Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of a public meeting.

SUMMARY:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).

DATES:

The SSC meeting will be held via webinar October 27-29, 2021. The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. EDT on October 27 and October 28, 2021, and from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. EST on October 29, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held via webinar.

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, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: (843) 571-4366 or toll free: (866) SAFMC-10; fax: (843) 769-4520; email: kim.iverson@safmc.net.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The meeting is open to the public via webinar as it occurs. Webinar registration is required. Information regarding webinar registration will be posted to the Council's website at: http://safmc.net/safmc-meetings/scientific-and-statistical-committee-meetings/ as it becomes available. The meeting agenda, briefing book materials, and online comment form will be posted to the Council's website two weeks prior to the meeting. Written comment on SSC agenda topics is to be distributed to the Committee through the Council office similar to all other briefing materials. For this meeting, the deadline for submission of written comment is 12 p.m., October 29, 2021.

Agenda Items

The SSC will review the SEDAR (Southeast Data Assessment and Review) 68 scamp grouper Research Track stock assessment; SEDAR 71: Gag grouper projections requested at the September 2021 Council meeting; and review and approve scopes of work for upcoming 2024 SEDAR assessments. SSC members will also review an Ecopath with Ecosim model forecasting ecosystem impacts of increased recruitment of red snapper; aspects of the Council's Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) Control Rule; and Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM). The SSC will discuss the preliminary findings of the Catch Level Projections Workgroup, recommend regional case studies for the national SSC meeting, and address other topics as needed.

The SSC will provide guidance to staff and make recommendations for Council consideration as appropriate.

Multiple opportunities for comment on agenda items will be provided during SSC meetings. Open comment periods will be provided at the start of the meeting and near the conclusion. Those interested in providing comment should indicate such in the manner requested by the Chair, who will then recognize individuals to provide comment.

Additional opportunities for comment on specific agenda items will be provided, as each item is discussed, between initial presentations and SSC discussion. Those interested in providing comment should indicate such in the manner requested by the Chair, who will then recognize individuals to provide comment. All comments are part of the record of the meeting.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency

Special Accommodations

This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the SAFMC office (see ADDRESSES ) at least 5 business 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.