[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 246 (Thursday, December 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80797-80798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32217]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA108


South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearing and scoping meeting series.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a series of public hearings regarding Regulatory Amendment 9 to 
the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South 
Atlantic Region, a Comprehensive Annual Catch Limit (ACL) Amendment, 
and its Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 2. The Council will 
also conduct scoping meetings regarding Amendments 21, 22, and 24 to 
the Snapper Grouper FMP and Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab Fishery 
Management Plan for the South Atlantic Region. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

DATES: The series of 6 public hearings and scoping meetings will be 
held January 24, 2011 through February 3, 2011. All scoping meetings 
will be open from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Council staff will be available 
for 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 topics and scoping 
issues for Council consideration. Local Council representatives will 
attend the meetings and take public comment. Written comments will be 
accepted from January 12, 2011 until 5 p.m. on February 14, 2011.
    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 e-mail to: 
[email protected] for Regulatory Amendment 9 to the Snapper 
Grouper FMP; [email protected] for the Comprehensive ACL 
Amendment; [email protected] for Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based 
Amendment 2; [email protected] for Amendment 21 to the Snapper 
Grouper FMP; [email protected] for Amendment 22 to the Snapper 
Grouper FMP; [email protected] for Amendment 24 to the Snapper 
Grouper FMP; and [email protected] for Amendment 5 to the 
Golden Crab FMP.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of the meeting schedule, public 
hearings will be held on Regulatory Amendment 9 to the Snapper Grouper 
FMP. The regulatory amendment includes alternatives for commercial trip 
limits for greater amberjack, vermilion snapper, black sea bass and 
gag. The amendment also includes management options for split season 
quotas and spawning season closures for black sea bass. A public 
hearing will also be held on the Comprehensive ACL Amendment. The 
amendment establishes ACLs and Accountability Measures for species 
managed by the Council that are not currently listed as undergoing 
overfishing as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). This includes species in the 
Snapper Grouper management complex as well as dolphin, wahoo, and 
golden crab. Public hearings will also be conducted for the 
Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based 2 that includes regulatory actions 
relative to the management of octocorals, and non-regulatory actions 
that update existing Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) information. The 
amendment also addresses modifying the management of South Carolina's 
Special Management Zones (SMZs), amending the sea turtle release gear 
requirements for the snapper grouper fishery, and designating new EFH 
and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) areas for snapper 
grouper species, coral, and sargassum.
    The public scoping meetings will address overlapping fisheries 
issues for the South Atlantic region. Items under consideration for 
public scoping include Amendment 21 to the Snapper Grouper FMP. This 
amendment addresses the possible use of catch share programs for 
snapper grouper species currently under management through quotas 
(except for snowy grouper), effort and participation reduction, and 
endorsement actions. The amendment will include options for the use of 
Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs), cooperatives, regional and state 
by state quota analysis, and other components.
    The Council will also hold scoping meetings on Amendment 22 to the 
Snapper Grouper FMP addressing options for long-term management 
measures for red snapper as the stock begins to rebuild; Amendment 24 
to the Snapper Grouper FMP to end overfishing and rebuild the red 
grouper stock, according the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act; and 
Amendment 5 to the Golden Crab FMP with options to implement catch 
shares for the commercial golden crab fishery in the South Atlantic 
Region.

Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting Schedule

    1. January 24, 2011--Hilton New Bern/Riverfront, 100 Middle Street, 
New Bern, NC 28560, telephone: 1-252-638-3585;
    2. January 26, 2011--Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport, 4831 Tanger 
Outlet Boulevard, North Charleston, SC 29418, telephone: 843-744-4422;
    3. January 27, 2011--Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne 
Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322, telephone: 912-748-8888;
    4. January 31, 2011--Jacksonville Marriott Hotel, 4670 Salisbury 
Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256, telephone: 904-296-2222;
    5. February 1, 2011--International Palms Resort, 1300 N. Atlantic 
Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931, telephone: 321-783-2271;
    6. February 3, 2011--Key Largo Grande Resort, 97000 Overseas 
Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037, telephone: 305-852-5553.
    Written comments will be received from January 12, 2011 until 5 
p.m. on February 14, 2011.
    Copies of the public hearing and scoping documents are available by

[[Page 80798]]

contacting Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer, 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 http://www.safmc.net 
as they become available.

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) 
3 days prior to the start of each meeting.

    Dated: December 17, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-32217 Filed 12-22-10; 8:45 am]
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