[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 99 (Monday, May 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28783-28785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12317]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XW58


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 will hold a 
meeting of its Spiny Lobster Committee and Advisory Panel jointly with 
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Spiny Lobster Committee 
and Advisory Panel, a meeting of its Mackerel Committee jointly with 
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Mackerel Committee, and 
a meeting of the Full Council. The Council will take action as 
necessary. The Council will also hold an informal public question and 
answer session, and a public comment session regarding agenda items. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional details.

DATES: The meeting will be held June 7-11, 2010. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Renaissance Orlando Airport 
Hotel, 5445 Forbes Place, Orlando, FL 32812; telephone: (800) 545-1985 
or (407) 240-1000; fax: (407) 240-1005. 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.

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:

1. Joint Spiny Lobster Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting with the 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Spiny Lobster Committee and 
Advisory Panel: June 7, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m..

    Committees and Advisory Panels from both the South Atlantic and 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils will meet to review options 
for Amendment 10 to the joint Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Spiny 
Lobster for Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. Amendment 10 will 
address the requirements of the Reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) including establishment of Annual 
Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures (AMs). Other potential 
actions in the amendment include options for tailing permits, the use 
of undersized lobster as an attractant, and consideration of delegation 
of management to the State of Florida. The Committees will provide 
recommendations to both the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Councils.

    Note: There will be an informal public question and answer 
session with NOAA Fisheries Services' Regional Administrator and the 
Council Chairman on June 7, 2010 beginning at 6 p.m.

2. Joint South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Mackerel Committees Meeting: 
June 8, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

    The joint Mackerel Committees will review the reports from their 
respective Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSCs) regarding 
Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico stocks of king mackerel and Spanish 
mackerel. The Committees will also review Amendment 18 to the FMP for 
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources, discuss a king mackerel catch 
shares program and establish public hearing dates and locations. 
Amendment 18 addresses requirements of the MSA to set ACLs and AMs for 
species managed in the FMP. The Committees will provide recommendations 
and direction to staff.

3. Council Session: June 8, 2010, 3:15 p.m. until 6:15 p.m., June 9, 
2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., June 10, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., 
June 11, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until noon.

Council Session: June 8, 2010, 3:15 p.m. until 6:15 p.m.

    3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., the Council will call the meeting to order, 
adopt the agenda, and approve the March 2010 meeting minutes.
    3:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., the Council will receive presentations 
relative to Snapper Grouper issues, including a report from the SSC, an 
update on activities relative to the Oculina Bank Experimental Closed 
Area, quota monitoring programs, and data collection programs.

    Note: A public comment period on any of the June meeting agenda 
items will be held on June 8, 2010 beginning at 6:30 p.m. This 
includes Amendment 17A to the Snapper Grouper FMP regarding 
management measures for red snapper.


Council Session: June 9, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

    8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will review comments received on 
the Draft Environmental Statement relative to Amendment 17A to the 
Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic, modify 
the document as appropriate, and approve the amendment for submission 
to the Secretary of Commerce for formal review. Amendment 17A includes 
actions to meet the requirements of the MSA for red snapper, including 
ending overfishing and rebuilding the stock. Management measures 
include a closure

[[Page 28784]]

of the red snapper fishery, an area closure for all snapper grouper 
species, requirements for circle hooks, and establishment of a red 
snapper monitoring program.
    10 a.m. - 11 a.m., in the event the red snapper benchmark stock 
assessment allows for modification to the proposed management actions 
in Amendment 17A, the Council will review options for modification of 
existing actions. These include various alternatives for the area 
closure and approaches or mechanisms appropriate to modify the actions.
    11 a.m. - 12 noon, the Council will also continue to review 
management measures proposed in Amendment 18 to the Snapper Grouper 
FMP, provide guidance for any new items that may be added, and approve 
for a second round of public hearings if necessary. Amendment 18 
includes management measures to extend the range of the Snapper Grouper 
FMP north, designate Essential Fish Habitat in any new northern areas, 
measures to limit participation in the commercial golden tilefish and 
changes to the golden tilefish fishing year, measures to reduce 
participation, effort and bycatch in the commercial black sea bass 
fishery, and measures to improve data collection.
    1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., the Council will review Amendment 20 to the 
Snapper Grouper FMP, modify the document as necessary and provide 
guidance to staff. Amendment 20 includes management measures to meet 
the requirements of the MSA relative to the wreckfish fishery. The 
fishery currently operates under an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) 
system.
    2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., the Council will review alternatives within the 
Comprehensive Annual Catch Limit Amendment designed to meet the 
requirements of the MSA, including the establishment of ACLs and AMs 
for all species not undergoing overfishing within the Council's 
jurisdiction by 2011. The Council will review alternatives, including 
those needed in response to recent black grouper and red grouper stock 
assessments, modify the document as necessary, and provide guidance to 
staff.
    4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., the Council will review alternatives for 
Amendment 21 to the Snapper Grouper FMP. The amendment currently 
involves the following species: vermilion snapper, golden tilefish, 
black sea bass, gag, greater amberjack, red grouper, and black grouper, 
and includes options for trip limits, effort and participation 
reduction and endorsement actions, and options for catch share programs 
for quota species except snowy grouper. The Council will provide 
guidance to staff regarding the development of the amendment.
    4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., the Council will review alternatives for 
Amendment 22 to the Snapper Grouper FMP. The amendment includes long-
term management measures for the red snapper fishery as the stock 
begins to rebuild. The Council will provide guidance to staff regarding 
the development of the amendment.
    5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., the Council will discuss a potential interim 
rule request for black sea bass, vermilion snapper, and gag grouper 
trip limits and provide guidance to staff.
    6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., the Council will consider options to modify sea 
turtle handling and release gear requirements and take action as 
necessary.

Council Session: June 10, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. (CLOSED SESSION) - The Council will receive 
legal briefing on litigation.
    9 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will review SSC recommendations 
regarding golden crab, receive a status report on the development of 
Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab FMP regarding establishment of a catch 
share program for the fishery, develop recommendations for the 
Comprehensive ACL Amendment and take action as necessary.
    10 a.m. - 11 a.m., the Council will review SSC recommendations 
regarding species managed in the Dolphin Wahoo FMP, develop 
recommendations for the Comprehensive ACL Amendment and take action as 
necessary.
    11 a.m. - 12 noon, the Council will review the status of the 
Calendar Year (CY) 2010 budget, receive a report on the Council 
Coordinating Committee meeting, and take action as appropriate.
    1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m., the Council will review input from the SSC 
regarding the Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 2 addressing 
requirements for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and EFH-Habitat Areas of 
Particular Concern as required by the Final Rule, harvest requirements 
for corals, and evaluation of fishing gear impacts. The Council will 
review alternatives and take action as necessary. The Council will also 
develop input for Sargassum relative to the Comprehensive ACL 
Amendment, review and provide guidance to staff on the Council's 
Invasive Species Policy statement.
    3 p.m. - 4 p.m., the Council will review the conflict of interest 
disclosure form regarding the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review 
(SEDAR) stock assessment program, make SSC appointments to the Goliath 
grouper SEDAR assessment and review panels, and the SEDAR Spiny Lobster 
review panel.
    4 p.m. - 5 p.m., the Council will revise its Standard Operations 
and Procedures Policy (SOPPs) as dictated by the Final Rule, and take 
action as necessary.
    5 p.m. - 6 p.m. (CLOSED SESSION) - The Council will review updated 
SSC job descriptions, review applicants to the SSC and appoint members 
as necessary.

Council Session: June 11, 2010, 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m., the Council will receive recommendations from 
the Spiny Lobster Committee and take action as appropriate.
    9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., the Council will receive recommendations from 
the Mackerel Committee and take action as appropriate.
    9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m., the Council will receive a report from the SSC 
Selection Committee and appoint or reappoint members as necessary.
    10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., the Council will review and develop 
recommendations on Experimental Fishing Permits as necessary.
    10:30 a.m. - 12 noon, the Council will receive status reports from 
NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Regional Office, NOAA Fisheries' Southeast 
Fisheries Science Center, agency and liaison reports, and discuss other 
business including 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 these meetings. 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 June 3, 2010.


[[Page 28785]]


    Dated: May 18, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-12317 Filed 5-21-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S