[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66970-66971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28677]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 103000F]


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 meetings of its Advisory Panel Selection Committee (closed), 
Controlled Access Committee, Marine Reserves Committee, Dolphin Wahoo 
Committee and the South Atlantic Board. Joint meetings of the Snapper 
Grouper Committee and Advisory Panel, the Law Enforcement Committee and 
Advisory Panel, and the Red Drum Committee and the South Atlantic Board 
will also be held. Public comment periods will be held on the proposed 
Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and any framework changes 
to the Snapper Grouper FMP. There will also be a Council Session.

DATES: The meetings will be held from November 27-December 1, 2000. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach 
Hotel, 2717 West Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512; telephone: 
1-800-624-8875 or (252) 240-1155, fax: (252) 240-1452.
    Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One 
Southpark Circle, Suite 306; Charleston, SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information 
Officer; telephone: (843) 571-4366; fax: (843) 769-4520; email: 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates

    November 27, 2000, 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.- Joint Snapper Grouper 
Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting;
    The Snapper Grouper Committee and Advisory Panel will meet jointly 
to review snapper grouper species assessments and reports, review the 
Compliance Report, review framework items including the use of 
powerheads, quota overruns and other items as necessary. The Committee 
and Advisory Panel will also hear a report on the status of the red 
porgy assessment and projections peer review.
    November 28, 2000, 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.- Joint Snapper Grouper 
Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting (continued);
    The Snapper Grouper Committee and Advisory Panel will meet to 
develop Committee recommendations for ranking marine reserves criteria 
and for the National Artificial Reef Plan.
    November 28, 2000, 10 a.m. to 12 noon- Marine Reserves Committee 
Meeting;
    The Marine Reserves Committee will meet to develop recommendations 
on the Gray's Reef Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), discuss 
development of a strategy to incorporate Gray's Reef in the Council's 
marine reserve process, review and develop comments and recommendations 
on the NMFS draft White Paper, develop recommendations for ranking 
marine reserves criteria and review the status of a closed area lawsuit 
in the Gulf of Mexico.
    November 28, 2000, 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.- Dolphin Wahoo Committee 
Meeting;
    The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will meet to review the actions of the 
Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico Councils regarding the Dolphin Wahoo FMP 
and revisions to the FMP specific to the other Council's actions.
    November 28, 2000, 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.- Joint Red Drum Committee and 
South Atlantic Board Meeting;
    The Red Drum Committee will meet jointly with the South Atlantic 
Board to receive a briefing on the process for transferring red drum 
management to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) 
and provide directions to staff.
    November 29, 2000, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.- South Atlantic Board 
Meeting;
    The South Atlantic Board will meet to discuss the coordination of 
fish contaminant sampling and hear presentations on the 2001-05 
management plan, trawl survey results and the data management web page 
and data access items.
    November 29, 2000, 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon- Advisory Panel Selection 
Committee Meeting (closed session);
    The Advisory Panel Selection Committee will meet to review

[[Page 66971]]

membership applications and develop recommendations.
    November 29, 2000, 1:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. - Controlled Access 
Committee Meeting;
    The Controlled Access Committee will meet to hear a NMFS 
presentation on vessel capacity issues and develop recommendations, 
review options for rock shrimp controlled access and develop 
recommendations to staff.
    November 30, 2000, 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon- Joint Law Enforcement 
Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting;
    The Law Enforcement Committee and Advisory Panel will meet to hear 
reports on the South Carolina/NMFS cooperative law enforcement grant 
and the status of Congressional funding for law enforcement, develop 
recommendations for ranking marine reserve criteria, review the status 
of Vessel Monitoring Systems in the Southeast, discuss law enforcement 
benefits of requiring the use of vessel operator permits, review 
options for rock shrimp controlled access, hear a report on NOAA 
General Counsel enforcement related activities, review the Compliance 
Report and discuss the law enforcement aspects of the use of 
powerheads.
    November 30, 2000, 1:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.- Council Session.
    From 1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m., the Council will call the meeting to 
order, adopt the agenda and approve minutes from the September 2000 
meeting.
    From 1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., the Council will hold a public comment 
period on any proposed changes to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP (beginning at 
1:45 p.m.), hear a report from the Dolphin Wahoo Committee and as 
necessary modify the FMP and re-approve it for submission to the 
Secretary of Commerce.
    From 2:30 p.m.- 3 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the Law 
Enforcement Committee including their recommendations for ranking 
marine reserves criteria.
    From 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., the Council will hold a public comment 
period on any Council proposed framework changes to the Snapper Grouper 
FMP (beginning at 3:00 p.m.), hear a report from the Snapper Grouper 
Committee and make a decision on framework actions.
    From 3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Marine Reserves Committee, consider the Gray's Reef MOU, develop a 
strategy to incorporate Gray's Reef in the Council's marine reserve 
process and develop comments and recommendations on the NMFS draft 
White Paper.
    From 4:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Controlled Access Committee and develop comments on vessel capacity 
issues.
    From 4:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Advisory Panel Selection Committee and appoint new advisory panel 
members (closed session).
    December 1, 2000, 8:30 a.m.- 12 noon - Council Session
    From 8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Red Drum Committee and provide directions to staff.
    From 9 a.m. - 9:15 a.m., the Council will hear a report from staff 
updating economic activities and issues.
    From 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., the Council will hear a report from 
staff updating social activities and issues.
    From 9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will hear a report on the 
status of the Bluefish FMP from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council.
    From 10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., the Council will hear a presentation on 
the NMFS Southeast Regional Office's permit program.
    From 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m., the Council will hear a presentation on 
Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultations from the NMFS.
    From 11 a.m. - 11:10 a.m., the Council will hear an update on the 
Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program.
    From 11:10 a.m. - 11:20 a.m., the Council will hear a report on the 
Ecosystem Management Workshop.
    From 11:20 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., the Council will hear NMFS Status 
Reports on 2000/01 Mackerel Framework, the resubmitted Calico Scallop 
FMP and the resubmitted Sargassum FMP. Council will also hear NMFS 
Status Reports on Landings for Atlantic king mackerel, Gulf king 
mackerel (eastern zone), Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Snowy grouper & 
Golden tilefish, wreckfish, greater amberjack and south Atlantic 
Octocorals.
    From 11:30 p.m.- 12 noon, Council will hear agency and liaison 
reports and discuss other business and upcoming meetings.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be the 
subjects of formal Council action during this meeting. Council action 
will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice 
and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require 
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take 
final action to address the emergency.

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 20, 2000.

    Dated: November 2, 2000.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-28677 Filed 11-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S