[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7507-7508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3760]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 021003B]


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, Highly Migratory 
Species Committee, Habitat Committee, Advisory Panel Selection 
Committee (closed session) and Executive Committee. There will also be 
a full Council Session.

DATES: The meetings will be held in March 2003. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn Beach Resort, 
200 South Beachview Drive, Jekyll Island, GA 31527; telephone: (1-800) 
753-5955 or (912) 635-3311.
    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. Snapper Grouper Committee Meeting: March 3, 2003, 1:30 p.m. 
until 5 p.m.
    The Snapper Grouper Committee will meet to receive a presentation 
on the results of the Vermilion Snapper Black Sea Bass Stock Assessment 
and Review Workshops. In addition, the Committee will receive updates 
on the status of the NC pilot program for observer work on bycatch, a 
NOAA Fisheries report on estimating bycatch from logbooks, a progress 
report on economic data collection via logbooks, and the status of a 
snapper/grouper electronic logbook pilot study.
    2. Snapper Grouper Committee Meeting: March 4, 2003, 8:30 a.m. 
until 5 p.m. and continued March 5, 2003, from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.
    Following the presentations, the Committee will review draft 
Amendment 13 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and 
develop recommendations for the Council. The Committee will also 
discuss the status of Amendment 14 to the Snapper Grouper FMP involving 
the use of marine protected areas as a management tool.
    3. Highly Migratory Species Committee Meeting: March 5, 2003, 1:30 
p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
    The Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Committee will meet to hear a 
report on the HMS Advisory Panel meetings and discuss current HMS 
issues.
    4. Habitat Committee Meeting: March 5, 2003, 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.
    The Habitat Committee will meet to consider recommendations from 
the Habitat and Environmental Protection Advisory Panel and the Coral 
Advisory Panel and take action regarding those recommendations for 
consideration by full Council. The Committee will also develop guidance 
on revisions to current Policy Statements.
    5. Advisory Panel Selection Committee Meeting (CLOSED): March 6, 
2003, 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
    The Advisory Panel Selection Committee will meet to review current 
applications for advisory panel positions and develop recommendations.
    6. Executive Committee Meeting: March 6, 2003, 10:30 a.m. until 12 
noon.
    The Executive Committee will meet to review and discuss major 
issues raised at the Council Chairmen/NOAA Fisheries meeting, hear a 
report on a recent meeting of Council representatives and staff with 
Dr. William Hogarth, NOAA Assistant Administrator of Fisheries and his 
staff, and review the status of Shrimp Amendment 6.
    7. Council Session: March 6, 2003, 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.
    From 1:30 p.m. 1:45 p.m., the Council will have a Call to Order, 
introductions and roll call, adoption of the agenda, and approval of 
the December 2002 meeting minutes.
    From 1:45 p.m. 3:45 p.m., the Council will hear recommendations 
from the Snapper Grouper Committee and take action regarding draft 
Snapper Grouper Amendment 13.
    From 3:45 p.m. 5 p.m., the Council will receive a presentation of 
proposed regulatory changes in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary 
and take action regarding the proposal.
    From 5 p.m. 6 p.m., the Council will receive legal briefing on 
litigation affecting the Council (CLOSED SESSION).
    8. Council Session: March 7, 2003, 8:30 a.m. until 12 Noon.

[[Page 7508]]

    From 8:30 a.m. 9 a.m., the Council will hear recommendations from 
the Advisory Panel Selection Committee and appoint new advisory panel 
members.
    From 9 a.m. 9:15 a.m., the Council will receive a report from the 
Highly Migratory Species Committee.
    From 9:15 a.m. 9:30 a.m., the Council will hear a report from the 
Habitat Committee.
    From 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m., the Council will receive a presentation 
on the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS).
    From 10:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m., the Council will hear NOAA Fisheries 
status reports on the Golden/Red Crab/Skate FMP management unit issue, 
Shrimp Amendment 5 implementation, the Sargassum FMP, the Dolphin Wahoo 
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 11:15 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 February 27, 2003.

    Dated: February 11, 2003.
Theophilus R. Brainerd,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service
[FR Doc. 03-3760 Filed 2-13-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S