[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 75 (Thursday, April 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20911-20912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8286]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XH24


South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings and scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a series of public hearings and scoping meetings beginning in 
early May. Public hearings will be held for Amendment 16 to the Snapper 
Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South Atlantic, the 
Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP), and the Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment 
(CEA). Public scoping will be held for Amendment 18 to the Snapper 
Grouper FMP for the South Atlantic. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The series of 5 public scoping meetings will be held May 7-15, 
2008. All scoping meetings will be open from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Council 
staff and area Council members will be available for presentations, 
informal discussions, and to answer questions. Members of the public 
will have an opportunity to go on record at any time during the meeting 
hours to record their comments on the public hearing and scoping issues 
for Council consideration. Written comments must be received in the 
South Atlantic Council's office by 5 p.m. on May 16, 2008. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Bob Mahood, Executive 
Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place 
Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405, or via email to: 
[email protected] for Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper FMP; 
[email protected] for the Fishery Ecosystem Plan; 
[email protected] for the Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment; and 
[email protected] for scoping comments regarding Amendment 18 
to the Snapper Grouper FMP. Comments are due to the Council office by 5 
p.m.on May 16, 2008. Copies of the public hearing and scoping documents 
are available from Kim Iverson, South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; 
telephone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free at (866) SAFMC-10. Copies will 
also be available online at www.safmc.net as they become available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North 
Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: (843) 571-4366; fax: (843) 769-4520; 
email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Locations

    The public hearings and scoping meeting will be held at the 
following locations:
    1. May 7, 2008-Key Largo Grande, 97000 South Overseas Highway, Key 
Largo, FL 33037, telephone: (866) 597-5397;
    2. May 9, 2008-Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut 
Boulevard, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, telephone: (321) 784-0000;
    3. May 12, 2008-Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne Avenue, 
Pooler, GA 31322, telephone: (912) 748-8888;
    4. May 13, 2008-Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, 
Charleston, SC 29407, telephone: (843) 571-1000; and
    5. May 15, 2008-Sheraton New Bern, 100 Middle Street, New Bern, NC 
28560, telephone: (252) 638-3585.
    The public hearings and scoping will address overlapping fisheries 
issues for the South Atlantic region. Public hearings will be held on 
the following:
    1. Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper FMP-updates management 
reference points for gag grouper and vermilion snapper, including 
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), Optimum Yield (OY), and Minimum Stock 
Size Threshold (MSST), which reflect current scientific information as 
provided by stock assessments and approved by the Scientific and 
Statistical Committee. In addition, the amendment would either alter 
current management measures or implement new management measures that 
would reduce current harvest levels to yields associated with the 
optimum yield and end overfishing of both stocks in the South Atlantic. 
The Council will also specify interim allocations between the 
commercial and recreational sectors.
    Alternatives under consideration include a January-April spawning 
season closure for gag grouper for both commercial and recreational 
sectors where no fishing for and/or possession of gag would be allowed. 
In addition, during the closure no fishing for and/or possession of the 
following species would be allowed: black grouper, red grouper, scamp, 
red hind, rock hind, yellowmouth grouper, tiger grouper, yellowfin 
grouper, graysby, and coney; dividing the commercial quota for gag 
grouper between two regions; reduction of the current 5-grouper 
aggregate bag limit for the recreational fishery; establishment of a 
directed commercial quota for vermilion snapper; adjusting recreational 
bag/size limits for vermilion snapper, and establishment of a 
recreational closed season for vermilion snapper. Amendment 16 also 
includes alternatives to reduce bycatch mortality by requiring the use 
of venting and dehooking tools and circle hooks to fish for snapper 
grouper species in the South Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 
Alternatives are also included for interim allocations for gag grouper 
and vermilion snapper.

[[Page 20912]]

    2. Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) for the South Atlantic and 
Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment (CEA)-The Council is developing a 
Fishery Ecosystem Plan to act as a source document for various plan 
amendments. The CEA includes alternatives to amend the Coral FMP to 
establish deepwater coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs) 
and address information updates and spatial requirements of the 
Essential Fish Habitat final rule. In addition, the CEA includes 
alternatives to amend the Golden Crab FMP to establish allowable golden 
crab fishing areas and require Vessel Monitoring Systems. Areas being 
considered for designation as HAPCs include: (a) Cape Lookout Lophelia 
Banks HAPC, (b) Cape Fear Lophelia Banks HAPC, (c) Blake Ridge Diapir, 
(d) the Stetson Reefs, Savannah and East Florida Lithoherms, and Miami 
Terrace HAPC, and (e) Portales Terrace HAPC. Alternatives also include 
proposals developed by the Council's Deepwater Shrimp Advisory Panel 
and Golden Crab Advisory Panel.
    Public scoping will be held on the following:
    Amendment 18 to the Snapper Grouper FMP-management measures 
necessary to end overfishing for red snapper in the South Atlantic 
region.

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 3 days prior to the start of each meeting.

    Dated: April 14, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-8286 Filed 4-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S