[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 83 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 23733-23734] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-11428] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 042098E] 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene public meetings. DATES: The meetings will be held on May 11-15, 1998. ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Sandestin Beach Hilton, 4000 Sandestin Boulevard South, Destin, FL; telephone: 850-267-9500. 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 May 13 8:30 a.m.--Convene. 8:45 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.--Receive public testimony on: (1) Mackerel Total Allocable Catch (TAC) (2) Draft Mackerel Amendment 9; and, (3) Draft Reef Fish Amendment 16B. Draft Mackerel Amendment 9 contains the following alternatives: (1) Possible changes to the fishing year for Gulf group king mackerel; (2) Possible prohibitions of sale of Gulf mackerel caught under the recreational allocation; (3) Possible reallocations of TAC for the commercial fishery for Gulf group king mackerel in the Eastern Zone; (4) Possible reallocations of TAC for Gulf group king mackerel between the recreational and commercial sectors to 70 percent recreational and 30 percent commercial; (5) Possible establishment of two subdivisions of TAC for the commercial, hook-and-line allocation of Gulf group king mackerel by area for the Florida west coast; (6) Possible subdivisions of TAC for commercial Gulf group king mackerel in the Western Zone (Alabama through Texas) by area, season, or a combination of area and season; (7) Possible trip limits for vessels fishing for Gulf group king mackerel in the Western Zone; (8) Possible additional restrictions on the use of net gear to harvest Gulf group king mackerel off the Florida west coast; including a phase-out, a moratorium on additional net endorsements with requirements for continuing existing net endorsements, restrictions on the transferability of net endorsements, and restriction of the use of nets to primarily the waters off Monroe and Collier Counties; (9) Possible increase in the minimum size limit for Gulf group king mackerel to 24 or 26 inches fork length; (10) Possible re-establishment of an annual allocation or a TAC percentage of Gulf group Spanish mackerel for the purse seine fishery with consideration of trip limits and area restrictions; (11) Possible retention and sale of cut-off (damaged) legal-sized king and Spanish mackerel within established trip limits. Draft Reef Fish Amendment 16B contains the following alternatives: (1) Possible establishment of a slot limit, of 14 inches and 20 (or 22) inches fork length, for banded rudderfish and lesser amberjack; and possible prohibition on the sale of minor amberjack species that are smaller than 36 inches fork length; (2) Possible 5-fish bag limit for lesser amberjack and banded rudderfish; (3) Possible removal from the fishery management plan (FMP) or management of sand perch, dwarf sand perch, Queen triggerfish, and hogfish; (4) Possible minimum size limits of 20 inches for scamp and yellowmouth grouper; 16 inches for mutton snapper; and 12 inches for blackfin snapper, cubera snapper, dog snapper, mahogany snapper, schoolmaster, silk snapper, mutton snapper, queen snapper, gray triggerfish, and hogfish; (5) Possible inclusion of the 5-fish red snapper bag limit as part of the 10-snapper aggregate snapper limit, and a 5-fish bag limit for hogfish, and 2 fish per vessel of cubera snapper over 30 inches total length; (6) Possible establishment of a 1-fish bag limit and commercial quotas for speckled hind and warsaw grouper, or a prohibition on harvest of these species. 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.--Receive a report of the Mackerel Management Committee. 5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--(CLOSED SESSION) Receive reports of the Advisory Panel Selection Committee and Marine Reserves Committee. May 14 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.--Continue report of the Mackerel Management Committee. 10:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.--Receive a report of the Reef Fish Management Committee. 3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Receive a report of the Shrimp Management Committee. 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.--Receive a presentation on the Barataria/ Terrebonne Estuary Program. 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.--Receive a report of the Habitat Protection Committee. May 15 8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.--Continue report of the Habitat Protection Committee. 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the AP Selection Committee. 9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.--Receive a report of the Marine Reserves Committee. [[Page 23734]] 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Receive a presentation on the NMFS FMP Review and Approval Process. 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.--Receive a report on the NMFS Billfish/ Highly Migratory Species APs meetings. 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.--Receive a report on the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee meeting. 11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.--Receive Enforcement Reports. 11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.--Receive Directors' Reports. 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.--Other business to be discussed. Under Other Business the Council will consider state regulation of the line of separation for the Stone Crab/Shrimp Fisheries for southwest Florida. 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Convene a workshop with members of the Gulf Council, South Atlantic Council, and Florida Marine Fisheries Commission regarding management of mackerels, but particularly focusing on issues related to recreational sales, minimum size limits, and sale of cut-off (damaged) king and Spanish mackerel. May 11 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.--(CLOSED SESSION) Convene the AP Selection Committee to consider the user group and geographic representation of the Reef Fish AP as well as consider appointing a sustainable fisheries generic amendment AP. 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--(CLOSED SESSION) Convene the Ad Hoc Marine Reserve Committee to select Scientific and Statistical Committee members. 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.--Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to review a preliminary draft of the Essential Fish Habitat Generic Amendment and to consider a Corps of Engineers permit application for enlargement of the Gulfport, Mississippi harbor facility. May 12 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to review reports of the Mackerel Stock Assessment Panel and Socioeconomic Panel along with recommendations of the Mackerel AP and Scientific Statistical Committee (SSC) regarding TAC for king and Spanish mackerel during the 1998-99 fishing season. The Committee will then develop recommendations to the Council on TAC and possibly other framework measures. The Mackerel Management Committee will also discuss possible management of dolphin and wahoo. 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee to review summaries of public comments from public hearings, the recommendations of the APs and SSCs, and develop recommendations to the Council on the alternatives of Draft Reef Fish Amendment 16B. They will also consider Federal actions regarding the TAC for red snapper and any need for further Council action, as well as the NMFS news release on TAC for red snapper. 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management to consider the NMFS news release on TAC for red snapper. Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before the Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda listed in this notice. 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 May 4, 1998. Dated: April 22, 1998. George H. Darcy, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 98-11428 Filed 4-29-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F