Council Begins New Year with Meetings of Public Interest
If you fish in federal waters more than three miles off the South Atlantic coast, chances are there is a meeting being held by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council in the coming weeks that will be of interest to you. These actions are required in large part by the Reauthorized Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Council begins the New Year with a long list of fisheries issues under consideration and it is soliciting public input on many of these.
Meetings scheduled for early 2008 include:
January 15-16 and February 12-13 – Limited Access Privilege (LAP) Program Exploratory Workgroup Meetings Established at the beginning of 2007, the Workgroup will continue its work to develop recommendations for the Council regarding a possible LAP Program for the commercial snapper grouper fishery. The Workgroup will present its final report to the Council’s LAP Program Committee during the Council’s March 3-7, 2008 meeting in Jekyll Island, GA. LAPP Workgroup Meetings will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Charleston Airport, 5265 International Blvd., N. Charleston, SC 29418, phone 877/782-9444 or 843/308-9331.
January 16 – Public Scoping Meeting for Shrimp Amendment 7– The final meeting in a series to address current landings requirements for South Atlantic endorsements for rock shrimp fishermen. Meeting location: Hilton Garden Inn, Charleston Airport, 5265 International Blvd., N. Charleston, SC 29418; phone 877/782-9444 or 843/308-9331. 6:00 PM.
January 24 – Public Scoping Meeting for Spiny Lobster Imports –The Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Councils will receive comments on measures to address the importation of spiny lobster products that do not meet U.S. conservation standards. Meeting location: Islander Hotel, 82100 Overseas Highway., Islamorada, FL; phone 800/753-6002 or 305/664-2031. 6:00 PM.
January 27-29 – Meeting of the Council’s Deepwater Shrimp and Golden Crab Advisory Panels– The APs will provide recommendations on the potential impacts of proposed deepwater coral habitat areas of particular concern on their respective fisheries. Meeting location: Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut Blvd., Cape Canaveral, FL 32920; phone 800/333-3333 or 321/784-0000.
January 29 – February 1 – SEDAR (Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review) 15 Review Workshop (greater amberjack, red snapper, and Florida mutton snapper)–The SEDAR stock assessment program will conduct the last of three workshops to review updated stock assessment data. Meeting location: Holiday Inn Brownstone Hotel, 1707 Hillborough St., Raleigh, NC 27605; phone 800/331-7919 or 919/828-0811.
February 4-8 and February 20 – Public Scoping Meeting Series -Topics include a proposed Comprehensive Allocation Amendment outlining how fisheries resources will be distributed between fishing sectors; draft Amendment 17 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to set Annual Catch Limits that may reduce harvest of some species, extend regulations through the Mid-Atlantic Council’s area of jurisdiction, and address bycatch; Amendment 18 to establish a Limited Access Privilege Program for the commercial snapper grouper fishery; and allocation of the commercial king mackerel quota in the South Atlantic. Meetings will be held February 4th in Coconut Grove, FL, February 5th in Port Canaveral, FL, February 6th in Brunswick, GA, February 7th in New Bern, NC, and February 20th in Charleston, SC. Meeting details will be publicized and posted on the Council’s web site within the next week.
February 11-15 – SEDAR 16 Data Workshop (king mackerel) –The SEDAR stock assessment program will conduct the first of three workshops to address updated stock assessment data for king mackerel. Meeting location: Holiday Inn Airport, 5265 International Blvd., N. Charleston, SC 29418; phone 800/holiday or 843/576-0300.
February 19 – Public Hearing for Gulf of Mexico Draft Aquaculture Amendment– This is a joint hearing with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council on a proposal to allow permits to construct and operate aquaculture facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. Meeting location: Islander Hotel, 82100 Overseas Highway., Islamorada, FL; phone 800/753-6002 or 305/664-2031. 6:00 PM.
February 19-20 – Allocation Committee Meeting– The South Atlantic Council recently formed the Allocation Committee to review options for the allocation of fisheries resources. Meeting location: Hilton Garden Inn, Charleston Airport, 5265 International Blvd., N. Charleston, SC 29418, phone 877/782-9444 or 843/308-9331.
All meetings are open to the public. Additional information regarding these meetings, including public scoping documents, comment opportunities, meeting agendas, and briefing book materials will be posted at www.safmc.net as they become available.
The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for
March 3-7, 2008 in Jekyll Island, GA.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional councils, conserves and manages fish stocks from three to 200 miles offshore of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida.
