[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 222 (Friday, November 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57718-57720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25054]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG629


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.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold meetings of the following: Personnel Committee (Closed Session); 
Standard Operating, Policy, and Procedure (SOPPs) Committee; Habitat 
Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee; Dolphin Wahoo 
Committee; Snapper Grouper Committee; Executive Finance Committee; 
Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) Committee (Partially 
Closed Session) and the Citizen Science Committee. The Council meeting 
week will include the swearing in of a new member, a formal public 
comment period, and a meeting of the full Council. A Federal For-Hire 
Electronic Reporting Training Session will also be held as part of the 
Council meeting week.

DATES: The Council meetings will be held from 1:30 p.m. on Monday, 
December 3, 2018 until 12 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the Hilton 
Garden Inn/Outer Banks, 5353 N Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk, NC 
27949; phone: (252) 261-1290; fax: (252) 255-0153.
    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) 302-8440 or toll free: (866) SAFMC-10; 
fax: (843) 769-4520; email: [email protected]. Meeting information 
is available from the Council's website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public comment: Written comments may be 
directed to Gregg Waugh, Executive Director, South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council (see Council address) or electronically via the 
Council's website at http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/. 
Comments received by close of business

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the Monday before the meeting (11/26/18) will be compiled, posted to 
the website as part of the meeting materials, and included in the 
administrative record; please use the Council's online form available 
from the website. For written comments received after the Monday before 
the meeting (after 11/26/18), individuals submitting a comment must use 
the Council's online form available from the website. Comments will 
automatically be posted to the website and available for Council 
consideration. Comments received prior to noon on Thursday, December 6, 
2018 will be a part of the meeting administrative record.
    The items of discussion in the individual meeting agendas are as 
follows:

Swearing in of New Council Member, Monday, December 3, 2018 From 1:30 
p.m. Until 1:40 p.m.

    Newly appointed Council member David Whitaker (South Carolina) will 
be sworn to duty by the NOAA Fisheries Regional Administrator.

Personnel Committee (Closed Session), Monday, December 3, 2018, 1:40 
p.m. Until 5 p.m.

    The Committee will meet in Closed Session to provide a performance 
review for the Executive Director, review and discuss Council staff 
medical benefits, and review other recommendations from the Personnel 
Committee.

SOPPs Committee, Tuesday, December 4, 2018, 8:30 a.m. Until 9:30 a.m.

    The Committee will review and approve proposed changes to the 
Council Handbook and develop recommendations as appropriate.

Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee, Tuesday, 
December 4, 2018, 9:30 a.m. Until 11 a.m.

    1. The Committee will discuss ways to address species moving 
northwards along the Atlantic Coast.
    2. The Committee will receive an update on the Fishery Ecosystem 
Plan II Dashboard and tools development, ecosystem modelling and 
regional partner coordination, and take action as needed.
    3. The Committee will also receive a report from the Habitat 
Advisory Panel meeting; presentations on renewable energy development 
including the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Project; and take action as 
needed.

Dolphin Wahoo Committee, Tuesday, December 4, 2018, 11 a.m. Until 2:30 
p.m.

    1. The Committee will receive updates from NOAA Fisheries on the 
status of recreational and commercial catches versus annual catch 
limits (ACLs).
    2. The Committee will receive a presentation on issues affecting 
bullet and frigate mackerels as prey for dolphin and wahoo, and provide 
guidance to staff.
    3. The Committee will review draft actions for dolphin to include 
in Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan including 
revising the Optimum Yield, modifying annual catch targets (ACTs), 
adaptive management of sector ACLs, and addressing authorized gear. The 
Committee will take action as needed.

Snapper Grouper Committee Meeting, Tuesday, December 4, 2018, 2:30 p.m. 
Until 5 p.m. and Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 8:30 a.m. Until 3:45 p.m.

    1. The Committee will receive updates from NOAA Fisheries on 
commercial and recreational catches versus quotas for species under 
ACLs and the status of amendments under formal Secretarial review.
    2. The Committee will receive a report from the Snapper Grouper 
Advisory Panel and from the Council's Scientific and Statistical 
Committee and take action as appropriate.
    3. The Committee will review Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 
30 addressing the rebuilding plan for red grouper, discuss timing for 
the amendment, modify the draft amendment as necessary, and provide 
guidance to staff.
    4. The Committee will receive an overview of Vision Blueprint 
Regulatory Amendment 26 addressing recreational management actions and 
alternatives as identified in the 2016-2020 Vision Blueprint for the 
Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. The Committee will modify the 
document as necessary and consider recommending for formal Secretarial 
review.
    5. The Committee will review Regulatory Amendment 42 addressing sea 
turtle release gear requirements and snapper grouper framework 
modifications, select preferred management alternatives and consider 
approving the amendment for public hearings.
    6. The Committee will receive an overview for a draft Allocation 
Review Trigger Plan to establish criteria for reviewing sector 
allocations and provide guidance to staff on timing and approach.
    7. The Committee will receive an overview and review public 
comments for Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 32 addressing 
yellowtail snapper accountability measures, review public comments, 
modify actions as needed, and consider approval for formal review.
    8. The Committee will also review options for a Recreational 
Accountability Amendment, review the Vision Blueprint Biennial 
Evaluation, receive an update on the Catch Per Unit Effort for red 
snapper, and receive a review of the Characterization of the Snapper 
Grouper Commercial Fishery, and provide direction to staff as 
appropriate.

Executive/Finance Committee, Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 3:45 p.m. 
Until 4 p.m. and Thursday, December 6, 2018 From 1:30 p.m. Until 3 p.m.

    1. The Committee will review the Council's ranking of amendments 
for its work schedule, receive an update on Magnuson-Stevens Act 
Reauthorization efforts and the CCC Working Paper which includes 
positions on reauthorization, discuss, and provide guidance to staff.
    2. The Committee will receive an update on the Calendar-Year 2018 
expenditures, review a preliminary list of items for the 2019 budget, 
and take action as appropriate.
    3. The committee will review the Council's Follow Up Document, 
Priorities and Tiering List, discuss, and provide guidance to staff.

Formal Public Comment, Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 4 p.m.

    Public comment will be accepted on items on the Council meeting 
agenda scheduled to be approved for Secretarial Review: Snapper Grouper 
Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 (recreational measures) and 
Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 32 (yellowtail snapper 
accountability measures). Public comment will also be accepted on all 
agenda items. The Council Chair, based on the number of individuals 
wishing to comment, will determine the amount of time provided to each 
commenter.

SEDAR Committee, Thursday, December 6, 2018, 8:30 a.m. Until 10 a.m. 
(Partially Closed Session)

    1. The Committee will make recommendations for appointments to the 
tilefish stock assessment and to the Scamp Stock Identification 
Workshop (Closed Session).
    2. In open session, the Committee will review the SSC Report and 
provide

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recommendations on snowy grouper terms of reference (TORs), and the 
stock assessment schedule and TORs for scamp and tilefish.
    3. The Committee will also receive an assessment activities update 
and an overview of the next SEDAR Steering Committee meeting, and 
provide guidance to staff as needed.

Citizen Science Committee, Thursday, December 6, 2018, 10 a.m. Until 12 
p.m.

    1. The Committee will review the Draft Citizen Science Program 
SOPPs, modify as needed and provide recommendations for approval.
    2. The Committee will also receive an update on the Citizen Science 
Program and projects and take action as needed.

Council Session: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 3:15 p.m. Until 5 p.m. and 
Friday, December 7, 2018, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 p.m. (Partially Closed 
Session if Needed)

    The Full Council will begin with the Call to Order, adoption of the 
agenda, approval of minutes, and awards/recognition. The Council will 
receive a Legal Briefing on Litigation from NOAA General Counsel (if 
needed) during Closed Session. The Council will receive staff reports 
including the Executive Director's Report, updates on the MyFishCount 
pilot project, recent hurricane impacts on fishing communities, and a 
report from the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team. Updates will 
be provided by NOAA Fisheries including a report on the status of 
recreational and commercial catches versus ACLs for species not covered 
during an earlier committee meeting, status of amendments under formal 
review, data-related reports, protected resources updates, update on 
the status of the of the Commercial Electronic Logbook Program, and the 
status of the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) 
conversions for recreational fishing estimates. The Council will 
discuss and take action as necessary.
    The Council will review any Exempted Fishing Permits received as 
necessary. The Council will also receive a presentation on recent 
research activities conducted by the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.
    The Council will receive committee reports from the Snapper 
Grouper, Habitat, Dolphin Wahoo, SEDAR, Citizen Science, Personnel, 
SOPPs, and Executive Finance Committees, and take action as 
appropriate.
    The Council will receive agency and liaison reports; and discuss 
other business and upcoming meetings. Under other business, the Council 
will receive a presentation on the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary 
and take action as necessary.

Federal For-Hire Electronic Reporting Training Session, Thursday, 
December 6, 2018, 6 p.m.

    Council staff will provide a hands-on training session to learn 
about new electronic reporting requirements for federally permitted 
for-hire captains and practice using tools that will be available to 
meet the reporting requirements.
    Documents regarding these issues are available from the Council 
office (see ADDRESSES).
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before these groups for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the 
Council office (see ADDRESSES) 5 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: November 13, 2018.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-25054 Filed 11-15-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P