[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 138 (Monday, July 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42793-42794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17650]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE058


Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold public hearings in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida and 
a Question and Answer Webinar for Regulatory Amendment 16 to the 
Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic. The 
Council will also hold public hearings in North Carolina, South 
Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and a Question and Answer Webinar for 
Amendment 36 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the 
South Atlantic. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The public hearings will be held between August 10 and August 
25, 2015. There will be a question and answer webinar on August 3 and 
August 5, 2015. Please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific 
details.

ADDRESSES: The hearings for Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16 
will be held in Little River, SC, Jacksonville, NC, Ormond Beach, FL. 
The hearings for Snapper Grouper Amendment 36 will be held in North 
Charleston, SC, Murrells Inlet, SC, Morehead City, NC, Brunswick, GA 
and Daytona Beach, FL, with an additional hearing being held via 
webinar. Please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information 
Officer, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place 
Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405; phone: (843) 571-4366 or 
toll free (866) SAFMC-10; fax: (843) 769-4520; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The hearings on Snapper Grouper Regulatory 
Amendment 16 will take place August 11 (Little River, SC), August 12 
(Jacksonville, NC), and August 17 (Ormond Beach, FL). The Question and 
Answer Webinar for Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16 will be on 
Monday, August 3, 2015.
    The public hearings for Snapper Grouper Amendment 36 will take 
place August 10 (N. Charleston, SC), August 12 (Murrells Inlet, SC), 
August 13 (Morehead City, NC), August 18 (Webinar hearing), August 24 
(Brunswick, GA), and August 25 (Daytona Beach, FL). The Question and 
Answer Webinar for Snapper Grouper Amendment 36 will be on Monday, 
August 5, 2015.

Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16 (black sea bass pots)

    The Q&A Session for Regulatory Amendment 16 will begin at 6 p.m. on 
Monday, August 3, 2015. Registration is required and registration 
information will be posted on the Council's Web site at www.safmc.net 
as it becomes available.
    Public Hearings for Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16 begin 
at 4 p.m. in the following locations:
    1. August 11, 2015: Holiday Inn Express, 722 Highway 17, Little 
River, SC 29566; phone: (843) 281-9400.
    2. August 12, 2015: Comfort Suites, 130 Workshop Lane, 
Jacksonville, NC 28546; phone: (910) 346-8900.
    3. August 17, 2015: Hull's Seafood Market/Restaurant, 111 West 
Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach, FL 32174; phone: (386) 677-1511.

Snapper Grouper Amendment 36 (Spawning SMZs)

    The Q&A Session for Snapper Grouper Amendment 36 will begin at 6 
p.m. on Monday, August 5, 2015. Registration is required and 
registration information will be posted on the Council's Web site at 
www.safmc.net as is becomes available.
    Public Hearings for Snapper Grouper Amendment 36 begin at 4 p.m. in 
the following locations:
    1. August 10, 2015: Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd., N. 
Charleston, SC 29418; phone: (843) 308-9330.
    2. August 12, 2015: Murrells Inlet Community Center, 4462 Murrells 
Inlet Road, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576; phone: (843) 651-7373.
    3. August 13, 2015: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, Central 
District Office, 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City, NC 28557; phone: 
(252) 726-7021.
    4. August 18, 2015: Public Hearing via webinar--registration for 
the webinar is required. Information regarding registration will be 
posted on the Council's Web site at www.safmc.net.
    5. August 24, 2015: Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, Coastal 
Resources Division, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31520-8687; 
phone: (912) 264-7218.
    6. August 25, 2015: Hilton Garden Inn--Daytona Beach Airport, 189 
Midway Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32114; phone: (386) 944-4000.

Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16

    Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16 has two actions. The first 
action is to consider options for opening the commercial South Atlantic 
black sea bass pot fishery from November 1 through April 30 while still 
providing protection for ESA listed whales during that period. The 
second action has alternatives that would require modifications to 
black sea bass pot gear such as reducing buoy line and weak link 
strength, as well as require markings that would identify gear as being 
specific to the South Atlantic black sea bass pot fishery. Background 
information regarding Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 16, 
including a public hearing draft of the document, a document summary, 
and a PowerPoint presentation will be posted to the South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council's Web site www.safmc.net no later than 5 
p.m. on July 30, 2015. In addition to making public comments in person, 
interested persons can make comments via email or U.S. mail no later 
than 5 p.m. on August 21, 2015. Email comments may be sent to: 
[email protected]. Please include the words ``Regulatory Amendment 
16'' in the subject line of the email. Comments submitted by U.S. mail 
should be sent to: Robert K. Mahood, Executive Director, South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North 
Charleston, SC 29405.

Snapper Grouper Amendment 36

    Snapper Grouper Amendment 36 has nine actions. Action 1 modifies 
the Special Management Zone (SMZ) procedures to include protection of 
natural bottom; Action 2 modifies the framework procedure to allow 
modification of and/or additional Spawning SMZs; Actions 3-7 includes 
alternatives to establish Spawning SMZs off NC, SC, GA, and FL where 
fishing for snapper grouper species would be prohibited, however, 
fishing for other species (e.g., billfish, tunas, mackerels) would be 
allowed; Action 8 would establish transit and anchoring provisions; and 
Action 9 would add a ``sunset provision'' for Spawning SMZs after 10 
years if not reauthorized. Background information regarding Snapper 
Grouper Amendment 36, including a public hearing draft of the document, 
a document summary, and a PowerPoint presentation will be posted to the 
Council's Web site (www.safmc.net) no later than 5 p.m. on

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July 30, 2015. Written comments will also be accepted via email or U.S. 
mail until 5 p.m. on August 31, 2015. Email comments to: 
[email protected]. Please include the words ``Amendment 36'' in 
the subject line of the email. Comments submitted by U.S. mail should 
be sent to: Robert K. Mahood, Executive Director, South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North 
Charleston, SC 29405.

Special Accommodations

    These hearings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the 
council office (see ADDRESSES) 3 days prior to the meeting.

    Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are 
subject to change.


    Dated: July 14, 2015.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-17650 Filed 7-17-15; 8:45 am]
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