[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62484-62485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25011]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XL37


Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a joint meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council's Habitat and Environmental

[[Page 62485]]

Protection Advisory Panel and Coral Advisory Panel

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a 
joint meeting of its Habitat and Environmental Protection Advisory 
Panel and Coral Advisory Panel in Charleston, SC. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

DATES: The joint meeting will take place November 17, 2008. The Panels 
will meet individually on November 18 and 19, 2008. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Charleston Marriott Hotel, 
170 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC; telephone: (800) 968-3569 or 
(843) 723-3000; fax: (843) 723-0276.
    Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information 
Officer; telephone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free: (866) SAFMC-10; fax: 
(843) 769-4520; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Members of the Habitat Advisory Panel and 
Coral Advisory Panel will meet jointly from 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. on 
November 17, 2008. The Habitat AP and Coral AP will reconvene 
individually and meet concurrently from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on November 
18, 2008, and the Coral Advisory Panel will reconvene and meet from 
8:30 a.m.-12 noon on November 19, 2008.
    The Advisory Panels will provide input and recommendations on the 
public hearing drafts of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) and the 
Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment (CE-BA), updates from NOAA 
Fisheries' Habitat Conservation on proposed non-fishing activities that 
have the potential to impact habitat, and an update on live rock 
aquaculture activities in the South Atlantic region.
    The development of a South Atlantic Council FEP provides the first 
regional opportunity to compile and review available habitat, 
biological, social, and economic fishery and resource information for 
fisheries in the South Atlantic Bight ecosystem and serves as a source 
document for the CE-BA.
    Actions in the Comprehensive Ecosystem-based Amendment include: 
Establishment of deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concerns 
(CHAPCs), establishment of a Shrimp Fishery Access Area for deepwater 
shrimp fisheries within the proposed CHAPCs, designation of Allowable 
Golden Crab Fishing Areas within the proposed CHAPCs where golden crab 
traps can continue to be used, a monitoring requirement for the golden 
crab fishery using available tools such as Vessel Monitoring System 
technology or electronic logbooks, and non-regulatory action addressing 
compliance with the spatial presentation requirements in the Essential 
Fish Habitat (EFH) Final Rule.
    Agenda items for the Coral AP meeting include: discussion and 
recommendations regarding coral management issues to include in 
Comprehensive Ecosystem-based Amendment 2, the Deep-Sea Coral Research 
and Technology Program Draft Strategic Plan being developed by NOAA's 
National Undersea Research Program (NURP), NOAA's Coral Reef 
Conservation Program, and coral research priorities for 2009-10. The 
Coral AP will also receive updates and presentations on coral issues 
relevant to the South Atlantic region.
    The Habitat and Environmental Protection AP meeting will involve 
four sessions as follows:
    Session 1: Panel review and discussion of ecosystem interactions 
with a focus on predator prey relationships for managed species, 
present management authority and future management considerations;
    Session 2: Panel review and discussion of habitat mapping and 
characterization as presented in the Councils' Regional Habitat and 
Ecosystem Internet Map Server and through regional programs including 
but limited to Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program 
(SEAMAP), the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association 
(SECOORA), Southeast Aquatic Resource Partnership (SARP), the North 
Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPPs) and the Southeast 
Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPASS);
    Session 3: Panel member review and discussion of place-based 
management in the region including but not limited to management in 
Grays' Reef National Marine Sanctuary and existing and proposed South 
Atlantic Council area management;
    Session 4: Panel review and discussion of Habitat Policies and 
potential impacts from individual proposed permits.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the 
council office (see ADDRESSES) 3 days prior to the meeting.
    Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject 
to change.

    Dated: October 16, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-25011 Filed 10-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S