[Federal Register: April 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 75)]
[Notices]
[Page 20911-20912]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17ap08-35]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN: 0648-XH24
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearings and scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will
hold a series of public hearings and scoping meetings beginning in
early May. Public hearings will be held for Amendment 16 to the Snapper
Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South Atlantic, the
Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP), and the Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment
(CEA). Public scoping will be held for Amendment 18 to the Snapper
Grouper FMP for the South Atlantic. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
DATES: The series of 5 public scoping meetings will be held May 7-15,
2008. All scoping meetings will be open from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Council
staff and area Council members will be available for presentations,
informal discussions, and to answer questions. Members of the public
will have an opportunity to go on record at any time during the meeting
hours to record their comments on the public hearing and scoping issues
for Council consideration. Written comments must be received in the
South Atlantic Council's office by 5 p.m. on May 16, 2008. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Bob Mahood, Executive
Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place
Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405, or via email to:
SGAm16@safmc.net for Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper FMP;
FEPComments@safmc.net for the Fishery Ecosystem Plan;
CEAComments@safmc.net for the Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment; and
RedSnapperScoping@safmc.net for scoping comments regarding Amendment 18
to the Snapper Grouper FMP. Comments are due to the Council office by 5
p.m.on May 16, 2008. Copies of the public hearing and scoping documents
are available from Kim Iverson, South Atlantic Fishery Management
Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405;
telephone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free at (866) SAFMC-10. Copies will
also be available online at www.safmc.net as they become available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North
Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: (843) 571-4366; fax: (843) 769-4520;
email address: kim.iverson@safmc.net.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Meeting Dates and Locations
The public hearings and scoping meeting will be held at the
following locations:
1. May 7, 2008-Key Largo Grande, 97000 South Overseas Highway, Key
Largo, FL 33037, telephone: (866) 597-5397;
2. May 9, 2008-Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut
Boulevard, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, telephone: (321) 784-0000;
3. May 12, 2008-Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, 175 Bourne Avenue,
Pooler, GA 31322, telephone: (912) 748-8888;
4. May 13, 2008-Town & Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway,
Charleston, SC 29407, telephone: (843) 571-1000; and
5. May 15, 2008-Sheraton New Bern, 100 Middle Street, New Bern, NC
28560, telephone: (252) 638-3585.
The public hearings and scoping will address overlapping fisheries
issues for the South Atlantic region. Public hearings will be held on
the following:
1. Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper FMP-updates management
reference points for gag grouper and vermilion snapper, including
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), Optimum Yield (OY), and Minimum Stock
Size Threshold (MSST), which reflect current scientific information as
provided by stock assessments and approved by the Scientific and
Statistical Committee. In addition, the amendment would either alter
current management measures or implement new management measures that
would reduce current harvest levels to yields associated with the
optimum yield and end overfishing of both stocks in the South Atlantic.
The Council will also specify interim allocations between the
commercial and recreational sectors.
Alternatives under consideration include a January-April spawning
season closure for gag grouper for both commercial and recreational
sectors where no fishing for and/or possession of gag would be allowed.
In addition, during the closure no fishing for and/or possession of the
following species would be allowed: black grouper, red grouper, scamp,
red hind, rock hind, yellowmouth grouper, tiger grouper, yellowfin
grouper, graysby, and coney; dividing the commercial quota for gag
grouper between two regions; reduction of the current 5-grouper
aggregate bag limit for the recreational fishery; establishment of a
directed commercial quota for vermilion snapper; adjusting recreational
bag/size limits for vermilion snapper, and establishment of a
recreational closed season for vermilion snapper. Amendment 16 also
includes alternatives to reduce bycatch mortality by requiring the use
of venting and dehooking tools and circle hooks to fish for snapper
grouper species in the South Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Alternatives are also included for interim allocations for gag grouper
and vermilion snapper.
[[Page 20912]]
2. Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) for the South Atlantic and
Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment (CEA)-The Council is developing a
Fishery Ecosystem Plan to act as a source document for various plan
amendments. The CEA includes alternatives to amend the Coral FMP to
establish deepwater coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs)
and address information updates and spatial requirements of the
Essential Fish Habitat final rule. In addition, the CEA includes
alternatives to amend the Golden Crab FMP to establish allowable golden
crab fishing areas and require Vessel Monitoring Systems. Areas being
considered for designation as HAPCs include: (a) Cape Lookout Lophelia
Banks HAPC, (b) Cape Fear Lophelia Banks HAPC, (c) Blake Ridge Diapir,
(d) the Stetson Reefs, Savannah and East Florida Lithoherms, and Miami
Terrace HAPC, and (e) Portales Terrace HAPC. Alternatives also include
proposals developed by the Council's Deepwater Shrimp Advisory Panel
and Golden Crab Advisory Panel.
Public scoping will be held on the following:
Amendment 18 to the Snapper Grouper FMP-management measures
necessary to end overfishing for red snapper in the South Atlantic
region.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES)
by 3 days prior to the start of each meeting.
Dated: April 14, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-8286 Filed 4-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S