[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7992-7993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02247]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA850]


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

DATES: The Council meeting will be held from 12:30 p.m. on Monday, 
March 1, 2021 until 12 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2021.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting address: The meeting 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 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 (2/22/21) 
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. Written comments 
submitted 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, March 4, 2021 will be a part of 
the meeting administrative record.
    The items of discussion in the individual meeting agendas are as 
follows:

Council Session I, Monday, March 1, 2021, 12:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

    The Council will receive an update on the Acceptable Biological 
Catch (ABC) Control Rule Amendment and review an Exempted Fishing 
Permit (EFP) request and provide recommendations. The Council will also 
receive a presentation on the Regional Electronic Technologies Plan: 
2020-2024 from NOAA Fisheries and receive a presentation on the Kitty 
Hawk Offshore Wind Project.

Law Enforcement Committee, Monday, March 1, 2021, 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 
p.m.

    The Committee will receive a report from the Law Enforcement 
Advisory Panel (AP), review the structure of the Law Enforcement AP, 
and provide recommendations.

Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee, Tuesday, 
March 2, 2021, 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.

    The Committee will review Amendment 10 to the Coral Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) addressing modifications to area closures for the 
deepwater shrimp fishery and is scheduled to approve for public 
hearings. The Committee will also receive updates on the Fishery 
Ecosystem Plan (FEP) II Roadmap and the Habitat and Ecosystem 
Blueprint, and approve agenda items for the next meeting of the Habitat 
Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management AP.

Mackerel Cobia Committee, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.

    The Committee will review the Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) 
Framework Amendment 10 addressing management measures for Atlantic king 
mackerel and receive an update on CMP Amendment 32 addressing 
management

[[Page 7993]]

measures to end overfishing for Gulf of Mexico cobia. The Committee 
will also review a white paper on a possible joint Spanish Mackerel AP 
with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and approve agenda 
items for the next meeting of the Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel.

Snapper Grouper Committee, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 1:30 p.m. until 5:30 
p.m. and Wednesday, March 3, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.

    The Committee will receive a fishery overview and presentation on 
the recent stock assessment for snowy grouper, review Amendment 48 to 
the Snapper Grouper FMP addressing Wreckfish ITQ Modernization, and 
review public scoping comments and analyses for Amendment 50 to the 
Snapper Grouper FMP pertaining to measures to end overfishing and 
revise the rebuilding plan for red porgy. The Committee will review 
Amendment 49 to the Snapper Grouper FMP addressing catch levels and 
management measures for greater amberjack and is scheduled to approve 
the amendment for scoping.
    The Committee will also receive updates on regional research 
projects on greater amberjack and red snapper, an update from NOAA 
Fisheries on red snapper recreational landings and status of the 2021 
red snapper season, and approve agenda items for the next meeting of 
the Snapper Grouper AP.

Dolphin Wahoo Committee, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, 10 a.m. until 12 
p.m. and 1:30 p.m. until 3:45 p.m.

    The Committee will review public hearing comments as well as 
actions and alternatives for Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo FMP with 
actions addressing revisions to recreational data and catch level 
recommendations, modifications to recreational accountability measures, 
measures to allow properly permitted commercial vessels with trap, pot 
or buoy gear on board to possess commercial quantities of dolphin and 
wahoo, remove the Operator Card requirement, reduce the recreational 
vessel limit for dolphin, reduce the recreational bag limit and 
establish a recreational vessel limit for wahoo, and allow filleting of 
dolphin at sea on board charter or headboat vessels in waters north of 
the Virginia/North Carolina border. The Committee will also review the 
updated goals and objectives of the Dolphin Wahoo FMP and provide 
recommendations for timing of the next Dolphin Wahoo AP meeting.
    Formal Public Comment, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, 4 p.m..--Public 
comment will be accepted via webinar on all items on the Council 
meeting agenda. Highlighted items: Public scoping comments will be 
accepted during this time for Amendment 48 to the Snapper Grouper FMP 
(Wreckfish ITQ Modernization) and Framework Amendment 10 to the Coastal 
Migratory Pelagics FMP (king mackerel). Additionally, the Council is 
scheduled to approve Amendment 49 to the Snapper Grouper FMP (greater 
amberjack) for public scoping and Amendment 10 to the Coral FMP 
(deepwater shrimp area closures) for public hearings. Hearings for 
Snapper Grouper Amendment 49 and Coral Amendment 10 will be held at 
later dates. The Council Chair will determine the amount of time 
provided to each commenter based on the number of individuals wishing 
to comment.

SEDAR Committee, Thursday, March 4, 2021, 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. 
(Partially Closed Session)

    The Committee will make appointments for the SEDAR 79 stock 
assessment for mutton snapper during Closed Session. In Open Session, 
the Committee will receive an update on the SEDAR 76 stock assessment 
for South Atlantic black sea bass.

Executive Committee, Thursday, March 4, 2021, 10:30 a.m. until 12 p.m.

    The Committee will review updates to the Council's Advisory Panel 
Policy, a proposed Council Symposium Series addressing various topics, 
updates to the Council's Handbook and the Council's 2021 Workplan.

Council Session II, Thursday, March 4, 2021, 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. and 
Friday, March 5, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m.

    The Council will receive a report from the Executive Director, 
staff updates on development of the Council's Allocation Tool to 
determine sector allocations, Climate Change Scenario Planning and the 
Council's Citizen Science Program. A demonstration of the new Fish 
Rules mobile app for commercial regulations will be provided.
    The Council will receive a report from the Council's Recreational 
Reporting Working Group.
    NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center staff will 
provide an update on the pandemic's impacts on sampling and monitoring 
and a report on the status of commercial electronic logbooks. NOAA 
Fisheries Southeast Regional Office staff will provide an update on the 
status of For-Hire Electronic Reporting and the status of their 
evaluation of bycatch reporting efforts in the South Atlantic. The 
Council will also receive a Protected Resources report.
    The Council will receive reports from the following committees: Law 
Enforcement; Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management; Snapper 
Grouper; Dolphin Wahoo; Mackerel Cobia; SEDAR; and Executive.
    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: January 29, 2021.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-02247 Filed 2-2-21; 8:45 am]
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