[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95119-95121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30999]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF097


South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council)--Public 
Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings/scoping meetings and question & 
answer session via Webinar.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will

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hold a series of public hearings/scoping meetings on four amendments to 
the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South 
Atlantic Region:
    Amendment 43 addressing management options for red snapper and 
recreational reporting;
    Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 addressing recreational 
management options based on the Council's Vision Blueprint for the 
Snapper Grouper Fishery;
    Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 27 addressing commercial 
management options based on the Council's Vision Blueprint for the 
Snapper Grouper Fishery; and
    Amendment 44 addressing management measures for yellowtail snapper 
including allocations.
    Scoping comments will be accepted for Snapper Grouper Amendment 43 
and the Vision Blueprint amendments. Public hearing comments will be 
accepted for Amendment 44. The Council will hold a Question & Answer 
Session via Webinar for measures proposed in Amendment 44 for 
yellowtail snapper and possible management actions pertaining to red 
snapper and recreational reporting to be addressed in Amendment 43.

DATES: The series of public hearings/scoping meetings/Webinars will 
begin at 6 p.m. on January 12, 2017 and end at close of business on 
February 8, 2017. Registration is required for Webinars. Registration 
information will be posted on the SAFMC Web site at http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule/ as it 
becomes available. The meetings will be held on the following dates and 
locations:

ADDRESSES: 
    1. January 12, 2017--Public scoping via Webinar for Vision 
Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 (Recreational) and Vision Blueprint 
Regulatory Amendment 27 (Commercial).
    2. January 17, 2017--Question & Answer Session via webinar for 
Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 (yellowtail snapper) and Snapper Grouper 
Amendment 43 (red snapper and recreational reporting).
    3. January 18, 2017--Listening Station with emphasis on the Public 
Hearing for Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 (yellowtail snapper)--Harvey 
Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, 2nd Floor, Key West, FL 33040; 
Phone: 305/295-4385. Note: Public comment will be accepted on 
management measures Proposed in the public hearing document for in the 
Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 and scoping items in Amendment 43 and the 
Vision Blueprint Amendments.
    4. January 19, 2017--Listening Station with emphasis on the Public 
Hearing for Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 (yellowtail snapper)--Hyatt 
Place Marathon, 1996 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050; Phone: 305/
743-1234. Note: Public comment will be accepted on management measures 
proposed in the Public hearing document for Snapper Grouper Amendment 
44 and scoping items in Amendment 43 and the Vision Blueprint 
Amendments.
    5. January 23, 2017--Lexington Hotel & Conference Center, 1515 
Prudential Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207: Phone 904/396-5100.
    6. January 24, 2017--Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, 1550 N. 
Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931; Phone: 321/799-0003.
    7. January 25, 2017--Flagler Place, 201 SW. Flagler Avenue, Stuart, 
FL 34994; Phone: 772/985-3863.
    8. January 26, 2017--Hilton Key Largo, 97000 Overseas Highway, Key 
Largo, FL 33037; Phone: 305/852-5553.
    9. January 30, 2017--Murrells Inlet Community Center, 4450 Murrells 
Inlet Road, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576; Phone: 843/651-4152.
    10. January 31, 2017--Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd., 
N. Charleston, SC 29418; Phone: 843/744-4422.
    11. February 1, 2017--Richmond Hill City Center, 520 Cedar Street, 
Richmond Hill, GA 31324; Phone: 912/445-0043.
    12. February 6, 2017--Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N. Water 
Street, Wilmington, NC 28401; Phone: 910/763-5900.
    13. February 7, 2017--Hatteras Community Center, 57689 NC Highway 
12, Hatteras, NC 27943; Phone: 252-986-2161 or 252/986-2109.
    14. February 8, 2017--Doubletree by Hilton, 2717 W. Fort Macon 
Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512; Phone: 252/240-1155.
    Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information 
Officer, SAFMC; phone 843/571-4366 or toll free 866/SAFMC-10; FAX 843/
769-4520; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda

    The Council is soliciting public hearing comments on management 
measures proposed for yellowtail snapper through Snapper Grouper 
Amendment 44. The amendment includes management actions and 
alternatives for shifts in allocations between commercial and 
recreational sectors as well as an action to merge current annual catch 
limits for yellowtail snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
    Public scoping meetings are being held for the following 
amendments:
    (1) Snapper Grouper Amendment 43--The red snapper fishery remains 
closed to harvest in federal waters in the South Atlantic. The stock 
continues to experience overfishing due to the number of discarded red 
snapper as fishermen target other species in the snapper grouper 
management complex.
    The Council is soliciting public input on ways to reduce the number 
of red snapper discards, improve the survivorship of discarded red 
snapper, improve estimates of private recreational catch and effort, 
and limit harvest of red snapper to below the annual catch limit if 
discards are reduced sufficiently.
    (2) Snapper Grouper Vision Blueprint Recreational Regulatory 
Amendment 26--The amendment includes items identified in the 2016-2020 
Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery pertaining to 
recreational management measures including removing size limits for 
deepwater species; re-evaluation of the shallow water grouper closure; 
re-evaluation of aggregate bag limits and specification of individual 
bag limits for some species; and modification to the recreational 
minimum size limit for black sea bass.
    (3) Snapper Grouper Vision Blueprint Commercial Regulatory 
Amendment 27--The amendment includes items identified in the 2016-2020 
Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery pertaining to 
commercial management measures including commercial split seasons for 
deepwater species, red porgy, and greater amberjack; re-evaluation of 
the shallow water grouper closure; trip limits and step-downs; and 
fishing year changes.
    Copies of the public hearing document, scoping documents, and other 
relevant information will be posted on the Council's Web site at as 
they become available.

Submitting Written Comments

    The Council requests that written comments be submitted using the 
online public comment form for each amendment available from the 
Council's Web site at http://safmc.net/meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule. Click on the ``Submit Written Comments'' 
section of the page to access

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individual links for providing comments. Comments submitted using the 
online comment forms are immediately posted to the Council's Web site 
and available for all Council members and the public to view.
    Written comments may also be submitted by mail or by FAX. Comments 
may be submitted by mail to: Gregg Waugh, Executive Director, SAFMC, 
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405. Fax 
comments to 843-769-4520.
    Public hearing and scoping comments for the amendments will be 
accepted until 5:00 p.m. on February 10, 2017.

Special Accommodations

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

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


    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: December 20, 2016.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-30999 Filed 12-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P