[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]
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