[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 222 (Monday, November 18, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 69502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29184]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 110502B ]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region; Amendment 13; 
Public Hearing; Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and South 
Atlantic; Scoping Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing and scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a public hearing to address findings from the SAW/SARC (Stock 
Assessment Workshop/Stock Assessment Review Committee) process for the 
red porgy stock assessment. The hearing will include an overview of the 
recent Stock Assessment Workshop findings and the conclusions from the 
Stock Assessment Review Committee. In addition, the Council will 
conduct a public scoping meeting addressing issues affecting the spiny 
lobster fishery.

DATES: The red porgy public hearing and the public scoping meeting for 
spiny lobster will be held on Monday, December 2, 2002. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific times for the public hearing and 
the scoping meeting.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing and scoping meeting will be held in New 
Bern, NC (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information 
Officer, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One Southpark 
Circle, Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699; telephone: 843-571-4366; 
fax: 843-769-4520; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A 1999 stock assessment showed red porgy 
stocks to be overfished and emergency action was taken to restrict both 
the commercial and recreational fishery, including a one fish per 
person recreational bag limit, a 50-pound (22.7-kg) incidental catch 
limit for the commercial sector, and a closed commercial season from 
January through April. A subsequent stock assessment and review through 
the SAW/SARC process concluded that red porgy stocks remain overfished 
and the current management measures are warranted at this time. The 
Council is conducting the hearing in order to receive input from the 
public regarding these findings and obtain information regarding the 
effects of the current regulations. This information will be considered 
as the Council moves forward with the development of Amendment 13 to 
the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan.
    The scoping meeting will address issues affecting the spiny lobster 
fishery. These issues will include defining overfishing, possible 
federal regulation changes regarding the use of ``shorts'' or 
undersized lobsters used for bait by commercial harvesters, allowing 
the expansion of the commercial fishery north of Florida, and the 
distribution of tailing permits for spiny lobster.
    The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. with the public scoping 
meeting immediately following at the following location and date:
    1. December 2, 2002: Sheraton Grand New Bern, 100 Middle Street, 
New Bern, NC 28560, telephone: 1-800-326-3745 or 252- 638-8112.

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 (see ADDRESSES) by 
November 29, 2002.

    Dated: November 8, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-29184 Filed 11-15-02; 8:45 am]
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