[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30197-30198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14740]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 052798A]


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 a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee; Joint 
Mackerel Committee and Advisory Panel; Marine Reserves Workshop; 
Personnel Committee (Closed Session); Marine Reserves Workshop; Marine 
Reserves Committee Meeting; Advisory Panel Selection Committee (Closed 
Session); Public hearings; Golden Crab Committee and Advisory Panel; 
Dolphin/Wahoo Committee; Bluefish Committee; and a Council Session.

DATES: The meetings will be held from June 15-19, 1998. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Radisson Ponce de Leon 
Conference Resort, 4000 US Hwy 1 North, St. Augustine, FL; telephone: 
(904) 824-2821.
    Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, One 
Southpark Circle, Suite 306; Charleston, SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Buchanan, Public Information 
Officer; telephone: (843) 571-4366; fax: (843) 769-4520; email: 
[email protected]


[[Page 30198]]



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates

    June 15, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.--Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC):
    The SSC will review the Scamp Assessment, the Trends Report, the 
Retrospective Assessment and the Bluefish Assessment and determine if 
they are the best scientific information on the status of the various 
species addressed in the reports, hear a mackerel stock assessment 
presentation, discuss the assessment and make recommendations to the 
Council, review and comment on the Sustainable Fisheries Act 
Comprehensive Amendment, the Habitat Plan and the Habitat Comprehensive 
Amendment;
    June 16, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Joint Mackerel Committee 
and Advisory Panel:
    The committee and advisory panel will develop recommendations for 
total allowable catch (TAC) and bag limits and other framework items as 
necessary for the 1998-99 king and Spanish mackerel fishing year, 
review Gulf Council actions on Mackerel Amendment 9 and develop 
recommendations for this amendment, and discuss the composition and 
function of the stock assessment panel;
    June 16, 1998, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Marine Reserves Workshop:
    The Council will be holding a workshop on marine fishery reserves 
to develop the concept for the possible use of reserves in the South 
Atlantic. The workshop is open to the public. Invited participants will 
be giving presentations, and there will be an opportunity for anyone 
attending the meeting to ask questions. There will also be an 
opportunity for public participation during the group discussion.
    This workshop is organized in four sessions and continues through 
June 17, 1998.
    From 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.--Session I: Scientific justification and 
purposes for marine fishery reserves.
    June 16, 1998, 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.--Personnel Committee (Closed 
Session):
    The committee will discuss Council staff personnel issues and 
develop recommendations on necessary changes to the Council.
    *June 16, 1998, 6:00 p.m.--Public Hearings (Habitat Plan, Habitat 
Comprehensive Amendment, and Sustainable Fisheries Act Comprehensive 
Amendment)
    *This hearing is noted in a separate Federal Register Notice, along 
with the rest of the public hearing schedule
    June 17, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--Marine Reserves Workshop 
(continued):
    Session II: Marine reserve criteria and direct experiences with 
reserve.
     June 17, 1998, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. --Marine Reserves Workshop 
(continued):
    Session III: Effects of reserves and perspectives by various 
sectors;
    Session IV: Group Discussion on draft marine reserves criteria and 
description of timeframe for Council action;
     June 17, 1998, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.--Advisory Panel Selection 
Committee (Closed Session):
    The committee will review applications to Council advisory panels 
and develop recommendations foe appointments;
    June 18, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.--Golden Crab Committee and 
Advisory Panel:
    The committee and advisory panel will hear a presentation of the 
assessment reports, hear the status of the 1997-98 Golden Crab 
Framework action and the technical change on degradable fasteners, and 
develop committee and advisory panel recommendations on 1998-99 
framework measures;
    June 18, 1998, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon--1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.-
Dolphin/Wahoo Committee:
    The committee will hear an overview of the dolphin workshop, review 
the dolphin/wahoo management options paper, hear the status of the 
Council's request to the Secretary to be designated lead Council for 
the management of dolphin and wahoo on the Atlantic coast, the Gulf of 
Mexico and the Caribbean, discuss interaction with other Councils 
concerning dolphin and wahoo management, and discuss and define the 
scope of management measures for dolphin and wahoo;
    June 18, 1998, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.--Bluefish Committee:
    The committee will discuss the Bluefish Stock Assessment and 
develop committee recommendation on Amendment 1 to the Bluefish Plan.
    June 18, 1998, 4:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.--Council Session.
    From 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m., the Council will hear the Mackerel 
Committee Report.
    At 4:15, the Council will take public comment on TACs, bag limits 
and other framework actions, and on Amendment 9 to the Mackerel Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) before setting the TACs and bag limits and taking 
action on other framework items as necessary, and approving Amendment 9 
for submission to the Secretary.
    From 5:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., the Council will hear the Golden Crab 
Committee Report.
    At 5:15 p.m., the Council will take public comment on the 1998-99 
Framework before approving measures in the framework for submission to 
the Secretary.
    From 5:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., the Council will hear the Personnel 
Committee Report in closed session and take action as necessary on 
staff personnel issues.
    June 19, 1998, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.--Council Session;
    From 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. the Council will hear the Advisory Panel 
Selection Committee report in closed session and select advisory panel 
members.
    From 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., the Council will hear the Dolphin 
Committee Report and the Bluefish Committee Report before finalizing 
Council comments on Amendment 1 to the Bluefish FMP, hear a report of 
the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program and develop Council 
recommendations on the program, consider Florida's request for 
management authority of calico scallops, hear reports on the NMFS 
document review process, the status of fishery quotas, the status of 
nighttime shrimp closures, the status of the Snapper Grouper Amendment 
8 final rule, the Snapper Grouper Amendment 9 interim rule request, and 
Snapper Grouper Amendment 9, hear reports on the Coast Guard Law 
Enforcement Workshop, the Billfish and Highly Migratory Species 
Advisory Panel meetings, and hear a presentation on cannonball 
jellyfish. The Council will also receive agency and liaison reports and 
discuss other business.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
these groups for discussion, according to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be 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 June 8, 1998.

    Dated: May 28, 1998.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-14740 Filed 5-29-98; 4:43 pm]
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