76688 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 22, 2004 / Notices 

Dated: December 13, 2004. 

Brad Exton, 

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 04–27925 Filed 12–21–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 121504E]

Caribbean Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council (Council) and its 

Administrative Committee will hold 

public meetings in January 2005. The 

agenda topics for these meetings can be 

found under the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice.

DATES: The Council will convene on 

Wednesday, January 26, 2005, from 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m., and will reconvene on 

Thursday, January 27, 2005, from 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., approximately.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Best Western San Juan Airport Hotel 

located at the Luis Mun ̃ oz Marı ́n 

International Airport in Carolina, Puerto 

Rico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 

268 Mun ̃ oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 1108, 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918–1920, 

telephone: (787) 766–5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Council will hold its 117th regular 

public meeting to discuss the items 

contained in the following agenda:

January 26, 2005, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Call to Order

• Adoption of Agenda

• Consideration of 116th Council 

Meeting Verbatim Minutes

• Executive Director’s Report

• Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) 

Document

January 27, 2005, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Continuation of Discussion on SFA 

Document

• Other Business

• Next Council Meeting

The meetings are open to the public, 

and will be conducted in English, 

however simultaneous translation 

(English to Spanish) will be provided. 

Fishers and other interested persons are 

invited to attend and participate with 

oral or written statements regarding 

agenda issues.

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. 

For more information or to request sign 

language interpretation and/other 

auxiliary aids, please contact Miguel A. 

Rolo ́n at the Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council (see ADDRESSES) at 

least five days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: December 17, 2004.

Alan D. Risenhoover,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. E4–3764 Filed 12–21–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 121504D]

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting

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 will convene a 

public meeting of the Shrimp Advisory 

Panel (AP). The AP will receive reports 

on the status and health of the shrimp 

stocks as well as a report on the 

biological and economic aspects of the 

2004 Cooperative Shrimp Closure with 

the state of Texas. The AP will also 

review Draft Amendment 13 to the 

Shrimp Fishery Management Plan 

(FMP) addressing maximum sustainable 

yield (MSY), optimum yield (OY), 

minimum stock size threshold (MSST), 

and maximum fishing mortality 

threshold (MFMT) for shrimp stocks, as 

well as improved effort alternatives and 

standardized bycatch reporting 

methodologies and alternatives for a 

shrimp permit moratorium.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled to 

begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 

6, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the New Orleans Airport Ramada Inn & 

Suites, 110 James Drive East, St. Rose, 

LA; telephone: (504) 466–1355. Copies 

of the meeting agenda can be obtained 

by calling (813) 228–2815.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. 

Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, 

FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Leard, Senior Fishery Biologist, 

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 

Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, 

Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; 

telephone: (813) 228–2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Shrimp AP will receive reports from 

NMFS on the status and health of the 

shrimp stocks as well as a report on the 

biological and economic aspects of the 

2004 Cooperative Shrimp Closure with 

the state of Texas. The Shrimp AP may 

make recommendations for a 

cooperative closure with Texas for 2005. 

The Shrimp AP will also review Draft 

Amendment 13 to the FMP addressing 

MSY, OY, MSST, and MFMT for shrimp 

stocks, as well as improved effort 

alternatives and standardized bycatch 

reporting methodologies and 

alternatives for a shrimp permit 

moratorium.

The Shrimp AP consists principally of 

commercial shrimp fishermen, dealers, 

and association representatives.

Although other non-emergency issues 

not on the agenda may come before the 

AP for discussion, in accordance with 

the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), those issues 

may not be the subject of formal action 

during these meetings. Actions of the 

AP will be restricted to those issues 

specifically identified in the agenda and 

any issues arising after publication of 

this notice that require emergency 

action under Section 305(c) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the 

public has been notified of the Council’s 

intent to take action to address the 

emergency.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Dawn Aring at the Council (see 

ADDRESSES) by December 29, 2004.

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 22, 2004 / Notices 76689

Dated: December 16, 2004.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 04–27930 Filed 12–21–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

[I.D. 121504C]

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 will convene 

public meetings along with the 

Council’s Administrative Policy 

Committee, Data Collection Committee, 

Habitat Protection Committee, Mackerel 

Management Committee, Reef Fish 

Management Committee, Shrimp 

Management Committee, and the 

Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem 

Committee. Joint meetings will also be 

held by the Artificial Reef/Reef Fish 

Committees and the Reef Fish/Mackerel 

Committees. The agenda for these 

meetings can be found under the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this notice.

DATES: The Council will meet January 

12, 2005, from 1 to 5:15 p.m. and 

January 13 from 8:30 am. to 1 p.m. The 

Committee meetings will be held 

January 10, 2005, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 

p.m., January 11 from 8:30 am. to 5:30 

p.m., and January 12 from 8:30 am. to 

11:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at 

the Sheraton Baton Rouge, 102 France 

Street, Baton Rouge, LA.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico 

Fishery Management Council, 3018 

North U.S. Highway 301, 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:

Agenda for the Fishery Management 

Council Meeting

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

1 p.m. - Convene.

1:15 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. - Receive 

public testimony on (1) Final Reef Fish 

Amendment 24, (2) Final CMP 

Amendment 15, (3) Final essential fish 

habitat (EFH) Amendment 3, (4) the 

Texas Shrimp Closure, and (5) 

exempted fishing permits (if any).

3:30 p.m. — 3:45 p.m. - Receive the 

Habitat Protection Committee report.

3:45 p.m. — 4:15 p.m. - Receive the 

Shrimp Management Committee report.

4:15 p.m. — 4:45 p.m. - Receive the 

Mackerel Management Committee 

report.

4:45 p.m. — 5:15 p.m. - Receive the 

Joint Artificial Reef/ Reef Fish 

Committee report.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

8:30 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. - Receive the 

Reef Fish Management Committee 

report.

10:30 a.m. — 10:45 a.m. - Receive the 

Data Collection Committee report.

10:45 a.m. — 11 a.m. - Receive the 

Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel Committee 

report.

11 a.m. — 11:15 a.m. - Receive the 

Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem 

Committee report.

11:15 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. - Receive the 

Administrative Policy Committee 

report.

11:30 a.m. — 11:45 a.m. - Receive the 

International Commission for the 

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 

meeting report.

11:45 a.m. — 12 noon - Receive the 

U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting 

report.

12 noon — 12:15 p.m. - Receive 

Enforcement Reports.

12:15 p.m. — 12:30 p.m. - Receive the 

NMFS Regional Administrator’s report.

12:30 p.m. — 12:45 p.m. - Receive 

Director’s Reports.

12:45 p.m. — 1 p.m. - Other business.

Agenda for Committee Meetings

Monday, January 10, 2005

9:30 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. - The Shrimp 

Management Committee will review the 

public hearing draft of Shrimp 

Amendment 13 which addresses limited 

access in the shrimp fishery. They will 

also review scientific analyses of the 

effect of the cooperative shrimp closure 

with the state of Texas and determine 

whether the closure should be 

implemented in 2005.

1 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. - The Reef Fish 

Management Committee will meet take 

final action on Reef Fish Amendment 

24. The Committee will discuss a 

proposed vessel buy-out program for the 

Gulf commercial grouper fishery based 

on funding provided by Congress and 

review a biological opinion on the effect 

of the Gulf reef fish fishery, proposed by 

NMFS, under the Endangered Species 

Act. The Committee will also review a 

draft of Reef Fish Amendment 18A 

addressing the grouper fishery and a 

preliminary draft of a red grouper 

regulatory amendment providing for 

commercial vessel trip limits.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

8:30 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. - The Reef 

Fish Management Committee will 

reconvene to complete its work.

10:30 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. - The 

Mackerel Management Committee will 

meet to take final action on CMP 

Amendment 15.

1 p.m. — 2 p.m. - The Joint Artificial 

Reef/Reef Fish Committees will review 

a Mississippi Fishing Banks Special 

Management Zone Request.

2 p.m. — 3 p.m. - The Data Collection 

Committee will hear an update by the 

Gulf States Marine Fisheries 

Commission on its Fisheries 

Information Network (FIN) program.

3 p.m. — 4:30 p.m. - The Joint Reef 

Fish/Mackerel Committees will review 

an options paper for an amendment that 

would extend the charter vessel permit 

moratorium.

4:30 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. - The 

Administrative Policy Committee will 

review feasibility studies for 

distribution of Council mail via email 

and video/teleconferencing of public 

hearings or meetings.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

8:30 a.m. — 9:30 a.m. - The Habitat 

Protection Committee will take final 

action on the EFH Amendment by 

developing their recommendations to 

Council.

9:30 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. - The 

Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem 

Committee will meet to review NMFS 

actions on developing social survey 

documents and address developing a 

Request for Proposal (RFP) for soliciting 

contractual support in carrying out 

social ecosystem surveys. They will also 

discuss the role of the Ecosystem 

Scientific and Statistical Committee 

(SSC).

Although other non-emergency issues 

not on the agendas may come before the 

Council and Committees for discussion, 

in accordance with the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens 

Act), those issues may not be the subject 

of formal action during these meetings. 

Actions of the Council and Committees 

will be restricted to those issues 

specifically identified in the agendas 

and any issues arising after publication 

of this notice that require emergency 

action under Section 305(c) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the 

public has been notified of the Council’s 

intent to take action to address the