[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 222 (Monday, November 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69509-69510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29218]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 111202B]


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 Snapper Grouper Committee, Finance Committee, 
Highly Migratory Species Committee, Advisory Panel Selection Committee 
(closed session), Habitat Committee and Dolphin Wahoo Committee. A 
joint meeting will also be held between the Snapper Grouper Committee 
and the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel. A public hearing will be held 
on the red porgy stock assessment and review. Additional public comment 
periods will be held to address lobster issues and the final Dolphin 
Wahoo Fishery Management Plan. There will also be a full Council 
Session.

DATES: The meetings will be held in December 2002. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Sheraton Grand New Bern, 
100 Middle Street, New Bern, NC 28560; telephone: (1-800) 326-3745 or 
(252) 638-8112.
    Copies of documents are available from Kim Iverson, Public 
Information Officer, 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 or toll free at 866/SAFMC-10; fax: 
843-769-4520; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates

    1. Joint Snapper Grouper Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting: 
December 2, 2002, 1:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. and continued on December 3, 
2002, from 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.
    The Snapper Grouper Committee will meet jointly with the Advisory 
Panel (AP) to receive updates on red porgy management including a 
presentation on the SAW/SARC (Stock Assessment Workshop/Stock 
Assessment Review Committee) findings and the status of the North 
Carolina observer work on red porgy bycatch. The Committee and AP will 
also receive updates on the snapper/grouper electronic logbook study 
and the economic data collection program using logbooks. Following the 
presentations, the Committee and AP will receive an overview of draft 
Amendment 13 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and 
will provide input for the document.
    2. Public Hearing for Red Porgy followed immediately by a public 
scoping meeting on issues affecting the spiny lobster fishery: December 
2, 2002, 6 p.m.
    3. Snapper Grouper Committee Meeting: December 3, 2002, 10 a.m. 
until 6 p.m. and continued December 4, 2002, from 8:30 a.m. until 3 
p.m.
    The Snapper Grouper Committee will meet to receive an update on the 
SEDAR (Southeastern Data, Assessment and

[[Page 69510]]

Review) process as it currently relates to the status of vermilion 
snapper and black sea bass and also hear from NOAA Fisherie's Southeast 
Regional Office regarding the status of their capacity work for the 
snapper grouper and black sea bass fisheries. The Snapper Grouper 
Committee will also review draft Amendment 13 and develop 
recommendations for the Council.
    4. Finance Committee Meeting: December 4, 2002, 3 p.m. until 4 p.m.
    The Finance Committee will meet to review and approve the Calendar 
Year (CY) 2003 budget.
    5. Highly Migratory Committee Meeting: December 4, 2002, 4 p.m. 
until 5 p.m.
    The Highly Migratory Species Committee will meet to discuss bluefin 
tuna allocation issues and hear a report on the fall ICCAT 
(International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) 
Advisory Committee meeting and a summary of the ICCAT meeting.
    6. Habitat Committee Meeting: December 5, 2002, 8:30 a.m. until 
10:30 a.m.
    The Habitat Committee will meet to review Advisory Panel 
recommendations. The Committee will also address revisions of its 
Policy Statement.
    7. Advisory Panel Selection Committee Meeting (CLOSED): December 5, 
2002, 10:30 a.m. until 12 noon.
    The Advisory Panel Selection Committee will meet in to review 
current applications for advisory panel positions and develop 
recommendations.
    8. Dolphin Wahoo Committee Meeting: December 5, 2002, 1:30 p.m. 
until 3:30 p.m.
    The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will meet to develop recommendations on 
submission of the Dolphin Wahoo FMP for formal Secretarial review.
    9. Council Session: December 5, 2002, 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.
    From 4 p.m. 4:15 p.m., the Council will have a Call to Order, 
introductions and roll call, adoption of the agenda, and approval of 
the September 2002 meeting minutes.
    From 4:15 p.m. 5 p.m., the Council will hear recommendations from 
the Dolphin Wahoo Committee and take action for final approval of the 
Dolphin Wahoo FMP for submission for formal Secretarial review. 
Beginning at 4:15 p.m., a public comment period will be held on the 
final Atlantic Dolphin Wahoo FMP.
    From 5 p.m. 6 p.m., the Council will receive a legal briefing on 
litigation affecting the Council (CLOSED SESSION).
    10. Council Session: December 6, 2002, 8:30 a.m. 12 Noon.
    From 8:30 a.m. 9 a.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Snapper Grouper Committee and take into consideration recommendations 
regarding draft Amendment 13 to the Snapper Grouper FMP.
    From 9 a.m. 9:15 a.m., the Council will receive a report from the 
Habitat Committee.
    From 9:15 a.m. 9:30 a.m., the Council will hear recommendations 
from the Advisory Panel Selection Committee and appoint new advisory 
panel members.
    From 9:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Highly Migratory Species Committee.
    From 9:45 a.m. 10 a.m., The Council will hear a report from the 
Finance Committee and approve the CY 2003 budget.
    From 10 a.m. until 10:15 a.m., the Council will develop 
recommendations to the Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries on 
Expempted Fisheries Permits for the North Carolina Aquariums and the 
South Carolina Aquarium.
    From 10:15 a.m. until 10:45 a.m., the Council will receive a report 
on the Marine Fishery Stock Assessment Improvement Plan.
    From 10:45 a.m. until 11 a.m., the Council will receive a status 
report on Amendment 6 to the Shrimp FMP.
    From 11 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., the Council will hear NOAA Fisheries 
status reports on the Golden/Red Crab FMP management unit issue, Shrimp 
Amendment 5 implementation, the Sargassum FMP, the SEDAR Committee 
Process and implementation of the ACCSP (Atlantic Coast Cooperative 
Statistics Program) in the Southeast Region. NOAA Fisheries will also 
give 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 a.m. 12 noon, the Council will hear agency and liaison 
reports, discuss other business and upcoming meetings.
    Documents regarding these issues are available from the Council 
office (see ADDRESSES).
    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 29, 2002.

    Dated: November 13, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-29218 Filed 11-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S