[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 169 (Thursday, August 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45838-45840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-21955]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 082401A]


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

[[Page 45839]]

hold meetings of its Snapper Grouper Committee, Habitat Committee, 
Controlled Access Committee, Scientific and Statistical Selection 
Committee, Information and Education Committee, Advisory Panel 
Selection Committee and a joint meeting of the Executive and Finance 
Committees. Public comment periods will be held during some of the 
meetings. There will also be a full Council Session.

DATES: The meetings will be held in September 2001. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Town and Country Inn, 
2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407; telephone: 1-800-334-6660 
or 843-571-1000.
    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

    September 17, 2001, from 1:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. and September 
18, 2001, from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., Snapper Grouper Committee 
Meeting.
    The Snapper Grouper Committee will meet to review and comment on 
the following:
    Proposed actions for Amendment 13 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) including permit transfers, snowy grouper and 
golden tilefish management, prohibition of the sale of mutton snapper 
in May and June, review of stock status for speckled hind and warsaw 
grouper and evaluation of current regulations, spawning site closures 
and other measures. The Committee will also review recommendations from 
the Marine Protected Area Committee regarding possible sites for marine 
protected areas and other recommendations.
    September 18, 2001, from 10:30 a.m. until 12 noon, Scientific and 
Statistical Selection Committee Meeting.
    The Scientific and Statistical Selection Committee will meet in a 
closed session to review candidates for appointment to the Scientific 
and Statistical Committee and develop recommendations.
    September 18, 2001, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., Information and 
Education Committee Meeting.
    The Information and Education Committee will meet to review current 
materials, projects and activities, develop goals and objectives, and 
identify needs related to public outreach.
    September 18, 2001, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., Habitat 
Committee Meeting.
    The Habitat Committee will meet to review the status of the 
Sargassum FMP, review recommendations from the Habitat Advisory Panel, 
evaluate allowing rock shrimp trawling in or near the Oculina Habitat 
Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) by vessels with Vessel Monitoring 
Systems and address Ecosystem FMP issues.
    September 19, 2001, from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon, Controlled Access 
Committee Meeting.
    The Controlled Access Committee will meet to review comments on the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) regarding Amendment 5 to 
the Shrimp FMP addressing controlled access for the rock shrimp 
fishery. The Committee will review and approve changes to the document 
and make recommendations for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. 
The Controlled Access Committee will also review the Qualitative Vessel 
Capacity Report from NMFS.
    September 19, 2001, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., Advisory Panel 
Selection Committee Meeting.
    The Advisory Panel Selection Committee will meet in a closed 
session to review membership applications and develop recommendations.
    September 19, 2001, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., Joint Executive 
Committee and Finance Committee Meeting.
    The Executive and Finance Committees will meet to review and 
approve the Council's Calendar Year (CY) 2001 activities schedule, 
budget and Operations Plan. In addition, the Committees will discuss 
the Council's Atlantic Coast Cooperative Statistic Program (ACCSP) 
funding request and review the status of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act reauthorization.
    September 20, 2001, from 8:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Council 
Session.
    From 8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m., the Council will have a Call to Order, 
introductions and roll call adoption of the agenda, and approval of the 
June 2001 meeting minutes.
    From 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m., the Council will hold a Public Scoping 
Meeting on: (1) Coral framework action to establish additional HAPC and 
(2) development of a comprehensive FMP amendment addressing permit 
renewal timeframes, operator permits, a consolidated controlled access 
system and the Atlantic Coast Cooperative Statistics Program's permits 
and reporting. Documents regarding these issues are available from the 
Council office (see ADDRESSES).
    From 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m., Beginning at 9:45 a.m., the Council 
will hold a Public Comment Meeting on Amendment 5 to the Shrimp FMP 
(rock shrimp limited access). Following the public comment period, the 
Council will hear a report from the Controlled Access Committee and 
approve Amendment 5 for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. 
Documents regarding these issues are available from the Council office 
(see ADDRESSES).
    From 10:45 a.m. - 12 noon and 1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m., the Council 
will hear a report from the Marine Protected Area Committee regarding 
marine protected area sites to be included in an options paper for 
Amendment 14 to the Snapper Grouper FMP.
    From 2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Snapper Grouper Committee and approve a list of actions for the Snapper 
Grouper FMP Amendment 13 draft public hearing document.
    From 2:45 p.m.- 3:00 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Scientific and Statistical Selection Committee and appoint new members 
to the SSC.
    From 3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Advisory Panel Selection Committee and appoint new members to the 
advisory panels.
    From 3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Information and Education Committee.
    From 3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Habitat Committee.
    From 3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
joint Executive and Finance Committees and approve the Council's CY 
2002 Activities Schedule, Budget and Operations Plan.
    From 4:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m., the Council will hear a report on the 
status of NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center activities.
    From 4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., the Council will hear a report on Final 
Guidelines for Economic Analysis.
    From 5:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m., the Council will hear status reports 
from NMFS on the Golden Crab Amendment 3, Dolphin Emergency Rule 
request, the Dolphin Wahoo DEIS, and allowable gear rule change 
request. The Council will also hear NMFS status reports on landing for 
Atlantic king mackerel, Gulf king mackerel (eastern zone), Atlantic 
Spanish mackerel, snowy grouper and

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golden tilefish, wreckfish, greater amberjack and south Atlantic 
octocorals.
    From 5:15 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., the Council will hear Agency and 
Liaison Reports, discuss other business and upcoming meetings.
    Copies of documents are available from Kim Iverson (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management 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 September 11, 2001.

    Dated: August 24, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-21955 Filed 8-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S