[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14693-14694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05678]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF302


Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 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's (Council) Snapper Grouper, Mackerel Cobia and 
Cobia Sub-Panel, and Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panels (AP).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Council will hold meetings of its Snapper Grouper AP, 
Mackerel Cobia and Cobia Subpanel AP and Dolphin Wahoo AP from April 
17-21, 2017 in Charleston, SC. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The Snapper Grouper AP meeting will be held on Monday, April 17, 
2017, from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 18, 2017, from 9 a.m. 
until 5 p.m., and Wednesday, April 19, 2017, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.
    The Mackerel Cobia and Cobia Sub-Panel AP meeting will be held 
Wednesday, April 19, 2017, from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. and Thursday, 
April 20, 2017, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
    The Dolphin Wahoo AP meeting will be held Friday, April 21, 2017, 
from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting address: The meetings will be held at the Crowne Plaza 
Hotel, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29418.
    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, 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:

Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel

    The Snapper Grouper AP will receive an update on the status of 
amendments to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) 
recently approved by the Council and submitted for Secretarial review. 
In addition, the AP members will review and provide recommendations on 
actions in draft Amendment 43 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP) addressing management measures for red snapper and 
recreational reporting, Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 
(Recreational measures), and Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 27 
(Commercial measures). The Vision Blueprint amendments are being 
developed to address management needs identified in the Council's 2016-
2020 Vision Blueprint for the snapper grouper fishery.
    Other discussion items include a review of the Council's Research 
Priorities and updates on on-going projects/programs including the 
Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment program, 
socio-economic characterization of the commercial snapper grouper 
fishery, the Council's Citizen Science Program and the Charter Vessel 
Reporting Pilot Project. The AP will provide recommendations for 
Council consideration as appropriate.

Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel and Cobia Sub-Panel

    The Mackerel Cobia AP and Cobia Sub-Panel will meet jointly. The AP 
and Cobia Sub-Panel will receive updates and discuss management issues 
pertaining to cobia including Atlantic cobia recreational fishing 
seasons, ongoing cobia research, permit requirements for commercial 
harvest of cobia in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic (including the 
east coast of Florida), cobia bag limits for the east coast of Florida, 
and input on fishery performance. The AP and Sub-Panel will also 
receive updates and discuss management measures relative to king and 
Spanish mackerel including limited entry for federal commercial permits 
for Spanish mackerel and possible gear endorsements and modifications 
to gill net size for the Spanish mackerel fishery. The AP and Sub-Panel 
will discuss latent permits in the commercial king mackerel fishery and 
trip limits for king mackerel on Spanish mackerel gillnet trips. The AP 
and Sub-Panel will provide recommendations as appropriate.

[[Page 14694]]

Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel

    The Dolphin Wahoo AP will receive a presentation on recent findings 
from the Dolphinfish Research Program and updates on recent Council 
actions relative to Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery 
Management Plan. The amendment includes actions to address Optimum 
Yield for the dolphin fishery, revise the recreational Annual Catch 
Target for dolphin, establish a commercial Annual Catch Target for 
dolphin, allow adaptive management of sector annual catch limits for 
dolphin, revise accountability measures for dolphin, revise the 
acceptable biological catch control rule for dolphin and wahoo, allow 
vessels with gear onboard that are not authorized for use in the 
dolphin fishery to possess dolphin or wahoo, and removes the Operator 
Card requirement. The AP will also discuss potential items to include 
in future amendments to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan. The 
AP will provide recommendations as appropriate.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. Requests 
for auxiliary aids should be directed to the SAFMC office (see 
ADDRESSES) at least 5 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: March 17, 2017.
Jeffrey N. Lonergan,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-05678 Filed 3-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P