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Coral amendment 8 to the fishery management plan for coral, coral reefs, and live/hardbottom habitats of the South Atlantic region : modifications to habitat areas of particular concern and transit provisions : environmental assessment, regulatory impact review, fishery impact statement
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2013
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[PDF-10.32 MB]
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Alternative Title:Amendment 8 to the fishery management plan for coral, coral reefs, and live/hardbottom habitats of the South Atlantic region;South Atlantic Coral amendment 8;
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Description:Actions in Amendment 8 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coral, Coral Reefs, and Live/Hard bottom Habitats of the South Atlantic Region (Coral Amendment 8) address modifications to Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) in the South Atlantic, and transit through the Oculina HAPC. The management unit for coral includes coral belonging to the Class Hydrozoa (fire corals and hydrocorals) and Class Anthozoa (sea fans, whips, precious corals, sea pens and stony corals). Coral reefs constitute hard bottoms, deepwater banks, patch reefs, and outer bank reefs, as defined in the Coral, Coral Reefs and Live/Hard bottom Habitat Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (SAFMC and GMFMC 1982) and in the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR 622.2). Discoveries of previously uncharacterized areas of deepwater coral resources have been brought forward by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (South Atlantic Council) Coral Advisory Panel (AP). Recent scientific exploration has identified areas of high relief features and hard bottom habitat outside the boundaries of existing HAPCs. During their 2011 October meeting, the Coral AP recommended the South Atlantic Council revisit the boundaries of the Oculina Bank HAPC, Stetson-Miami Terrace Coral HAPC (CHAPC), and the Cape Lookout Lophelia Banks CHAPC to incorporate areas of additional deepwater coral habitat that were previously uncharacterized. The South Atlantic Council reviewed the recommendations and associated Vessel Monitoring System analyses of rock shrimp fishing activity for expansion of these areas, and approved the measures for public scoping through Comprehensive Ecosystem- Based Amendment 3. In June 2012, the measures were split out from Comprehensive- Ecosystem Based Amendment 3 and guidance was provided to develop the actions through a Coral Amendment. Approval for public hearings for Coral Amendment 8 occurred during the South Atlantic Council's June 2013 meeting, and public hearings were held during August 2013. The Coral, Habitat, Deepwater Shrimp, and Law Enforcement APs worked collectively to refine the recommendations since the public scoping process and provide input to the South Atlantic Council on these proposed management measures. Coral Amendment 8 consists of regulatory actions that focus on deepwater coral ecosystem conservation. Actions consider alternatives that: Expand boundaries of the Oculina Bank HAPC, Implement a transit provision through the Oculina Bank HAPC, Expand the boundaries of the Stetson-Miami Terrace CHAPC, Expand the boundaries of the Cape Lookout Lophelia Banks (Cape Lookout) CHAPC This Environmental Assessment has been prepared to analyze the effects of the actions considered in the amendment.
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Rights Information:Public Domain
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Compliance:Submitted
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