadline for applying for a snapper grouper 
permit as a result of a hurricane or tropical storm.
     June 17, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.--Personnel Committee (Closed 
Session)
    The committee will meet in closed session to reveiw and discuss 
staff benefits and hear the Executive Director's recommendations on 
benefit changes;
    June 17, 1999, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.--SOPPs Committee
    The committee will finalize recommendations to amend the Council's 
SOPPs manual;
    June 17, 1999, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Joint Executive and 
Finance Committees
    The committees will review and revise as necessary the remaining 
scheduled activities for 1999, and review and revise as necessary the 
1999 Council budget;
    June 17, 1999, 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.--Council Session;
    The Council will hear the following Committee reports: Mackerel, 
Golden Crab, Spiny Lobster, Dolphin/Wahoo, Marine Reserves, Personnel, 
SOPPs, and joint Executive and Finance.
    At 2:00 p.m. the Council will take public comment on annual quotas, 
bag limits and other framework actions for mackerel and for framework 
actions on golden crab and spiny lobster;
    At 3:00 p.m. the Council will set the annual quotas for mackerel 
and take action on other framework actions as necessary. The Council 
will also approve Mackerel Amendment 12 for public hearing;
    At 3:30 p.m. the Council will take action on framework issues for 
the golden crab fishery as necessary;
    At 3:45 p.m. the Council will take action on framework issues for 
the spiny lobster fishery as necessary;
    At 4:00 p.m. the Council will approve the management options paper 
for dolphin and wahoo;
    At 4:30 p.m. the Council will meet in closed session to take action 
relative to changes in staff benefits;
    At 5:00 p.m. the Council will approve the SOPPs manual for 
submission to the Secretary;
    At 5:15 p.m. the Council will revise the 1999 activities schedule 
and budget as necessary;
    At 5:30 p.m. the Council will determine if further action is needed 
on the snapper grouper limited access permit issue relative to late 
applicants.
    June 18, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. --Council Session;
    The Council will hear the Ad Hoc Magnuson Stevens Fishery 
Conservation Management Act Reauthorization Committee report and 
approve Council positions on reauthorization issues. The Council will 
also: hear a status report on the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative 
Statistics Program and the vessel identification sytem, hear the status 
of NMFS highly migratory species amendments, hear a report on the NOAA 
General Counsel history of litigation in the Southeast region, hear a 
report on live rock aquaculture, hear NMFS reports on the 1998 mackerel 
framework actions, Mackerel Amendment 9, the red porgy emergency rule, 
the greater amberjack trip limit resubmittal, the Council's Habitat 
Plan and Comprehensive Amendment, the Council's Calico Scallop and 
Sargassum FMPs, the Sustainable Fisheries Act Comprehensive Amendment, 
and receive updated landings for Atlantic king mackerel, eastern zone 
Gulf king mackerel, Atlantic Spanish mackerel, snowy grouper, golden 
tilefish, wreckfish, greater amberjack, and South Atlantic octocorals. 
The Council will hear agency and liaison reports before discussing any 
other business.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal action during these meetings. Action will be 
restricted to those issues specifically identified 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 June 7, 1999.

    Dated: May 20, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-13208 Filed 5-24-99; 8:45 am]
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