2015-25111. 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 will hold a meeting of its Habitat Protection and Ecosystem-Based Management (Habitat) Advisory Panel (AP) in N. Charleston, SC. The meeting is open to the public.

DATES:

The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, and from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the Florida Fish and Wildlife and Resources Institute (FWRI), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 100 8th Ave. SE., 3370, St. Petersburg, FL; telephone: [phone].

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, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405; phone: [phone] or toll free: (866) SAFMC-10; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Items to be addressed or sessions to be conducted during the Habitat AP meeting include but not limited to: The review and completion of a redrafted Council Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Policy Statement on Energy Exploration, Development and Transportation; a presentation on the Florida Artificial Reef Program and discussion on the developing Artificial Reef Policy Statement; a roundtable discussion on issues associated with South Atlantic Climate Variability and Fisheries and South Atlantic Food Webs and Connectivity for possible future policy statement development; and a Panel member working session highlighting regional research program activities and facilitating the update of Volume V of Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) II, Regional Programs and Data Needs and associated appendices presenting Council, State, Commission and partner research, monitoring and data needs. Other status reports will focus on regional ecosystem modelling, threats to EFH, and EFH updates associated with FEP II development.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the council office (see ADDRESSES) 5 days prior to the meeting.

Note:

The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change.

Dated: September 29, 2015.

Tracey L. Thompson,

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.