[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95119-95121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30999]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XF097
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council)--Public
Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearings/scoping meetings and question &
answer session via Webinar.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will
[[Page 95120]]
hold a series of public hearings/scoping meetings on four amendments to
the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the South
Atlantic Region:
Amendment 43 addressing management options for red snapper and
recreational reporting;
Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 addressing recreational
management options based on the Council's Vision Blueprint for the
Snapper Grouper Fishery;
Vision Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 27 addressing commercial
management options based on the Council's Vision Blueprint for the
Snapper Grouper Fishery; and
Amendment 44 addressing management measures for yellowtail snapper
including allocations.
Scoping comments will be accepted for Snapper Grouper Amendment 43
and the Vision Blueprint amendments. Public hearing comments will be
accepted for Amendment 44. The Council will hold a Question & Answer
Session via Webinar for measures proposed in Amendment 44 for
yellowtail snapper and possible management actions pertaining to red
snapper and recreational reporting to be addressed in Amendment 43.
DATES: The series of public hearings/scoping meetings/Webinars will
begin at 6 p.m. on January 12, 2017 and end at close of business on
February 8, 2017. Registration is required for Webinars. Registration
information will be posted on the SAFMC Web site at http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule/ as it
becomes available. The meetings will be held on the following dates and
locations:
ADDRESSES:
1. January 12, 2017--Public scoping via Webinar for Vision
Blueprint Regulatory Amendment 26 (Recreational) and Vision Blueprint
Regulatory Amendment 27 (Commercial).
2. January 17, 2017--Question & Answer Session via webinar for
Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 (yellowtail snapper) and Snapper Grouper
Amendment 43 (red snapper and recreational reporting).
3. January 18, 2017--Listening Station with emphasis on the Public
Hearing for Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 (yellowtail snapper)--Harvey
Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, 2nd Floor, Key West, FL 33040;
Phone: 305/295-4385. Note: Public comment will be accepted on
management measures Proposed in the public hearing document for in the
Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 and scoping items in Amendment 43 and the
Vision Blueprint Amendments.
4. January 19, 2017--Listening Station with emphasis on the Public
Hearing for Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 (yellowtail snapper)--Hyatt
Place Marathon, 1996 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050; Phone: 305/
743-1234. Note: Public comment will be accepted on management measures
proposed in the Public hearing document for Snapper Grouper Amendment
44 and scoping items in Amendment 43 and the Vision Blueprint
Amendments.
5. January 23, 2017--Lexington Hotel & Conference Center, 1515
Prudential Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207: Phone 904/396-5100.
6. January 24, 2017--Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, 1550 N.
Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931; Phone: 321/799-0003.
7. January 25, 2017--Flagler Place, 201 SW. Flagler Avenue, Stuart,
FL 34994; Phone: 772/985-3863.
8. January 26, 2017--Hilton Key Largo, 97000 Overseas Highway, Key
Largo, FL 33037; Phone: 305/852-5553.
9. January 30, 2017--Murrells Inlet Community Center, 4450 Murrells
Inlet Road, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576; Phone: 843/651-4152.
10. January 31, 2017--Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd.,
N. Charleston, SC 29418; Phone: 843/744-4422.
11. February 1, 2017--Richmond Hill City Center, 520 Cedar Street,
Richmond Hill, GA 31324; Phone: 912/445-0043.
12. February 6, 2017--Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N. Water
Street, Wilmington, NC 28401; Phone: 910/763-5900.
13. February 7, 2017--Hatteras Community Center, 57689 NC Highway
12, Hatteras, NC 27943; Phone: 252-986-2161 or 252/986-2109.
14. February 8, 2017--Doubletree by Hilton, 2717 W. Fort Macon
Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512; Phone: 252/240-1155.
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, SAFMC; phone 843/571-4366 or toll free 866/SAFMC-10; FAX 843/
769-4520; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
The Council is soliciting public hearing comments on management
measures proposed for yellowtail snapper through Snapper Grouper
Amendment 44. The amendment includes management actions and
alternatives for shifts in allocations between commercial and
recreational sectors as well as an action to merge current annual catch
limits for yellowtail snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
Public scoping meetings are being held for the following
amendments:
(1) Snapper Grouper Amendment 43--The red snapper fishery remains
closed to harvest in federal waters in the South Atlantic. The stock
continues to experience overfishing due to the number of discarded red
snapper as fishermen target other species in the snapper grouper
management complex.
The Council is soliciting public input on ways to reduce the number
of red snapper discards, improve the survivorship of discarded red
snapper, improve estimates of private recreational catch and effort,
and limit harvest of red snapper to below the annual catch limit if
discards are reduced sufficiently.
(2) Snapper Grouper Vision Blueprint Recreational Regulatory
Amendment 26--The amendment includes items identified in the 2016-2020
Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery pertaining to
recreational management measures including removing size limits for
deepwater species; re-evaluation of the shallow water grouper closure;
re-evaluation of aggregate bag limits and specification of individual
bag limits for some species; and modification to the recreational
minimum size limit for black sea bass.
(3) Snapper Grouper Vision Blueprint Commercial Regulatory
Amendment 27--The amendment includes items identified in the 2016-2020
Vision Blueprint for the Snapper Grouper Fishery pertaining to
commercial management measures including commercial split seasons for
deepwater species, red porgy, and greater amberjack; re-evaluation of
the shallow water grouper closure; trip limits and step-downs; and
fishing year changes.
Copies of the public hearing document, scoping documents, and other
relevant information will be posted on the Council's Web site at as
they become available.
Submitting Written Comments
The Council requests that written comments be submitted using the
online public comment form for each amendment available from the
Council's Web site at http://safmc.net/meetings/public-hearing-and-scoping-meeting-schedule. Click on the ``Submit Written Comments''
section of the page to access
[[Page 95121]]
individual links for providing comments. Comments submitted using the
online comment forms are immediately posted to the Council's Web site
and available for all Council members and the public to view.
Written comments may also be submitted by mail or by FAX. Comments
may be submitted by mail to: Gregg Waugh, Executive Director, SAFMC,
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405. Fax
comments to 843-769-4520.
Public hearing and scoping comments for the amendments will be
accepted until 5:00 p.m. on February 10, 2017.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the
council office (see ADDRESSES) 3 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: December 20, 2016.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-30999 Filed 12-23-16; 8:45 am]
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