In addition to a Council Member Visioning Workshop, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting of its Habitat and Environmental Protection Committee and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee; meetings of its Dolphin Wahoo Committee; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) Committee; Snapper Grouper Committee; Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee; Personnel Committee (CLOSED SESSION); Executive Finance Committee; and a meeting of the Full Council. The Council will take action as necessary. The Council will also hold an informal public question and answer session regarding agenda items, and a formal public comment session. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional details.

The Council meeting will be held December 3-7, 2012. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Habitat and Environmental Protection Advisory Panel (AP) in Charleston, SC.

The meeting will take place November 14-15, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Guest Suites, 181 Church Street, Charleston, SC 29401; telephone: (800) 222-8733; fax: (843) 577-2697.

The South Atlantic's Advisory Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and Habitat & Environmental Protection Advisory Panel Meetings to be held in November 2012. The meetings will be available via webinar and agenda's are on the Council's website  http://www.safmc.net/Meetings/AdvisoryPanelMeetings/tabid/616/Default.aspx

The ONMS is seeking applications for the following vacant seats on the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: K-12 education, non-living resources research and citizen-at-large. Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen for the K-12 education or non-living resources research seats should expect to serve 3-year terms, pursuant to the council's Charter. 

The meeting will take place November 7-8, 2012. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29418; telephone: (843) 744-4422; fax: (843) 744-4472.

Advisors to provide fishing level recommendations and other guidance used for management 

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet in N. Charleston, SC to provide recommendations to the Council regarding several federally managed species including vermilion snapper, red porgy, yellowtail snapper, black sea bass, and red snapper. Other agenda items include improvements to fishery data collection, modifications to current annual catch limits, and allocations between commercial and recreational sectors. 

NMFS closes the commercial sector for gag and all other South Atlantic Shallow-Water Grouper (SASWG) on October 20, 2012 for the remainder of the 2012 fishing year, through December 31, 2012. The recreational sector will continue to remain open until December 31, 2012. 

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the commercial sector for gag in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. Commercial landings for gag, as estimated by the Science Research Director, are projected to reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) on October 20, 2012.

Commercial Harvest of Shallow-Water Grouper Closing to Vessels Fishing in South Atlantic Federal Waters on October 20, 2012. The recreational sector will remain open until January 1, 2013.   

The Council is adding consideration of additional analyses on the wreckfish population to the October 23-25, 2012 SSC meeting. The meeting will be held in Charleston, SC.  The meetings will be held October 23--25, 2012. 

NOAA Fisheries published a final rule on October 9, 2012, which increases annual catch limits and modifies recreational accountability measures for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic.