[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 210 (Monday, October 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64683-64684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27818]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 102400D]
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will
convene public meetings.
DATES: The meetings will be held on November 13-16, 2000.
ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Isle of Capri Casino
Hotel, 151 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS; telephone: 228-435-5400.
Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne E. Swingle, Executive Director,
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Council
November 15
8:30 a.m.--Convene.
9 a.m. - 12 noon--Receive public testimony on a proposed amendment
to the Stone Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP), a proposed amendment
to the Shrimp FMP, and a proposed Dolphin/Wahoo FMP. Persons who will
testify must turn in a registration card before the start of the
testimony period on Wednesday.
1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.-Continue public testimony if needed.
4 p.m. - 5 p.m.--Receive a report of the Shrimp Management
Committee.
5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Receive a presentation on the Invasion of
Australian Spotted Jellyfish.
4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.--Receive a report of the Stone Crab
Management Committee.
[[Page 64684]]
November 16
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.--Receive a briefing on new travel procedures
for Council members.
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the Reef Fish
Management Committee.
11:30 a.m. - 12 noon--Receive a report of the Mackerel Management
Committee.
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.--Receive a report of the Joint Reef Fish and
Mackerel Management Committees.
2:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.--Receive a report of the Habitat Protection
Committee.
3 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.--Receive a report of the Administrative Policy
Committee.
3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Receive a report of the Stone Crab
Management Committee.
3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.--Receive the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council Liaison report.
3:45 p.m. - 4 p.m.--Receive the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee Report.
4 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.--Receive enforcement reports.
4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.--Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's
Report.
4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.--Receive Director's Reports.
4:45 p.m. - 5 p.m.--Other Business.
November 13
1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to
discuss the proposed Shrimp Amendment 11 and develop recommendations
for final action by the full Council on Wednesday afternoon. Shrimp
Amendment 11 contains alternatives for requiring shrimp vessel permits,
shrimp vessel registration, operator permits, and prohibiting trap gear
in the royal red shrimp fishery of the exclusive economic zone.
3 :30 p.m. - 4 p.m.--Convene the Stone Crab Management Committee to
discuss the proposed Stone Crab Amendment 7 and will develop
recommendations for final action by the full Council on Thursday
afternoon. Stone Crab Amendment 7 proposes to create a Federal trap
certificate program for the commercial stone crab fishery in Federal
waters off Florida. This program will be similar to the trap
certificate program adopted by the state of Florida.
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to
discuss the proposed Dolphin/Wahoo FMP and develop recommendations for
final action by the full Council on Wednesday afternoon. They will also
hear scientific presentations on cobia. The Dolphin/Wahoo FMP has been
prepared by the South Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean fishery management
councils. The first 10 actions, with options, of the Dolphin/Wahoo FMP
contain measures that are applicable to the dolphin and wahoo stocks in
the jurisdictions of all 3 councils. These include measures to: define
the management units; address dealer, vessel, and operator permits;
consider data reporting requirements; identify estimates of maximum
sustainable yield, optimum yield, and overfishing/overfished criteria;
and, framework options to enable seasonal adjustments to the management
structure. Other actions, with options, are separately applicable to
each Council's area of jurisdiction, and include actions that may be
implemented through the framework procedures, e.g. minimum size limits,
bag limits, trip limits, and allocations, among others.
November 14
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee
to receive the Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel's and the Socioeconomic
Panel's recommendations on grouper complex rebuilding scenarios, and to
receive a report from NMFS on red snapper restoration scenarios. This
discussion will include management strategies, estimates of trawl
bycatch, alternative assessment scenarios, and the management
implications.
1:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.--Convene the Joint Reef Fish and Mackerel
Management Committees to consider further Council action on a Draft
Amendment for Charter Vessel Permit Moratorium for public hearings. The
draft amendment proposes to put a moratorium on the issuance of
additional permits for charter vessels to fish for reef fish or coastal
migratory pelagics in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The
amendment will make the charter vessel permits transferable.
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.--Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to hear a
review of the Turkey Creek Development Project, a review of floating
production storage and offloading systems, an update on an Essential
Fish Habitat lawsuit, receive recommendations from the Texas Habitat
Protection Advisory Panel meeting, and discuss draft council wetland
and submerged aquatic vegetation policies.
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Administrative Policy Committee to
discuss amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson Act) and amendments to the Council's
Administrative Handbook. They will develop recommendations for comments
to be heard by full Council on Thursday afternoon.
Although non-emergency issues not contained in the agenda may come
before the Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson Act,
those issues may not be the subject of formal Council action during
this meeting. Council 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 Act, provided the public has been notified of
the Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency. A
copy of the Committee schedule and agenda can be obtained by calling
(813) 228-2815.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Anne Alford at the Council (see
ADDRESSES) by November 6, 2000.
Dated: October 25, 2000.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-27818 Filed 10-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S