[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68736-68737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27946]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC354


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 of the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council.

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SUMMARY: In addition to a Council Member Visioning Workshop, the South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting 
of its Habitat and Environmental Protection Committee and Ecosystem-
Based Management Committee; meetings of its Dolphin Wahoo Committee; 
Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Snapper 
Grouper Committee; Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee; Personnel 
Committee (CLOSED SESSION); Executive Finance 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 
regarding agenda items, and a formal public comment session. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional details.

DATES: The Council meeting will be held December 3-7, 2012. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside 
Hotel, 301 North Water Street, Wilmington, NC 28401; telephone: (1-888) 
324-8170 or (910) 763-5900; fax: (910) 763-0038.
    Council address: 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. Council Member Visioning Workshop: December 3, 2012, 9 a.m. 
until 12 noon.
    Council members will receive a presentation on the visioning 
process used by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, discuss 
the visioning process and provide direction to staff.
    2. Joint Meeting of the Habitat and Environmental Protection 
Committee and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee: December 3, 2012, 
1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m.
    The Habitat and Environmental Protection Committee and the 
Ecosystem-Based Management Committee will meet jointly and will receive 
a report from the joint meeting of the respective advisory panels as 
well as a report from the Habitat and Environmental Protection Advisory 
Panel (AP). The joint committee will receive: an overview on Coral 
Amendment 7, pertaining to Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 
(HAPCs) and transit through the Oculina Bank HAPC; and an update on 
ecosystem activities. The joint committee will modify Coral Amendment 7 
as appropriate and will either recommend an adjustment to the timing of 
the amendment or recommend the amendment for public hearing.
    3. Dolphin Wahoo Committee Meeting: December 3, 2012, 3 p.m. until 
4 p.m.
    The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will review Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 5, 
pertaining to bag limit sales of fish and changes to the Allowable 
Biological Catch (ABC) and the Annual Catch Limit (ACL). The Committee 
is scheduled to recommend approval of the amendment for the scoping 
process.
    4. SEDAR Committee Meeting: December 3, 2012, 4 p.m. until 5:30 
p.m. (Note: A portion of the meeting will be closed).
    The SEDAR Committee will receive an activities update as well as a 
report from the Steering Committee. The Committee will discuss SEDAR 
schedules, terms of reference (TORs) and SEDAR appointments (closed 
session).
    5. Snapper Grouper Committee Meeting: December 4, 2012, 8:30 a.m. 
until 5 p.m. and December 5, 2012, 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.
    The Snapper Grouper Committee will receive: an update on the status 
of catches versus quotas for commercial and recreational species under 
ACLs; an update on the status of amendments under formal review; a 
report from the Snapper Grouper AP meeting; and a report from the 
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The Committee will consider 
an Emergency Action to increase the commercial ACL for vermilion 
snapper and will receive overviews of the following amendments: 
Regulatory Amendment 13, regarding adjustments of snapper grouper ACLs 
based on Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS)/Marine 
Recreational Information Program (MRIP) calibration; Regulatory 
Amendment 15, pertaining to management measures for yellowtail snapper 
and modifying the Accountability Measure (AM) for gag that currently 
prohibits the harvest of shallow water grouper species when the gag ACL 
is met; and Snapper Grouper Amendment 28, addressing framework actions 
to reopen the red snapper fishery. The Committee will modify these 
amendments as necessary and is scheduled to recommend approval of these 
amendments for formal review. The Committee will also receive an 
overview of Snapper Grouper Amendment 27, which addresses management 
measures for blue runner and would transfer management responsibility 
of yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper and Nassau grouper from the Gulf 
of Mexico Fishery Management Council to the South Atlantic Council. The 
Committee will modify the amendment as necessary and is scheduled to 
recommend approval of Amendment 27 for public hearing. The Committee 
will: discuss the use of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and HAPCs for 
speckled hind and warsaw grouper; receive a presentation on the 
reorientation of existing MPAs based on occurrence and habitat; and 
develop guidance on alternatives to be included in Snapper Grouper 
Regulatory Amendment 17, which involves the use of MPAs for speckled 
hind and warsaw grouper.
    6. Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee Meeting: December 5, 2012, 1:30 
p.m. until 5 p.m.
    The Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee will receive presentations on: 
post-stratification methodology used to arrive at recreational landings 
estimates; and the results of the demonstration of the quota monitoring 
system. The Committee will receive a status update on the Joint Gulf 
and South Atlantic Council Generic Dealer Permit and an overview of 
Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 3 (CE-BA 3). The Committee will 
receive guidance on actions and alternatives in CE-BA 3 and is 
scheduled to recommend approval of the amendment for formal review.


[[Page 68737]]


    Note: There will be an informal public question and answer 
session with the NMFS Regional Administrator and the Council 
Chairman on December 5, 2012, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

    7. Personnel Committee Meeting: December 6, 2012, 8:30 a.m. until 
9:30 a.m. (closed session)
    The Personnel Committee will discuss the Executive Director's 
performance review.
    8. Executive Finance Committee Meeting: December 6, 2012, 9:30 a.m. 
until 11 a.m.
    The Executive Finance Committee will discuss: the status of 
calendar year (CY) 2012 budget expenditures; the draft 2013 activities 
schedules; and the draft 2013 budget. The Committee will also: Discuss 
joint South Florida management issues and schedule 2013 meetings; 
develop a position on SSC review responsibilities; address Council 
follow-up and priorities; and discuss other issues as appropriate.

Council Session: December 6, 2012, 11 a.m. Until 5:30 p.m. and December 
7, 2012, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 Noon

Council Session: December 6, 2012, 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

    From 11 a.m. until 11:15 a.m., the Council will call the meeting to 
order, adopt the agenda, and approve the September 2012 meeting 
minutes.

    Note:  A formal public comment session will be held on December 
6, 2012, beginning at 11:15 a.m., on: Snapper Grouper Regulatory 
Amendment 13; Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 15; Snapper 
Grouper Amendment 28; an Emergency Action to increase the commercial 
ACL for vermilion snapper; and Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based 
Amendment 3 (CE-BA 3); followed by comment on any other item on the 
agenda.

    From 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., the Council will receive a report 
from the Snapper Grouper Committee and approve the following amendments 
for formal Secretarial review: Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 13; 
Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 15; and Snapper Grouper Amendment 
28. The Council will approve Snapper Grouper Amendment 27 for public 
hearing and approve an Emergency Action to increase the commercial ACL 
for vermilion snapper. The Council will consider other Committee 
recommendations and take action as appropriate.
    From 4:30 p.m. until 4:45 p.m., the Council will receive a report 
from the Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee, approve CE-BA 3 for formal 
Secretarial review, consider recommendations and take action as 
appropriate.
    From 4:45 p.m. until 5 p.m., the Council will receive a report from 
the Joint Habitat and Environmental Protection and Ecosystem-Based 
Management Committees, approve Coral Amendment 7 for public hearing, 
consider other recommendations and take action as appropriate.
    From 5 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., the Council will receive a briefing on 
Amendment 5 to the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management 
Plan from HMS staff. The Council will take action as appropriate.

Council Session: December 7, 2012, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 Noon

    From 8:30 a.m. until 8:45 a.m., the Council will receive a legal 
briefing on litigation. (closed session)
    From 8:45 a.m. until 9 a.m., the Council will receive a report from 
the SEDAR Committee, consider other recommendations and take action as 
appropriate.
    From 9 a.m. until 9:15 a.m., the Council will receive a report from 
the Dolphin Wahoo Committee, approve Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 5 items 
for scoping, consider other recommendations and take action as 
appropriate.
    From 9:15 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., the Council will receive a report 
from the Executive Finance Committee, consider other recommendations 
and take action as appropriate.
    From 9:30 a.m. until 12 noon, the Council will receive 
presentations and status reports from the NOAA Southeast Regional 
Office (SERO) and the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), 
receive an outreach update on the Marine Resource Education Program, 
review 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 is 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 November 26, 2012.

    Dated: November 13, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-27946 Filed 11-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P