South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the Snapper Grouper Committee, Dolphin Wahoo Committee, and Outreach and Communication Committee. T...
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
SUMMARY:
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of the Snapper Grouper Committee, Dolphin Wahoo Committee, and Outreach and Communication Committee. The meeting week will also include a formal public comment session and closed and open meetings of the Full Council.
DATES:
The Council meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 8, 2026, until 12 p.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address:
The meeting will be held at the World Golf Renaissance, 500 S Legacy Trail, St. Augustine, FL 32092; phone (904) 940-8000. The meeting will also be available via webinar. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Myra Brouwer, Deputy Director for Management, SAFMC; phone (843) 302-8436 or toll free (866) SAFMC-10; FAX (843) 769-4520; email:
myra.brouwer@safmc.net.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Meeting information, including agendas, overviews, and briefing book materials will be posted on the Council's website at:
https://safmc.net/council-meetings/.
Webinar registration links for the meeting will also be available from the Council's website.
Public comment:
Public comment on agenda items may be submitted through the Council's online comment form available from the Council's website at:
https://safmc.net/events/june-2026-council-meeting/.
Written comments will be accepted from May 22, 2026, until June 12, 2026. These comments are accessible to the public, part of the Administrative Record of the meeting, and immediately available for Council consideration. A formal public comment session will also be held during the Council meeting.
The items of discussion in the individual meeting agendas are as follows:
Council Session I, Monday, June 8, 2026, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 p.m. (Closed Session)
The Council will meet in closed session to receive a litigation brief if needed, review applicants for advertised advisory panel seats and consider appointments to the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), the Social and Economic Subpanel; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) review panels and the SEDAR pool; and nominees for the 2025 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. The Council will also discuss term limits for AP members.
Council Session I, Monday, June 8, 2026, 1:30 p.m. Until 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, June 9, 2025, 8:30 a.m. Until 10:00 a.m.
The Council will receive the following reports: a litigation brief, law enforcement, Council liaisons, the Council Coordination Committee, Lines of Communication, the Shrimp Workgroup, and the National Marine Fisheries Services' (NMFS) Southeast Regional Office (SERO) and Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC). The Council will also receive reports from its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), the SSC's Social and Economic Panel (SEP), and reports for managed stocks outside the Council's jurisdiction, if any. The Council will receive an update and discuss the NMFS' proposed risk/value matrix approach for managed stocks and
( printed page 29939)
receive an update from the NMFS' Marine Recreational Information Program.
Snapper Grouper Committee, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 10:15 a.m. Until 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 8:30 a.m. Until 3:45 p.m., and Thursday, June 11, 2026, 8:30 a.m. Until 10:30 a.m.
The Committee will receive updates from the NMFS on amendments undergoing rulemaking and Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) applications. The Committee will also receive an update on the Joint SAFMC and MAFMC Sub-Committee on Blueline Tilefish, review the draft report on sector allocations for Vermilion Snapper and consider approving the report and review an outline and progress on the Wreckfish Individual Transferable Quota Program Review.
The Committee will receive reports on topics pertaining to the snapper grouper fishery from the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel and the SSC and SEP. The Committee will review feedback from the Commercial Snapper Grouper Sub-Committee on Amendment 60 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan and consider approving the amendment for public hearings.
The Committee will continue discussion of Amendment 61 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan to evaluate the composition of the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Unit.
The Committee will discuss Regulatory Amendment 38 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan addressing headboat vessel limits for snapper grouper species and Regulatory Amendment 39 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan addressing sunsetting of Spawning Special Management Zones. The Committee will continue discussing Amendment 44 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan addressing yellowtail snapper and mutton snapper and initiate discussion on Regulatory Amendment 40 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan addressing possible re-opening of nearshore seasonal closed areas to on-demand Black Sea Bass pot gear and trip limit modification for pot gear. Finally, the Committee will receive an update on the Black Grouper Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) and address any other business.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 4 p.m.
—Public comment will be accepted from individuals attending the meeting in person and via webinar on all items on the Council meeting agenda. The Council Chair will determine the amount of time provided to each commenter based on the number of individuals wishing to comment.
Dolphin Wahoo Committee, Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10:45 a.m. Until 3 p.m.
The Committee will receive a presentation on the Dolphin MSE from the SEFSC, review SSC feedback on the MSE, provide feedback to the SEFSC on management procedures, discuss measures that may be considered in Regulatory Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic, and address any other business.
Outreach and Communications Committee, Thursday, June 11, 2026, 3:15 Until 5 p.m.
The Committee will receive a report from the Outreach and Communications Advisory Panel, review outreach and communications goals and objectives, receive a presentation on the expansion of the Return `Em Right Program to the South Atlantic, and address any other business.
Council Session II, Friday, June 12, 8:30 a.m. Until 12 p.m.
The Council will review its workplan, reports from the committees that met during the week, review upcoming meetings, and discuss any other business as needed. Documents regarding these issues are available from the Council office (see
ADDRESSES
).
Although non-emergency issues not contained in this 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 Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are 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.