[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 67 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18782-18783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7213]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG63


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Snapper-Grouper Fishery off the Southern Atlantic States; Amendment 18

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

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS); notice of scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) 
intends to prepare a DEIS to assess the impacts on the natural and 
human environment of the management measures proposed in its revised 
draft Amendment 18 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-
Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP).

DATES: Written comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the 
DEIS must be received by 5 p.m., eastern time, on May 16, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 727-824-5308, Attn: Kate Michie.
     Mail: Kate Michie, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 
13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.Scoping documents are 
available at the Council's Web site at www.safmc.net.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information 
Officer, South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, 4055 Faber Place 
Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: 843-571-4366, toll 
free 1-866-SAFMC-10; fax: 843-769-4520; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The snapper-grouper fishery off the South 
Atlantic states in the exclusive economic zone is managed under the 
FMP. Following Council preparation, the FMP was approved and 
implemented by NMFS under that authority of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) in March 
of 1983.
    An NOI for Amendment 18 was published January 22, 2008 (73 FR 
3701); however, the plan amendment contained in that notice considered 
the implementation of a limited access privilege (LAP) program for the 
commercial snapper-grouper fishery in the South Atlantic. The Council 
has postponed consideration of a LAP program to a future amendment, and 
different actions are now being considered in Amendment 18. This NOI 
seeks public comment on the new Amendment 18 and associated DEIS.
    The reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act of 2006 requires regional 
fishery management councils to establish annual catch limits (ACLs) for 
each stock/stock complex and accountability measures to ensure these 
ACLs are not exceeded. Among other things, Amendment 18 addresses these 
requirements for South Atlantic red snapper.
    A stock assessment has been completed for red snapper through the 
Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) process, which indicates 
the stock is undergoing overfishing and is overfished. The stock 
assessment will be reviewed by the Council's Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC) at its June 8 10, 2008, meeting. If the SSC agrees with 
the SEDAR determination, the Council will continue development of 
Amendment 18.
    To prevent overfishing, the Council intends to set biological 
parameters in Amendment 18 for red snapper, consistent with the 
national standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. These parameters 
include maximum sustainable yield, optimum yield (OY), minimum stock 
size threshold, and maximum fishing mortality rate threshold, which are 
used to help rebuild overfished stocks.
    The Council is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to implement 
rebuilding plans for overfished species. Amendment 18, and the 
associated DEIS, would also specify a rebuilding plan for the red 
snapper stock and consider various management measures to end 
overfishing. Some of the possible management measures the Council could 
consider include: quotas, seasonal closures (for both commercial and 
recreational fisheries), area closures, size limit modifications, and 
bag limit adjustments. These measures would help to increase the 
biomass of overfished red snapper and at the same time help to achieve 
OY for the fishery.
    The Council will review public comments and the SSC's 
determinations at its June 9 13, 2008, meeting and decide whether or 
not to continue preparation of the DEIS. If the Council does prepare a 
DEIS, a comment period is planned, which will include public hearings 
to receive comments. A Federal Register notice will announce the 
availability of the DEIS associated with this amendment, as well as a 
45-day public comment period, pursuant to regulations issued by the 
Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act and to NOAA's Administrative Order 216-6. The 
Council will consider public comments received on the DEIS in 
developing the final environmental impact statement (FEIS), and before 
voting to submit the final amendment to NMFS for Secretarial review, 
approval, and implementation. NMFS will announce in the Federal 
Register the availability of the final amendment and FEIS for public 
review during the Secretarial review period, and will consider all 
public comments prior to final agency action to approve, disapprove, or 
partially approve the final amendment.

Scoping Meetings, Times, and Locations

    All scoping meetings will begin at 3 p.m. The meetings will be 
physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for 
information packets or for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Wednesday, May 7, 2008--Key Largo Grande, 97000 South Overseas 
Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037; phone: 866-597-5397.
    Friday, May 9, 2008--Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut 
Boulevard, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920; phone: 321-784-0000.
    Monday, May 12, 2008--Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne 
Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322; phone: 912-748-8888.
    Tuesday, May 13, 2008--Town and Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway,

[[Page 18783]]

Charleston, SC 29407; phone: 843-571-1000.
    Thursday, May 16, 2008--Sheraton New Bern, 100 Middle Street, New 
Bern, NC 18560; phone: 252-638-3585.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: March 31, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-7213 Filed 4-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S