[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 205 (Monday, October 25, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 57436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27769]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[I.D. 101299F]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic;
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources; Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will
convene six public hearings on Draft Amendment 12 to the Fishery
Management Plan for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic
Region (Draft Amendment 12) and its draft supplemental environmental
impact statement (draft SEIS).
DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on November 29,
1999. The hearings will be held from November 3 to November 29, 1999.
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Bob Mahood, Executive
Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One Southpark
Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699. Copies of Draft Amendment
12 and the draft SEIS are available from Kerry O'Malley at 803-571-4366
and 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: Kerry O'Malley, 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 12 and the associated draft SEIS. Draft Amendment 12
includes management measures that would (1) prohibit the harvest and
possession of red porgy; (2) require the Council to review the status
of the red porgy resource every 3 years to determine whether the
moratorium on harvest should be repealed; (3) establish a maximum
sustainable yield of 5,285.4 metric tons (mt) for red porgy; (4) set
optimum yield for red porgy at the yield produced by a stock size of
10,000 mt; (5) establish the two components of the overfishing
definition for red porgy as: (a) the maximum fishing mortality
threshold is the fishing mortality rate (F) in excess of F35% static
spawning potential ratio (SPR) which is between 0.58 (F30%) and 0.33
(F40%) based on a 14 inch (35.6 cm) total length minimum size limit and
data through 1996, and (b) minimum stock size threshold is the stock
size associated with 20% SPR which is estimated at 3,000 mt. Current
stock size was estimated to be 685 mt based on data through 1996; (6)
set the rebuilding timeframe for red porgy at 18 years; (7) in the
snapper grouper limited access system, allow same owner permit transfer
regardless of vessel size for individuals harvesting snapper grouper
species with a non-transferable 225 pound trip limit permit; and (8)
modify the framework procedure for regulatory adjustments of the
Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South
Atlantic Region by adding the following list of management options and
measures that could be implemented via such framework procedure as:
Description, identification, and regulation of fishing activities to
protect essential fish habitat (EFH) and EFH-habitat areas of
particular concern (EFH-HAPC); management measures to reduce or
eliminate the adverse effects of fishing activities or fishing gear on
EFH or EFH-HAPCs; and regulation of EFH-HAPCs.
In the following locations the hearings will begin at 6 p.m. and
end when all business is completed:
1. Wednesday, November 3, 1999--Sombrero Resort and Marina,19
Sombrero Blvd., Marathon, FL 33050; Phone: 305-743-2250;
2. Wednesday, November 10, 1999--Richmond Hill City Hall, 40
Richard R. Davis Drive, Richmond Hill, GA 31324; Phone: 912-756-3345;
3. Thursday, November 11, 1999--Carteret Community College, 3505
Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557; Phone: 252-247-3093;
4. Monday, November 15, 1999--Ramada Inn Surfside, 3125 S. Atlantic
Avenue, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118; Phone: 1-800-255-3838;
5. Wednesday, November 17, 1999--Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah
Highway, Charleston, SC 29407; Phone: 843-571-1000; and
6. Monday, November 29, 1999--Blockade Runner, 275 Waynick
Boulevard, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480, Phone: 910-256-2251.
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 October 29, 1999.
Dated: October 19, 1999.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-27769 Filed 10-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F