[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1470-1471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-235]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA922


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 meetings.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a series of public hearings regarding Amendment 11 to the Spiny 
Lobster Fishery Management Plan (FMP), Amendment 6 to the Golden Crab 
FMP and Amendment 18B to the Snapper Grouper FMP for the South Atlantic 
Region. The Council will concurrently hold a series of scoping meetings 
regarding Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 3 and Amendment 9 to 
the Shrimp FMP for the South Atlantic Region. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.
    Dates and Location: The series of six public hearings will be held 
January 24, 2012 through February 2, 2012. The hearings will be held 
from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Council staff will present an overview of the 
amendments and 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 and scoping topics for consideration by the Council. 
Local Council representatives will attend the meetings and take public 
comment. Written comments will be accepted from January 13, 2012 until 
5 p.m. on February 15, 2012. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
dates and times.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Actions in Spiny Lobster Amendment 11 
include the creation of new closed areas in the Exclusive Economic Zone 
(EEZ) off the coast of Florida to help protect threatened staghorn and 
elkhorn coral colonies as well as gear marking requirements. Actions in 
Golden Crab Amendment 6 pertain to catch shares in this fishery. 
Amendment 18B to the Snapper Grouper FMP would limit participation in 
the golden tilefish fishery through the establishment of endorsements 
for the longline and hook-and-line sectors. Additionally, this 
amendment considers changes to the fishing year and trip limits as well 
as an allocation of an Annual Catch Limit (ACL) between gear groups.
    Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 3 (CE-BA 3) addresses the 
following items: powerhead prohibitions in the North Carolina and South 
Atlantic EEZ; the possible expansion of deepwater coral Habitat Areas 
of Particular Concern (HAPC); the designation of HAPC for speckled hind 
and warsaw grouper; and the designation of Snapper Ledge within the 
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary as a Marine Protected Area 
(MPA). Additional considerations include: developing a recreational 
tagging program for deepwater grouper species; establishing a minimum 
size limit for hogfish; and changes in the bag and size limits for gray 
triggerfish. Shrimp Amendment 9 addresses the modification of the 
protocol for states to request concurrent closures of the EEZ during 
severe weather in order to expedite the closing process. This amendment 
also addresses the revision

[[Page 1471]]

of the Minimum Stock Size Threshold (MSST) proxy for pink shrimp.

Public Hearing and Scoping Meeting Schedule

    1. January 24, 2012--Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport, 4831 Tanger 
Outlet Boulevard, North Charleston, SC 29418; telephone: (843) 744-
4422;
    2. January 26, 2012--BridgePointe Hotel & Marina, 101 Howell Road, 
New Bern, NC 28562; telephone: (252) 636-3637;
    3. January 30, 2012--Hilton Key Largo Resort, 97000 Overseas 
Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037; telephone: (305) 852-5553;
    4. January 31, 2012--Doubletree Hotel Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, 2080 
North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931; telephone: (321) 783-
9222;
    5. February 1, 2012--Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront, 1201 
Riverplace Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32207; telephone: (904) 398-
8800;
    6. February 2, 2012--Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne 
Avenue, Pooler, GA 31322; telephone: (912) 748-8888.

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 11 to the Spiny Lobster 
FMP; [email protected] for Amendment 6 to the Golden Crab 
FMP; [email protected] for Amendment 18B to the Snapper 
Grouper FMP; [email protected] for Comprehensive Ecosystem-
Based Amendment 3; and [email protected] for 
Amendment 9 to the Shrimp FMP. Written comments will be received from 
January 13, 2012 until 5 p.m. on February 15, 2012. Copies of the 
public hearing documents are available by 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 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].

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: January 5, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-235 Filed 1-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P