[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 199 (Monday, October 17, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60303-60304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-5709]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 101105A]


Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, King and Spanish Mackerel Advisory Panel Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's King and 
Spanish Mackerel Advisory Panel will hold a meeting via conference 
call.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) will 
hold a meeting of its King and Spanish Mackerel Advisory Panel (AP) via 
conference call to address: (1) Amendment 17 to the Coastal Migratory 
Pelagic Resources (Mackerel) Fishery Management Plan for the Gulf of 
Mexico and South Atlantic, and (2) the coastal migratory pelagics 
resources component of Generic Amendment 3 for Addressing Essential 
Fish Habitat (EFH) Requirements, Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 
(HAPC), and Adverse Effects of Fishing in the Following Fishery 
Management Plans of the Gulf of Mexico: Shrimp, Red Drum, Reef Fish, 
Stone Crab, Coral and Coral Reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, and Spiny 
Lobster and the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of 
Mexico and South Atlantic. Amendment 17 addresses the current charter/
headboat permit moratorium for the Gulf of Mexico fishery. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The meeting will take place November 3, 2005. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via conference call. Public 
listening stations will be available at 5 locations. 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; phone: (843) 571-4366 or 
toll free (866) SAFMC-10; fax: (843) 769-4520; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council will convene its King and Spanish Mackerel AP via conference 
call to review: (1)Amendment 17 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagic 
Resources (Mackerel) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Gulf of 
Mexico and South Atlantic FMP, and (2) the coastal migratory pelagic 
component of Generic Amendment 3 for Addressing EFH Requirements, HAPC, 
and Adverse Effects of Fishing in the Following Fishery Management 
Plans of the Gulf of Mexico: Shrimp, Red Drum, Reef Fish, Stone Crab, 
Coral and Coral Reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, and Spiny Lobster and the 
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South 
Atlantic. Under the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources FMP, the South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council are jointly responsible the management of coastal 
migratory pelagic species. The Gulf Council's Generic Amendment 3 will 
amend the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources FMP.
    Amendment 17 addresses the continuance of the charter/headboat 
permit moratorium for coastal migratory pelagic species currently in 
place in the Gulf of Mexico fishery. On May 6, 2003, NOAA's National 
Marine Fisheries

[[Page 60304]]

Service approved Amendment 14 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics FMP, 
establishing the charter vessel/headboat permit moratorium in the Gulf 
of Mexico for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic fishery. Implemented on 
June 16, 2003, the intended effect of the amendment was to cap the 
number of for-hire vessels operating in the fishery at the levels that 
existed as of March 29, 2001 while the Councils evaluated whether a 
limited access program was needed to permanently constrain effort. The 
moratorium is set to expire June 16, 2006. In Amendment 17, the 
Councils are considering whether to let the moratorium expire, extend 
the moratorium for a finite time period (5 or 10 years), or establish 
an indefinite limited access program. The Gulf of Mexico Council has 
selected as its preferred alternative to establish an indefinite 
limited access program. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
has not taken action.
    Generic Amendment 3 contains proposed alternatives to define EFH 
for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources Fishery Management Plan.
    The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will consider any 
recommendations developed by the King and Spanish Mackerel Advisory 
Panel and take final action on Amendment 17 and Generic Amendment 3 at 
its December 5-9, 2005 meeting in Carolina Beach, NC.
    The meeting will be held via conference call on November 3, 2005, 
at 1 p.m. and conclude no later than 3 p.m. Listening stations will be 
available at the following locations:
    1. South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One Southpark Circle, 
Suite 306, Charleston, SC 29407-4699;
    2. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois 
Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607;
    3. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional 
Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701;
    4. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries 
Science Center, 73 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149; and
    5. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2796 Overseas 
Highway, Suite 119, Marathon, FL 33050.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come 
before the AP for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of 
formal action during this meeting. Actions of the AP 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 action to address the emergency. The times and sequence 
specified in this agenda are subject to change.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the 
Council office(see ADDRESSES) 5 days prior to the meetings.

    Dated: October 12, 2005.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-5709 Filed 10-14-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S