[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 168 (Friday, August 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53331-53333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18964]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA403]


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: Snapper Grouper Committee; Southeast 
Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Dolphin Wahoo Committee; 
and Executive Committee (partially Closed Session). The meeting week 
will also include a formal public comment session and a meeting of the 
Full Council (with a partially Closed Session). Due to public health 
concerns associated with COVID-19 and current travel restrictions, the 
meeting originally planned for Charleston, SC will be held via webinar.

DATES: The Council meeting will be held from 9 a.m. on Monday, 
September

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14, 2020 until 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2020.

ADDRESSES:  The meetings will be held via webinar. Webinar registration 
is required. Details are included in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

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].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meeting information, including agendas, 
overviews, and briefing book materials will be posted on the Council's 
website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/council-meetings/. Webinar 
registration links for each meeting day will also be available from the 
Council's website.
    Public comment: Written comments may be directed to John 
Carmichael, Executive Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council (see ADDRESSES) 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 (9/7/20) 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 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 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2020 will be a part of the 
meeting administrative record.
    The items of discussion in the individual meeting agendas are as 
follows:

Full Council Sessions

    Council Session I--Monday, September 14, 2020, 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. 
(Closed Session); Council Session II--Monday, September 14, 2020, 1:30 
p.m. until 5 p.m. and Tuesday, September 15, 2020, 9 a.m. until 11 
a.m.; and Council Session III--Thursday, September 17, 2020 from 1:30 
p.m. until 5 p.m.

Council Session I, Monday September 14, 2020, 9 a.m. Until 12 p.m. 
(Closed Session)

    1. The Council will recommend applicants for open advisory panel 
seats.
    2. The Council will recommend appointees for SEDAR stock assessment 
projects.
    3. A legal briefing on litigation will also be held if needed.

Council Session II, Monday, September 14, 2020, 1:30 p.m. Until 5 p.m. 
and Tuesday, September 15, 2020 From 9 a.m. Until 11 a.m.

    1. Newly appointed Council members will be sworn in.
    2. The Council will develop a response to the President's Executive 
Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic 
Growth.
    3. Council members will receive an update from NOAA Fisheries on 
recent emergency action requests to increase the bag limit for King 
Mackerel and the commercial trip limit for Vermilion Snapper and 
consider requesting additional emergency actions.
    4. The Council will receive a report from NOAA Fisheries on the 
Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology.
    5. The Council will review sector allocation alternatives and 
recommend how to proceed.

Snapper Grouper Committee, Tuesday, September 15, 2020, 11 a.m. Until 
12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Until 4:30 p.m.

    1. The Committee will receive an update from NOAA Fisheries on the 
status of amendments under review
    2. The Committee will review the 2020 South Atlantic Red Snapper 
Season.
    3. The Committee will review an options paper for modernizing the 
Wreckfish Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) Program and consider 
approval for public scoping.
    4. The Committee will review potential management measures to end 
overfishing and revise the rebuilding plan for Red Porgy and provide 
direction to staff.
    5. The Committee will provide topics for consideration during the 
November 2020 meeting of the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel.

SEDAR Committee, Tuesday, September 15, 2020, 4:30 p.m. Until 5 p.m.

    1. The Committee will review the SEDAR Statement of Works for 
assessments that will begin in 2023 and approve for Council 
consideration.
    2. The Committee will receive an update from the SEDAR Steering 
Committee on the Research Track and Operational Assessment Process and 
consider recommendations.

Dolphin Wahoo Committee, Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 9 a.m. Until 
3:45 p.m.

    1. The Committee will review draft Amendment 10 to the Dolphin 
Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP) with actions that currently 
address: Revisions to recreational data and catch level 
recommendations, redefining Optimum Yield in the dolphin fishery, 
modifications to accountability measures, and other management 
revisions to the dolphin and wahoo fisheries. The Committee will review 
the draft Amendment and provide direction to staff.
    2. The Committee will review draft Amendment 12 to the Dolphin 
Wahoo FMP with measures to add bullet mackerel and frigate mackerel as 
Ecosystem Component species to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP and consider final 
approval of the amendment for Secretarial review.
    3. The Committee will receive a presentation on recent tagging 
studies conducted through the Dolphinfish Research Program.
    4. The Committee will provide recommendations for management topics 
to be considered at the October meeting of the Dolphin Wahoo Advisory 
Panel.
    Formal Public Comment, Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 4 p.m.--
Public comment will be accepted via webinar on items on the Council 
meeting agenda scheduled to be approved for Secretarial Review: 
Amendment 12 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (Bullet and 
Frigate Mackerel as Ecosystem Component Species). Public comment will 
also be accepted on all other agenda items. The Council Chair, based on 
the number of individuals wishing to comment, will determine the amount 
of time provided to each commenter.

Executive Committee, Thursday, September 17, 2020, 9 a.m. Until 12 p.m. 
(Partially Closed Session)

Closed Session
    1. The Committee will review the compositions of its Scientific and 
Statistical Committee and its Outreach and Communications Advisory 
Panel and provide recommendations for Council consideration.
    2. The Committee will also review the Council's Sexual Harassment 
identification and prevention efforts.
Open Session
    1. The Committee will review new travel forms and the Council's 
Priorities Work Schedule and provide recommendations as needed.

Council Session III, Thursday, September 17, 2020, 1:30 p.m. Until 5 
p.m.

    The Full Council Session III will begin with the Call to Order, 
adoption of the agenda, approval of minutes, and Council elections.

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    The Council will receive a staff report from the Executive 
Director, and updates on Outreach and Communications efforts, the 
Council's Citizen Science Program, and Atlantic coast climate change 
scenario planning.
    NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center staff will 
provide reports on the status of commercial electronic logbooks and 
pandemic response impacts on surveys and fishery monitoring.
    NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office staff will provide an 
update on the status of the For-Hire Electronic Reporting Amendment and 
a report on Protected Resources.
    The Council will receive reports from the following committees: 
Snapper Grouper; SEDAR; Dolphin Wahoo; and Executive. The Council will 
also address advisory panel and SEDAR appointments.
    The Council will receive agency and liaison reports, 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 this group 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: August 25, 2020.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-18964 Filed 8-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P