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Council Seeks
Applicants for Seats on Federal Fishery Advisory Panels
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is
seeking applicants to serve on its advisory panels to provide
information and guidance in the development and implementation of
federal fishery management plans. The Council has 15 separate
advisory panels composed of individuals who are engaged in the
harvest of, or are knowledgeable and interested in the conservation
and management of the fishery or group of fishes to be managed.
Members include recreational and commercial fishermen, seafood
dealers and processors, conservationists, scientists, and concerned
citizens.
Advisory panel members are appointed by the Council and
serve for a three-year period, based on the frequency of meetings.
As those appointments expire, members currently serving on the AP
can reapply for their positions. These seats also become open to new
applicants. AP members generally meet no more than once or twice
each year and are compensated for travel and per diem expenses for
all meetings. Applications are now being solicited for the following
positions:
| Golden Crab
AP |
1 Open Commercial Seat |
| Habitat AP |
South Carolina
(1) Recreational Seat, (1) Conservation Seat, and (1)
Commercial/Charter Seat;
Georgia
(1) Recreational Seat and (1) Commercial Seat;
Florida
(1) Recreational Seat, (1) Conservation Seat, and (1)
Commercial Seat;
At-Large
(2) Scientist Seats. |
| Information &
Education AP |
5 Open Seats |
| King &
Spanish Mackerel AP |
North Carolina
(1) Recreational Seat and (1) Commercial Seat;
Georgia
(1) Recreational Seat;
Florida
(2) Commercial Seats; and
At-Large
(1)Non-governmental Agency (NGO) Seat. |
| Deepwater
Shrimp AP |
10 Open Commercial Seats |
| Snapper
Grouper AP |
South Carolina
(1) Wholesale/Retail Dealer Seat, and (1)
Recreational Seat;
Georgia
(1)Wholesale/Retail Dealer Seat; |
| Snapper
Grouper AP |
(1) Open NGO Seat;
(2) Open Wreckfish Sub-panel Seats. |
If you are interested in serving as a member on the Council's
advisory panels, please submit an application to the South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201,
Charleston, SC 29405. Applications can be obtained by contacting the
Council office or online at
www.safmc.net.
Advisory panel members will be selected during the next
meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council,
scheduled for June 8-13, 2008 in Orlando, Florida.
Applications must be received by May 21, 2008.
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.
Public Hearing/Scoping Meetings and Public Comment Periods
Reminder
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council begins a
series of Public Hearings and Scoping Meetings this week. Issues
open for public comment:
Public Hearings:
* Snapper Grouper Amendment 16 – alternatives to reduce the harvest
of gag grouper and vermilion snapper to end overfishing, including:
---January – April gag spawning season closure for both recreational
and commercial fishermen – (note: closure to include black grouper, red
grouper, scamp, red hind, rock hind, yellowmouth grouper, tiger grouper,
yellowfin grouper, graysby, and coney);
---directed annual commercial quotas for both gag grouper (352,940
lbs. gutted weight) and vermilion snapper (328,002 lbs. gutted weight);
---regional annual commercial quotas for gag grouper – Allocate
63.3% to North and South Carolina and 36.7% to Georgia and Florida;
--- prohibition of captain and crew on for-hire vessels from
possessing a bag limit for groupers;
---dividing the directed vermilion snapper commercial quota into
seasons;
---reductions in recreational bag limits for both gag grouper and
vermilion snapper;
---establishment of a recreational closed season for vermilion
snapper – October through May 15th;
---requirement for the use of venting and dehooking tools and
non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks when using natural baits to fish for
snapper grouper species (both commercial and recreational fishermen)
---interim allocations for both gag and vermilion snapper.
* Fishery Ecosystem Plan
* Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment – includes alternatives
for designation of deepwater coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs)
to provide protection from impacts associated with fishing gear.
Public Scoping:
* Reductions in harvest necessary to end overfishing of red snapper
(through Snapper Grouper Amendment 18).
Meeting Schedule: The public may attend the
meetings and comment anytime between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM at the
following locations and dates:
* May 7 – Key Largo, FL (Key Largo Grande)
* May 9 – Cape Canaveral, FL (Radisson at the Port)
* May 12 – Pooler, GA (Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum)
* May 13 – Charleston, SC (Town & Country Inn)
* May 15 – New Bern, NC (Sheraton)
Please visit the Council’s web site at
www.safmc.net for additional
information and meeting details. Copies of the public hearing and
scoping meeting documents can be obtained from the Council office or
online at www.safmc.net.
Written comments must be submitted to the Council by 5:00 PM
on May 16, 2008.
*******
NOAA Fisheries Service has opened a public comment period on
additional economic data now available regarding the bag-limit sale of snapper
grouper species. Details can be found in the Supplemental Draft
Environmental Statement (SDEIS) for Amendment 15B to the Snapper
Grouper Fishery Management Plan, currently available on the Council’s web
site at www.safmc.net. The comment
period is open until June 9, 2008. Note: Comments regarding the SDEIS should be submitted to NOAA
Fisheries Service as described in the document. Comments on bag-limit sales
provisions will NOT be accepted during the public hearing series held by the
Council as listed above.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold
a public comment period for actions in Amendment 15B at 4:15 PM on
June 12, 2008 during its June 8-13, 2008 meeting in Orlando,
Florida. Immediately following the comment period for Amendment 15B,
the Council will take public comment on Snapper Grouper Amendment 16
regarding gag and vermilion snapper
management alternatives.
The Council is scheduled to give final approval of both
Snapper Grouper Amendment 15B and Snapper Grouper Amendment 16 during its June 2008
meeting in Orlando, FL. Meeting details are also available on the
web site at
www.safmc.net. |
