[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 166 (Friday, August 28, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44352-44354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20709]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XR21


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 Limited Access Privilege Program (LAPP) Committee, 
Spiny Lobster Committee, Mackerel Committee, a joint meeting of its 
Executive and Finance Committees, Law Enforcement Committee, Snapper 
Grouper Committee, joint Ecosystem-Based Management and Habitat 
Committees, Golden Crab Committee, and Dolphin Wahoo Committee, and a 
meeting of the full Council. There will also be a swearing in of new 
Council members. The Council will hold an informal public question and 
answer session with NMFS Regional Administrator and Council Chairman as 
well as open public comment periods relative to agenda items. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional details.

DATES: The meeting will be held September 14 - 18, 2009. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Charleston Marriott, 170 
Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29403; telephone: (800) 968-3569 or 
(843) 723-3000; fax: (843) 266-1479. Copies of documents are available 
from Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North 
Charleston, SC 29405.

[[Page 44353]]


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

Swearing In of New Council Members: September 14, 2009, 1:30 p.m. - 
1:45 p.m.

1. LAPP Committee Meeting: September 14, 2009, 1:45 p.m. until 4 p.m.

    The LAPP Committee will receive presentations, discuss Amendment 20 
to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) addressing the 
South Atlantic wreckfish fishery, and receive an update on Amendment 5 
to the Golden Crab FMP addressing LAPPs.

2. Spiny Lobster Committee Meeting: September 14, 2009, 4 p.m. until 5 
p.m.

    The Spiny Lobster Committee will review recommendations from the 
Coral Advisory Panel and discuss Amendment 10 to the Spiny Lobster FMP.

3. Mackerel Committee: September 15, 2009, 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

    The Mackerel Committee will review recommendations from the King 
and Spanish Mackerel Advisory Panel and discuss Amendment 18 to the FMP 
for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and South 
Atlantic Region.

4. Joint Executive and Finance Committees Meeting: September 15, 2009, 
10:30 a.m. until 12 Noon

    The Committees will review Calendar Year Activities schedule and 
budget for 2009, receive an update on the status of the Fiscal Year 
2010 Congressional budget and review year 2010 of the five-year grant 
proposed activities schedule and budget.

5. Law Enforcement Committee Meeting: September 15, 2009, 1:30 p.m. 
until 3 p.m.

    The Law Enforcement Committee will review recommendations from the 
Law Enforcement Advisory Panel, discuss development of a law 
enforcement officer of the year award, develop recommendations on a 
format for law enforcement reporting of violations the Council would 
like to see, and discuss other issues as appropriate.

6. Snapper Grouper Committee Meeting: September 15, 2009, 3 p.m. until 
5 p.m., and September 16, 2009, 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

    The Snapper Grouper Committee will receive updates on research and 
outreach associated with the Oculina Bank protected areas, the status 
of the red snapper interim rule request to close the fishery to help 
address overfishing, presentations of red snapper rebuilding 
projections, economic impacts of proposed red snapper management 
measures to the commercial sector, and review recommendations from the 
Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel. The Committee will review draft 
Amendment 17A to the Snapper Grouper FMP addressing red snapper 
management and Amendment 17B addressing overfishing for nine other 
species, and develop recommendations for taking the amendments out to 
public hearings. The Committee will also review draft Amendment 18 to 
the Snapper Grouper FMP with several measures addressing snapper 
grouper management, including extension of the fishery management unit 
northward, as well as Amendment 20 to the FMP addressing changes to the 
wreckfish fishery, and provide direction to staff. The Committee will 
discuss and develop recommendations regarding the draft Comprehensive 
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) Amendment as well as a Fishery Independent 
Monitoring Workshop.
    Note: There will be an informal public question and answer session 
with NOAA Fisheries Services' Regional Administrator and the Council 
Chairman, on September 16, 2009 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

7. Joint Ecosystem-Based Management and Habitat Committees Meeting: 
September 17, 2009, 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.

    The Committees will review the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
comments for Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1 (CE-BA1) 
establishing Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern in the 
South Atlantic region, revise the amendment as necessary, and provide 
recommendations of approval of CE-BA1 for submission to the Secretary 
of Commerce. The Committees will also review the Proposed Rule for CE-
BA1 and deem it as appropriate. The Committee will review Comprehensive 
Ecosystem-Based Amendment 2 (CE-BA2) addressing coral management and 
provide guidance to staff.

8. Golden Crab Committee Meeting: September 17, 2009, 10 a.m. until 11 
a.m.

    The Golden Crab Committee will review catch share recommendations 
from fishermen and receive an update on Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab 
FMP.

9. Dolphin Wahoo Committee Meeting: September 17, 2009, 11 a.m. until 
12 Noon

    The Dolphin Wahoo Committee (consisting of all Council members) 
will review recommendations from the Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel, 
receive a presentation on dolphin and wahoo landings, and develop 
recommendations for the Comprehensive ACL Amendment.

10. Council Session: September 17, 2009, 1:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. and 
September 18, 2009, 8:30 a.m. until 12 Noon

Council Session: September 17, 1:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

    From 1:30 p.m. - 2 p.m., the Council will call the meeting to 
order, adopt the agenda, and approve the June 2009 meeting minutes.
    Note: Interested persons will be provided the opportunity to 
present oral or written statements regarding matters on the Council 
agenda beginning at 2 p.m. on Thursday on Thursday, September 17, 2009.
    On Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 3 p.m., the Council will take 
public comment regarding Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1 .
    From 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., the Council will receive a report from the 
Joint Ecosystem-Based Management and Habitat Committees, approve 
Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1 for submission to the 
Secretary of Commerce, and consider other committee recommendations and 
take action as appropriate.
    From 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., the Council will receive an update on the 
Atlantic Sea Turtle Strategy.
    From 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., the Council will receive an update on the 
National Marine Protected Area Program.
    From 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., the Council will receive a presentation 
on Draft Amendment 3 to the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory 
Species FMP and an update on the swordfish exempted fishery.
    From 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., the Council will receive report from the 
Snapper Grouper Committee and take action as appropriate.
    From 6 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., the Council will receive a report from the 
Joint

[[Page 44354]]

Executive and Finance Committees and take action as appropriate.
    From 6:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., the Council will receive legal briefing 
on litigation (CLOSED SESSION)

Council Session: September 18, 2009, 8:30 a.m. until 12 Noon

    From 8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m., the Council will receive a report from 
the LAPP Committee and take action as appropriate.
    From 8:45 a.m. - 9 a.m., the Council will receive a report from the 
Golden Crab Committee and take action as appropriate.
    From 9 a.m. - 9:15 a.m., the Council will receive a report from the 
Dolphin Wahoo Committee and take action as appropriate.
    From 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., the Council will receive a report from 
the Spiny Lobster Committee and take action as appropriate.
    From 9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m., the Council will receive a report from 
the Mackerel Committee and take action as appropriate.
    From 9:45 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will receive a report from 
the Law Enforcement Committee and take action as appropriate.
    From 10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m., the Council will receive a status report 
from NOAA Fisheries Service on commercial quotas by fishing year for: 
Atlantic king mackerel, Gulf king Mackerel (eastern zone), Atlantic 
Spanish mackerel, snowy grouper, golden tilefish, wreckfish, greater 
amberjack, South Atlantic Octocorals and dolphin (soft quota ratios), 
vermilion snapper, black sea bass, red porgy and gag. The Council will 
also receive a status report of Snapper Grouper Amendment 16, Protected 
Species Issues, VMS Compliance report from Law Enforcement, and review 
and develop recommendations on Experimental Fishing Permits as 
necessary.
    From 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m., the Council will receive status 
reports from NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center on the Data 
Collection and Stock Assessment Improvement Plans, a progress report on 
aging red and black grouper, 2007 and 2008 headboat data entry, and the 
status of recreational catches versus allocations where appropriate of 
the following species: Atlantic king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, 
black sea bass, golden tilefish, snowy grouper, red porgy, greater 
amberjack, dolphin, wahoo, cobia, vermilion snapper, gag, red snapper, 
mutton snapper, and yellowtail snapper.
    From 10:45 a.m. - 12 Noon, the Council will receive 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 final 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.
    Except for advertised (scheduled) public hearings and public 
comment, the times and sequence specified on this agenda are subject to 
change.

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 September 11, 2009.

    Dated: August 24, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-20709 Filed 8-27-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S