South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

September 2022 Council Meeting

Date:
Time: to
Location: Town & Country Inn 2008 Savannah Highway Charleston, SC 29407

Meeting Agenda & Briefing Materials

Except for advertised public hearings and public comment sessions, the timing of agenda items may change.

Committee Reports:

The hybrid public comment session (September 14, 2022, at 4 PM), will allow for in-person and remote (via webinar) verbal public comment. Individuals intending to provide comments remotely are asked to sign-up HERE. Those intending to provide verbal public comment in person will be asked to sign in at the meeting.

Written Comments:

Click here for additional comments:

Written comments submitted by mail/fax received by close of business the Monday before the meeting (September 5, 2022) will be compiled, posted to the website as part of the meeting materials, and included in the administrative record.

Monday, September 12, 2022

COUNCIL SESSION I/Bell 8:30 am – 12:00 Noon

  1. Reports (NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, US Coast Guard, Council liaisons, state agencies)
    1. Attachment 1a: NOAA OLE Report
    2. Attachment 1b: NOAA OLE Presentation
    3. Attachment 1c: Gulf Council Liaison Report (posted 9/7)
  2. Update on Dolphin Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) stakeholder workshops
  3. Input from Golden Crab & Spiny Lobster Advisory Panels
    1. Attachment 2: Golden Crab and Spiny Lobster Advisory Panel Report
  4. Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment
    1. Attachment 3a: Commercial ELB Update Presentation (revised)
    2. Attachment 3b: Commercial ELB Questions & Answers
    3. Attachment 3c: Commercial ELB Data Fields (Excel download revised)
  5. National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy Update 
    1. Attachment 4a: National Policy Update Presentation (revised)
    2. Attachment 4b: National Recreational Fisheries Policy Discussion Guide

Lunch 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm

COUNCIL SESSION I (cont.) / Bell 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  1. Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rule Amendment
    1. Attachment 5a: ABC Control Rule Amendment Decision Document
    2. Attachment 5b: Draft ABC Control Rule Amendment
    3. Attachment 5c: ABC Control Rule Amendment Presentation (posted 9/7)
  2. Update on Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative 
    1. Attachment 6a: Climate Scenario Planning Update Report to NRCC
    2. Attachment 6b: Climate Scenario Draft Narratives
    3. Attachment 6c: Draft Climate Scenario Workshop Summary
    4. Attachment 6d: Summary Climate Scenarios Presentation (posted 9/7)

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Snapper Grouper Committee / McCawley 8:30 am – 12:00 noon

  1. Exempted Fishing Permit Brief  
    1. Attachment 1a: EFP letter to the Council
    2. Attachment 1b: EFP Application
  2. Release Mortality Reduction & Red Snapper (SG Reg Amendment 35)
    1. Attachment 2a: Regulatory Amendment 35 Options Paper
    2. Attachment 2b: Regulatory Amendment 35 Data Report
    3. Attachment 2c: SEFSC Report on Discard reductions of Red Snapper
  3. Recreational Permitting & Reporting (SG Am 46)
    1. Attachment 3a: August 2022 Private Recreational Permitting and Reporting Technical AP Summary Report (posted 9/7)
    2. Attachment 3b: Discussion document for private recreational permitting and reporting

Lunch 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm

Snapper Grouper Committee / McCawley 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  1. Yellowtail Snapper Interim Analysis
    1. Attachment 4: Yellowtail Snapper Interim Analysis Presentation (posted 9/7)
    2. SSC Report 
    3. Yellowtail Snapper Fishery Overview
  2. Gag Grouper (SG Amendment 53)
    1. Attachment 5a: Amendment 53 (Gag) Decision Document (revised)
    2. Attachment 5b: Amendment 53 (Gag) Draft Amendment
    3. Attachment 5c: Amendment 53 (Gag) Commercial Decision Tool (Excel download)
    4. Attachment 5d: Amendment 53 (Gag) Updated Recreational Decision Tool (Excel download)

Discussion with Sam Rauch, Deputy Assistant Administrator, NOAA Fisheries 4:30 – 5:00pm

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Snapper Grouper Committee/McCawley 8:30 am – 12:00 noon

  1. Wreckfish (SG Amendment 48)
    1. Attachment 6a: Amendment 48 (Wreckfish) Decision Document
    2. Attachment 6b: Amendment 48 (Wreckfish) Draft Amendment
  2. Golden Tilefish and Blueline Tilefish (SG Amendment 52)
    1. Attachment 7a: Amendment 52 (Golden Tilefish and Blueline Tilefish) Decision Document
    2. Attachment 7b: Amendment 52 (Golden Tilefish and Blueline Tilefish) Draft Amendment

Lunch 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm

Snapper Grouper Committee/McCawley 1:30 pm – 3:45 pm

  1. Snowy Grouper (SG Amendment 51)
    1. Attachment 8a: Amendment 51 (Snowy Grouper) Decision Document
    2. Attachment 8b: Amendment 51 (Snowy Grouper) Draft Amendment

Public comments 4:00 pm

Public comment will be accepted from individuals attending the meeting (in-person and remotely) regarding any of the items on the Council agenda. The Council Chair, based on the number of individuals wishing to comment, will determine the amount of time provided to each commenter. Those intending to provide verbal public comment via webinar can sign-up here.

Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Request

Public hearings:

  1. Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rule
  2. Snowy Grouper (SG Amendment 51)
  3. Golden Tilefish and Blueline Tilefish (SG Amendment 52)

Approval for public hearings:

  1. Wreckfish (SG Amendment 48)
  2. Gag (SG Amendment 53)

Final approval:

  1. Greater Amberjack (SG Amendment 49)

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Snapper Grouper Committee/McCawley 8:30 am – 10:30 am

  1. Greater Amberjack (SG Amendment 49)
    1. Attachment 9a: Amendment 49 (Greater Amberjack) Decision Document (revised)
    2. Attachment 9b: Amendment 49 (Greater Amberjack) Draft Amendment
    3. Attachment 9c: Amendment 49 (Greater Amberjack) Draft Codified Text
  2. Topics for Fall Advisory Panel Meeting (in Overview)
  3. Topics for golden tilefish longline endorsement holders meeting (in Overview)
  4. Other Business

Mackerel Cobia Committee/Woodward 10:30 am – 12:00 noon

  1. Update on amendments recently submitted to NMFS
  2. CMP Amendment 33 – Updates to Gulf king mackerel management based on SEDAR 38 Update 2020
    1. Attachment 1a: CMP Amendment 33 Presentation 
    2. Attachment 1b: CMP Amendment 33 Draft
  3. Spanish Mackerel Management Overview
    1. Attachment 2: Spanish Mackerel Management Overview

Lunch 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm

Mackerel Cobia Committee/Woodward 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

  1. SEDAR 78: Atlantic Spanish Mackerel Assessment
    1. Attachment 3a: SEDAR 78 Stock Assessment Presentation (posted 9/7)
    2. Attachment 3b: SEDAR 78 Stock Assessment Report
    3. SSC Report
    4. Spanish Mackerel Fishery Overview
  2. Topics for the Mackerel Cobia Advisory Panel (in Overview)
  3. Other Business

SEDAR Committee/Bell 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

  1. SEDAR Steering Committee Report
    1. Attachment 1: SEDAR Steering Committee Report May 2022 Report
  2. SEDAR Projects Update
    1. Attachment 2: SEDAR Projects Update
  3. Approve Scope of Work for King Mackerel, Gag, and Red Porgy
    1. Attachment 3a: Gag Operational Assessment Statement of Work
    2. Attachment 3b: King Mackerel Operational Assessment Statement of Work
    3. Attachment 3c: Red Porgy Operational Assessment Statement of Work
  4. Other Business

COUNCIL SESSION II/Bell 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

  1. Council Chair and Vice Chair Elections
  2. Litigation Brief (if needed)
  3. 2021 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award
  4. Council Staff Report
    1. Attachment 1: Council Staff report (September 2022)
  5. Topics for Habitat Advisory Panel Meeting
    1. Attachment 2: Topics for Fall 2022 Habitat AP meeting
  6. NMFS Southeast Regional Office Report
    1. Attachment 3a: SERO Protected Resources report (revised)
    2. Attachment 3b: Presentation on the proposed North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) vessel strike reduction rule (posted 9/7)
    3. Attachment 3c: Draft Council comments on proposed NARW regulations (revised)
  7. NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center Report
    1. Attachment 4: Presentation on SEFSC survey in Oculina HAPC

Friday, September 16, 2022

COUNCIL SESSION II/Bell 8:30 am – 12:00 noon

  1. Committee and Full Council Session Reports (will be posted during the meeting week)
    1. Full Council Session I
    1. Mackerel Cobia
    2. SEDAR
    3. Snapper Grouper
  2. Council Workplan Review
    1. Attachment 5: Council Workplan (revised September 2022, Excel Download)
  3. Upcoming meetings
    1. Attachment 6: SAFMC upcoming meetings

Other business

Adjourn