Meetings: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council,

[Federal Register: September 3, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 171)]

[Notices]

[Page 48384-48385]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr03se99-64]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 082399D]

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.

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Personnel, Joint Executive & Finance, Calico Scallop, Snapper Grouper, Marine Reserves, Golden Crab, Mackerel, Dolphin & Wahoo and Shrimp Committees; and a Council Session.

DATES: The meetings will be held from September 20-24, 1999. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Town and Country Inn, 2008 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407; telephone: (843) 571-1000; (800) 334-6660.

Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One Southpark Circle, Suite 306; Charleston, SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kerry O'Malley, telephone: (843) 571- 4366; fax: (843) 769-4520; email: kerry.omalley@noaa.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates

September 20, 1999, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.--Personnel Committee (Closed Session);

The Personnel Committee will meet to review and approve personnel sections in the Council's draft Administrative Handbook;

September 20, 1999, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Joint Executive and Finance Committees;

The committees will review and approve the Council's draft Administrative Handbook, the proposed 2000 Council budget and schedule of activities and discuss the status of the Sargassum Fishery Management Plan (FMP);

September 21, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.--Calico Scallop Committee;

The committee will review the Calico Scallop Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report, the status of the FMP, hear a report on the status of the vessel monitoring systems and discuss bycatch monitoring;

September 21, 1999, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.--Snapper Grouper Committee;

The committee will receive an update on the status of the red Porgy Emergency Rule Request, review Snapper Grouper Amendment 12 (red progy closure) and approve for public hearing, and will receive a status report on the amberjack trip limit resubmission;

September 21, 1999, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Marine Reserves Committee;

The Committee will review the Marine Reserves and Habitat/Coral advisory panels recommendations on the Marine Reserves Discussion Document, review and approve revised Marine Reserves Discussion Document, discuss format of public scoping meetings, set locations and dates for public scoping meetings and receive a status report on other marine reserve related activities in the southeast;

September 22, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.--Golden Crab Committee;

The committee will receive a report on the informal meeting with the golden crab fishermen and review and approve options for Golden Crab Amendment 1;

September 22, 1999, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.--Mackerel Committee;

The committee will review public hearing and NMFS comments as well as Gulf Council action on Mackerel Amendment 12, develop recommendations for approval of Mackerel Amendment 12 and discuss the current framework action;

September 22, 1999, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Dolphin & Wahoo Committee;

The committee will review Gulf and Caribbean actions, review the draft FMP and establish preferred actions, and approve the FMP for public hearing (dependent on status of the Gulf and Caribbean Councils actions);

September 23, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.--Shrimp Committee;

The committee will review the SAFE report, review status of the bycatch reduction device (BRD) protocol and provide direction to staff, discuss bycatch monitoring, and discuss the use of vessel monitoring systems;

September 23, 1998, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Council Session;

The Council will hold elections for a new chairman and vice chairman and make presentations from 10:45 to 11:15;

Beginning at 11:15 p.m. the Council will hear the Joint Executive & Finance Report and the Council will take public comment on NMFS' Notice of Availability for the South Atlantic Council's Sargassum FMP;

The Council will also discuss their position on the Sargassum FMP, approve the Council's draft handbook, approve the proposed 2000 budget and activities schedule and approve the 1999/2000 Operations Plan;

From 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. the Council will resume hearing the Joint Executive & Finance Report;

From 3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. the Council will hear the Calico Scallop Committee report.

From 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. the Council will hear the Snapper Grouper committee Report and approve Snapper Grouper Amendment 12 for Public Hearing;

From 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. the Council will hear the Marine Reserves Committee report and approve the revised Marine Reserves Discussion

[[Page 48385]]

Document and establish locations and dates for scoping meetings;

From 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. the Council will hear the Golden Crab Committee report.

From 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. the Council will hear the Mackerel Committee report and the Council will take public comment on Mackerel Amendment 12 and approve Amendment 12 for secretarial review.

September 24, 1999, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.--Council Session;

From 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. the Council will hear the Dolphin & Wahoo Committee report and approve the FMP for public hearing;

From 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. the Council will hear the Shrimp Committee report and review the status of the BRD protocol and take action if necessary;

From 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. the Coast Guard will the give the Council a report on vessel safety;

From 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the Council will receive a status report on marine mammal activities;

From 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. the council will receive status report from NMFS on last years Mackerel Framework Action, the current Mackerel Framework Action, Mackerel Amendment 9, Red Porgy Emergency Rule, Greater Amberjack trip limit resubmittal, the Calico Scallop FMP, and on landings for: Atlantic king mackerel, Gulf king mackerel (eastern zone), Atlantic Spanish Mackerel, snowy grouper, golden tilefish, wreckfish, greater amberjack and South Atlantic octocorals.

From 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon the Council will hear agency and liaison reports and a report on Atlantic Coast Cooperative Statistical Program, and any other business will be discussed at 12:00 noon.

Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice.

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 September 14, 1998.

Dated: August 26, 1999. Bruce C. Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 99-22955Filed9-2-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F