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.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside Hotel, 301 North Water Street, Wilmington, NC 28401; telephone: (1-888) 324-8170 or (910) 763-5900; fax: (910) 763-0038.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Iverson, Public Information Officer; telephone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free at (866) SAFMC-10; fax: (843) 769-4520; email: kim.iverson@safmc.net.
Meeting Dates
1. Council Member Visioning Workshop: December 3, 2012, 9 a.m.
until 12 noon.
Council members will receive a presentation on the visioning
process used by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, discuss
the visioning process and provide direction to staff.
2. Joint Meeting of the Habitat and Environmental Protection
Committee and Ecosystem-Based Management Committee: December 3, 2012,
1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m.
The Habitat and Environmental Protection Committee and the
Ecosystem-Based Management Committee will meet jointly and will receive
a report from the joint meeting of the respective advisory panels as
well as a report from the Habitat and Environmental Protection Advisory
Panel (AP). The joint committee will receive: an overview on Coral
Amendment 7, pertaining to Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern
(HAPCs) and transit through the Oculina Bank HAPC; and an update on
ecosystem activities. The joint committee will modify Coral Amendment 7
as appropriate and will either recommend an adjustment to the timing of
the amendment or recommend the amendment for public hearing.
3. Dolphin Wahoo Committee Meeting: December 3, 2012, 3 p.m. until
4 p.m.
The Dolphin Wahoo Committee will review Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 5,
pertaining to bag limit sales of fish and changes to the Allowable
Biological Catch (ABC) and the Annual Catch Limit (ACL). The Committee
is scheduled to recommend approval of the amendment for the scoping
process.
4. SEDAR Committee Meeting: December 3, 2012, 4 p.m. until 5:30
p.m. (Note: A portion of the meeting will be closed).
The SEDAR Committee will receive an activities update as well as a
report from the Steering Committee. The Committee will discuss SEDAR
schedules, terms of reference (TORs) and SEDAR appointments (closed
session).
5. Snapper Grouper Committee Meeting: December 4, 2012, 8:30 a.m.
until 5 p.m. and December 5, 2012, 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.
The Snapper Grouper Committee will receive: an update on the status
of catches versus quotas for commercial and recreational species under
ACLs; an update on the status of amendments under formal review; a
report from the Snapper Grouper AP meeting; and a report from the
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The Committee will consider
an Emergency Action to increase the commercial ACL for vermilion
snapper and will receive overviews of the following amendments:
Regulatory Amendment 13, regarding adjustments of snapper grouper ACLs
based on Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS)/Marine
Recreational Information Program (MRIP) calibration; Regulatory
Amendment 15, pertaining to management measures for yellowtail snapper
and modifying the Accountability Measure (AM) for gag that currently
prohibits the harvest of shallow water grouper species when the gag ACL
is met; and Snapper Grouper Amendment 28, addressing framework actions
to reopen the red snapper fishery. The Committee will modify these
amendments as necessary and is scheduled to recommend approval of these
amendments for formal review. The Committee will also receive an
overview of Snapper Grouper Amendment 27, which addresses management
measures for blue runner and would transfer management responsibility
of yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper and Nassau grouper from the Gulf
of Mexico Fishery Management Council to the South Atlantic Council. The
Committee will modify the amendment as necessary and is scheduled to
recommend approval of Amendment 27 for public hearing. The Committee
will: discuss the use of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and HAPCs for
speckled hind and warsaw grouper; receive a presentation on the
reorientation of existing MPAs based on occurrence and habitat; and
develop guidance on alternatives to be included in Snapper Grouper
Regulatory Amendment 17, which involves the use of MPAs for speckled
hind and warsaw grouper.
6. Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee Meeting: December 5, 2012, 1:30
p.m. until 5 p.m.
The Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee will receive presentations on:
post-stratification methodology used to arrive at recreational landings
estimates; and the results of the demonstration of the quota monitoring
system. The Committee will receive a status update on the Joint Gulf
and South Atlantic Council Generic Dealer Permit and an overview of
Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 3 (CE-BA 3). The Committee will
receive guidance on actions and alternatives in CE-BA 3 and is
scheduled to recommend approval of the amendment for formal review.
Note: There will be an informal public question and answer
session with the NMFS Regional Administrator and the Council
Chairman on December 5, 2012, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
7. Personnel Committee Meeting: December 6, 2012, 8:30 a.m. until
9:30 a.m. (closed session)
The Personnel Committee will discuss the Executive Director's
performance review.
8. Executive Finance Committee Meeting: December 6, 2012, 9:30 a.m.
until 11 a.m.
The Executive Finance Committee will discuss: the status of
calendar year (CY) 2012 budget expenditures; the draft 2013 activities
schedules; and the draft 2013 budget. The Committee will also: Discuss
joint South Florida management issues and schedule 2013 meetings;
develop a position on SSC review responsibilities; address Council
follow-up and priorities; and discuss other issues as appropriate.
Council Session: December 6, 2012, 11 a.m. Until 5:30 p.m. and December
7, 2012, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 Noon
Council Session: December 6, 2012, 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
From 11 a.m. until 11:15 a.m., the Council will call the meeting to
order, adopt the agenda, and approve the September 2012 meeting
minutes.
Note: A formal public comment session will be held on December
6, 2012, beginning at 11:15 a.m., on: Snapper Grouper Regulatory
Amendment 13; Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 15; Snapper
Grouper Amendment 28; an Emergency Action to increase the commercial
ACL for vermilion snapper; and Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based
Amendment 3 (CE-BA 3); followed by comment on any other item on the
agenda.
From 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., the Council will receive a report
from the Snapper Grouper Committee and approve the following amendments
for formal Secretarial review: Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 13;
Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 15; and Snapper Grouper Amendment
28. The Council will approve Snapper Grouper Amendment 27 for public
hearing and approve an Emergency Action to increase the commercial ACL
for vermilion snapper. The Council will consider other Committee
recommendations and take action as appropriate.
From 4:30 p.m. until 4:45 p.m., the Council will receive a report
from the Ad Hoc Data Collection Committee, approve CE-BA 3 for formal
Secretarial review, consider recommendations and take action as
appropriate.
From 4:45 p.m. until 5 p.m., the Council will receive a report from
the Joint Habitat and Environmental Protection and Ecosystem-Based
Management Committees, approve Coral Amendment 7 for public hearing,
consider other recommendations and take action as appropriate.
From 5 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., the Council will receive a briefing on
Amendment 5 to the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management
Plan from HMS staff. The Council will take action as appropriate.
Council Session: December 7, 2012, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 Noon
From 8:30 a.m. until 8:45 a.m., the Council will receive a legal
briefing on litigation. (closed session)
From 8:45 a.m. until 9 a.m., the Council will receive a report from
the SEDAR Committee, consider other recommendations and take action as
appropriate.
From 9 a.m. until 9:15 a.m., the Council will receive a report from
the Dolphin Wahoo Committee, approve Dolphin Wahoo Amendment 5 items
for scoping, consider other recommendations and take action as
appropriate.
From 9:15 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., the Council will receive a report
from the Executive Finance Committee, consider other recommendations
and take action as appropriate.
From 9:30 a.m. until 12 noon, the Council will receive
presentations and status reports from the NOAA Southeast Regional
Office (SERO) and the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC),
receive an outreach update on the Marine Resource Education Program,
review agency and liaison reports, and discuss other business,
including upcoming meetings.
Documents regarding these issues are available from the Council
office (see ADDRESSES).
Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come
before this Council for discussion, those issues may not be the
subjects of formal final Council action during these meetings. Council
action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this
notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that
require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to
take final action to address the emergency.
Except for advertised (scheduled) public hearings and public
comment, the times and sequence specified on this agenda is subject to
change.