[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35373-35374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15598]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XH106


Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) will 
hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), in 
Charleston, SC, to address issues relevant to the NOAA Fisheries' 
Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

DATES: The SSC meeting will be held from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, 
August 19, 2019; from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 
2019; and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the Town & Country Inn 
and Suites, 2008 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, SC 29407; phone: (800) 334-
6660 or (843) 571-1000; fax: (843) 766-9444.
    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, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; 
phone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free (866) SAFMC-10; fax: (843) 769-4520; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The following agenda items will be 
addressed by the SSC during the meeting:
    1. Review and describe the sources of disparity between the Coastal 
Household Telephone Survey (CHTS) and the Fishing Effort Survey (FES) 
estimates of recreational effort used in the MRIP for SAFMC managed 
stocks, considering the impacts of the effort

[[Page 35374]]

survey change and NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Fishery Science Center 
(SEFSC) post-processing.
    a. Describe for a set of SAFMC managed species currently in the 
Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment process 
(Red Porgy, Greater Amberjack, King Mackerel, Golden Tilefish, and Gag) 
how the sources of disparity between CHTS and FES affect the FES catch 
estimate time series, with attention on trends, uncertainty, and 
potential outliers.
    b. Review SEFSC post-survey processing and determine what portion 
of the difference in catch estimates is due to: (1) The change from 
CHTS to FES versus (2) the post-survey processing of the data by the 
SEFSC.
    c. Identify a set of critical factors (e.g., spatial/temporal 
coverage of the data that were used in analysis for extrapolation, 
decision to exclude outlier/abnormal data points, error structures/
statistical distributions used in analyses, etc.) most likely to 
contribute to CHTS/FES disparities for species managed by the SAFMC.
    i. Describe how the sources of disparity and data issues identified 
for the 5 species examined above may affect estimates for other SAFMC 
species.
    ii. Review recreational catch estimates for species currently being 
assessed (Golden Tilefish, Greater Amberjack, Red Porgy).
    2. Establish approaches for the use of FES estimates for unassessed 
species.
    The SSC will provide guidance to staff and recommendations for 
SAFMC consideration as necessary. The meeting is open to the public and 
will also be available via webinar as it occurs. Webinar registration 
is required. Information regarding webinar registration will be posted 
to the SAFMC website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/scientific-and-statistical-committee-meetings/ as it becomes available. The 
meeting agenda, briefing book materials, and online comment form will 
be posted to the website two weeks prior to the meeting. Written 
comment on SSC agenda topics is to be distributed to the Committee 
through the SAFMC office, similar to all other briefing materials. 
Written comment to be considered by the SSC shall be provided to the 
SAFMC office no later than one week prior to an SSC meeting. For this 
meeting, the deadline for submission of written comment is 12 p.m., 
Monday, August 12, 2019.
    Multiple opportunities for comment on agenda items will be provided 
during the SSC meeting. Open comment periods will be provided at the 
start of the meeting and near the conclusion. Those interested in 
providing comment should indicate such in the manner requested by the 
SSC Chair, who will then recognize individuals to provide comment.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda 
may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal action during this meeting. 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 intent to 
take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is 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: July 18, 2019.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-15598 Filed 7-22-19; 8:45 am]
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