[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3414-3416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02037]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG785
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.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will
hold meetings of the following: Information and Education Committee;
Snapper Grouper Committee; Dolphin Wahoo Committee; Habitat Protection
and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee; Mackerel Cobia Committee;
Executive Finance Committee; Advisory Panel (AP) Selection Committee
(Closed Session); Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR)
Committee; Standard Operating, Policy, and Procedure (SOPPs) Committee
(Partially Closed Session), and a Committee of the Whole. The Council
meeting week will include a formal public comment period, and a meeting
of the full Council.
DATES: The Council meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March
4, 2019 until 12:30 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2019.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the Westin Jekyll
Island, 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island, GA 31527; phone: (912) 635-4545;
fax: (912) 319-2835.
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 the Monday before the meeting (2/25/19) 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 2/25/19), individuals submitting a
comment must use the Council's online form available from the website.
[[Page 3415]]
Comments will automatically be posted to the website and available for
Council consideration. Comments received prior to noon on Thursday,
March 7, 2019 will be a part of the meeting administrative record.
The items of discussion in the individual meeting agendas are as
follows:
Information and Education Committee, Monday, March 4, 2019, 8:30 a.m.
Until 9 a.m.
The Committee will receive a report from the Information and
Education Advisory Panel and provide guidance to staff and take action
as necessary.
Snapper Grouper Committee, Monday, March 4, 2019, 9 a.m. Until 12:30
p.m. and Tuesday, March 5, 2019, From 1:30 p.m. Until 5 p.m.
1. The Committee will receive updates from NOAA Fisheries on
commercial catches versus quotas for species under annual catch limits
(ACLs) and the status of amendments under formal Secretarial review.
2. The Committee will receive an update from NOAA Fisheries on the
2019 red snapper season, discuss and provide guidance.
3. The Committee will review Regulatory Framework Amendment 29 to
the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) addressing best
fishing practices and the use of powerhead gear, and Regulatory
Amendment 30 addressing the rebuilding plan for red grouper and provide
guidance to staff for the two amendments.
4. The Committee will review Snapper Grouper Amendment 42
addressing sea turtle release gear requirements and Framework
modifications, modify as necessary, and consider approval for formal
Secretarial review.
5. The Committee will receive an overview of the Wreckfish
Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) Review and provide guidance to
staff.
6. The Committee will also receive a presentation from NOAA
Fisheries' Southeast Regional Permits Office and review the results of
Recreational Workshops, discuss, and take action as needed.
7. The Committee will also review a white paper on spearfishing,
provide guidance on agenda items for the Snapper Grouper AP meeting,
review outreach materials for the Council's Vision Blueprint for the
Snapper Grouper FMP Evaluation, review a Spawning Special Management
Report outline, and provide guidance to staff.
Dolphin Wahoo Committee, Monday, March 4, 2019, 2 p.m. Until 5 p.m.
1. The Committee will receive updates from NOAA Fisheries on the
status of commercial catches versus quotas.
2. The Committee will review draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin
Wahoo Fishery Management Plan that includes actions to allow bag-limit
sales of dolphin by dually-permitted for-hire and commercial permit
holders, revising annual catch limits and sector allocations for
dolphin and wahoo to accommodate new data from the Marine Recreational
Information Program, modifying recreational vessel limits for dolphin
and other measures. The Committee will review actions in the draft
amendment and consider approving for public scoping.
3. The Committee will review a White Paper on potential Ecosystem
Component species and take action as needed.
Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee, Tuesday,
March 5, 2019, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 p.m.
1. The Committee will hold Atlantic Coast-Wide discussions on ways
to address species moving northwards along the Atlantic Coast.
Discussions will include representatives from the New England Fishery
Management Council, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The Committee will provide
guidance to staff and take action as needed.
2. The Committee will receive an update on habitat and ecosystem
tools and regional partner coordination, the Council's actions
regarding habitat and ecosystems, and provide guidance to staff and
take action as needed.
Committee of the Whole, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 8:30 a.m. Until 12
p.m.
1. The Committee of the Whole will review public scoping comments
received for the Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule
Amendment, review comments from the Scientific and Statistical
Committee (SSC), review the document and approve wording for actions
and alternatives.
2. The Committee of the Whole will review public scoping comments
received for the Recreational Accountability Measures (AMs) Amendment,
review the document and take action as necessary.
3. The Committee of the Whole will review the draft Allocation
Review Trigger Policy, provide guidance to staff, and take action as
needed.
4. The Committee of the Whole will receive an overview of
allocation issues, discuss, and take action as needed.
Mackerel Cobia Committee, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 1:30 p.m. Until
3:45 p.m.
1. The Committee will receive an update on the status of commercial
catches versus ACLs and the status of amendments under review.
2. The Committee will receive an overview of king mackerel
commercial trip limits in the Atlantic Southern Zone and Spanish
mackerel closures in the Atlantic Northern Zone, discuss management
options, and take action as needed.
3. The Committee will review draft Framework Amendment 7 to the
Coastal Migratory Pelagic FMP addressing modifications to Gulf of
Mexico cobia size limits and take action as needed.
4. The Committee will discuss items for the Mackerel Cobia Advisory
Panel to address and provide guidance to staff.
Executive Finance Committee, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 3:45 p.m. Until
4 p.m. and Thursday, March 7, 2019 From 1:30 p.m. Until 3:45 p.m.
1. The Committee will review the Council's ranking of amendments
for its work schedule, receive a status report on the February and May
2019 Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meetings, 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 review the draft Calendar-Year 2019
Operational 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, March 6, 2019, 4 p.m.--Public
comment will be accepted on items on the Council meeting agenda
scheduled to be approved for Secretarial Review: Snapper Grouper
Amendment 42 (sea turtle release gear and Framework procedures) and the
Gulf Council's Carry Over Amendment (CMP & Spiny Lobster). 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.
[[Page 3416]]
Advisory Panel Selection Committee (Closed Session), Thursday, March 7,
2019, 8:30 a.m. Until 10 a.m.
1. The Committee will review applicants for open seats on its
advisory panels and the System Management Plan Workgroup and provide
recommendations for the Council's consideration.
SEDAR Committee, Thursday, March 7, 2019, 10 a.m. Until 11 a.m.
1. The Committee will receive an assessment activities schedule
update, an overview of SEDAR Steering Committee guidance, and provide
direction to staff and take action as needed.
SOPPs Committee (Partially Closed), Thursday, March 7, 2019, 11 a.m.
Until 12 p.m.
1. The Committee will discuss Harassment and Professional Conduct
(Closed Session).
2. In open session, the Committee will review and approve proposed
changes to the Council Handbook and develop recommendations as
appropriate.
Council Session: Thursday, March 7, 2019, 4 p.m. Until 5:30 p.m. and
Friday, March 8, 2019, 8:30 a.m. Until 12:30 p.m. (Partially Closed
Session if Needed)
The Full Council will begin with the Call to Order, adoption of the
agenda, and approval of minutes.
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, Gulf Council Carry Over
Amendment, the Council's Citizen Science Program, and a draft letter to
NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species stating concerns over the
impacts of large coastal sharks on fisheries managed by the Council.
Updates will be provided by NOAA Fisheries including a report on
the status of commercial catches versus ACLs for species not covered
during an earlier committee meeting, data-related reports, status of
Spiny Lobster Amendment 13, 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 an update on the Marine Resources
Education Program.
The Council will receive committee reports from the Snapper
Grouper, Mackerel Cobia, Information and Education, Habitat, SEDAR, AP
Selection, Dolphin Wahoo, Committee of the Whole, 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 and take action as necessary.
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: February 7, 2019.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-02037 Filed 2-11-19; 8:45 am]
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