Notice2024-01562
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 26, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold two public scoping meetings via webinar pertaining to Regulatory Amendment 36 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper Grouper Fishery in the South Atlantic Region. This amendment revises the recreational vessel limits for gag and black grouper and considers necessary regulatory changes to accommodate the use of on-demand gear for the black sea bass pot commercial fishery.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 18 (Friday, January 26, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5208-5209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01562]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD666]
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public scoping meetings.
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SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will
hold two public scoping meetings via webinar pertaining to Regulatory
Amendment 36 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper
Grouper Fishery in the South Atlantic Region. This amendment revises
the recreational vessel limits for gag and black grouper and considers
necessary regulatory changes to accommodate the use of on-demand gear
for the black sea bass pot commercial fishery.
DATES: The scoping meetings will be held via webinar February 12 and
13, 2024, beginning at 6 p.m., EDT. For specific dates and times, see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held via webinar. The webinar is open
to members of the public. Information, including a link to webinar
registration will be posted on the Council's website at: <a href="https://safmc.net/public-hearings-and-scoping/">https://safmc.net/public-hearings-and-scoping/</a> when it becomes available.
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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6803010546011e0d1a1b0706281b090e050b46060d1c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a9c2c0c487c0dfccdbdac6c7e9dac8cfc4ca87c7ccdd">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Scoping documents, an online public comment
form, and other materials will be posted to the Council's website at
<a href="https://safmc.net/public-hearings-and-scoping/">https://safmc.net/public-hearings-and-scoping/</a> as they become
available. Written comments should be addressed to John Carmichael,
Executive Director, SAFMC, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N
Charleston, SC 29405. Written comments must be received by February 16,
2024, by 5 p.m. During the meetings, Council staff will provide an
overview of actions being considered in the amendment. Staff will
answer clarifying questions on the presented information and the
proposed actions. Following the presentation and questions, the public
will have the opportunity to provide comments on the amendment.
Regulatory Amendment 36 to the Snapper Grouper FMP
Amendment 53 to the FMP for the Snapper Grouper Fishery of the
South Atlantic Region became effective October 23, 2023, and
established recreational vessel limits of 2 fish per vessel per day or
per trip (depending on private recreational or for-hire component) of
gag and black grouper. The Council intended for these limits to instead
be an aggregate limit of 2 gag or black grouper per vessel. Therefore,
the Council is considering revision of these recreational vessel limits
to the originally intended aggregate limit through Regulatory Amendment
36.
[[Page 5209]]
Regulatory Amendment 36 also addresses accommodation of on-demand
(also known as `ropeless') gear for black sea bass pots for the
commercial sector. On-demand gear reduces the probability of
entanglements by whales and other protected species by not having
vertical lines in the water column for the entire time that the pots
are being fished. This type of gear has been experimentally used for
the last several years under exempted fishing permits (EFP), the latest
of which expires in April 2025. Scoping for Regulatory Amendment 36
will inform the Council of what changes to gear marking,
identification, and stowage requirements are necessary to enable
practical use of this type of gear in the commercial pot fishery beyond
the EFP expiration. The Council will then determine a plan for
addressing these changes through Regulatory Amendment 36 and other
future amendments, as necessary.
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 23, 2024.
Diane M. DeJames-Daly,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-01562 Filed 1-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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