59658 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 213 / Tuesday, November 4, 1997 / Notices

implement the broad management goals

of the MMPA, Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act, and the Atlantic Tunas Convention

Act.

Alternative 3: Modified Plan, with

Marine Mammal Bycatch Limit for the

Drift Gillnet Fishery

This alternative would modify the

Team’s draft plan to include a marine

mammal bycatch limit for the drift

gillnet fishery. Under this alternative,

the following combination of measures

are proposed for the drift gillnet fishery:

(1) Limited entry to the drift gillnet

fishery, (2) prohibition of drift gillnet

gear south of Hudson Canyon yearround, (3) prohibition on the use of drift

gillnet gear from November 1 through

July 31, (4) 100 percent marine mammal

observer coverage, (5) mandatory

education workshops for all vessel

operators, and (6) a per-vessel marine

mammal bycatch limit. The longline

fishery would be subject to the same

regulations specified in Alternative 2,

with the following exceptions: (1) The

areas subject to regulation would be

expanded to include the Northeast

Coastal area and (2) educational

workshops would be mandatory for all

vessel operators.

Alternative 4: Modified Plan, with

Prohibition of Drift Gillnet Gear

This alternative would modify the

team’s draft plan to include a ban on the

use of drift gillnet gear to target

swordfish, tuna, and shark, except

where otherwise authorized (i.e., the

southeast U.S. shark gillnet fishery).

This alternative would adopt the

longline fishery take reduction strategies

outlined in Alternative 3.

Dated: October 29, 1997.

Patricia A. Montanio,

Deputy Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–29160 Filed 11–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 102797C]

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 (Council) will

convene a public meeting of the Florida/

Alabama Habitat Protection Advisory

Panel (AP).

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Thursday, November 20, 1997, and is

scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. and

adjourn at 3:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the at the Radisson Bay Harbor Inn,

7700 Courtney Campbell Causeway,

Tampa, FL 33609; telephone: 813–281–

8900.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico

Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S.

Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa,

FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff

Rester, Habitat Specialist, Gulf States

Marine Fisheries Commission;

telephone: 601–875–5912.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At this

meeting, the AP will discuss an update

on the Fenholloway River, and the

expansion of U.S. 1 in Monroe County.

The AP will also hear reports on the

status of completion of the Essential

Fish Habitat (EFH) guidelines being

developed by NMFS; and of completion

of a generic amendment by the Council

which describes EFH as required by the

Sustainable Fisheries Act. An overview

of the Florida Marine Research

Institute’s mapping of fisheries habitat,

and an update of the status of artificial

reefs in Florida will also be presented.

A copy of the agenda can be obtained

by calling 813–228–2815. Although

other issues not on the agenda may

come before the AP for discussion, in

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act, those issues may not be the subject

of formal AP action during this meeting.

AP action will be restricted to those

issues specifically identified in the

agenda listed as available by this notice.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is 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 13, 1997.

Dated: October 29, 1997.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–29159 Filed 11–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 102497D]

South Atlantic Fishery Management

Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a meeting of its Habitat Committee

and Habitat Research and Monitoring

Subgroup, Joint Habitat Committee and

Habitat Advisory Panel chairmen and

agency representatives to the Habitat

Advisory Panel, Marine Reserves

Committee, Information and Education

(I & E) Committee, Mackerel Committee,

Scientific and Statistical Selection

Committee (CLOSED SESSION),

Advisory Panel Selection Committee

(CLOSED SESSION), Personnel

Committee (CLOSED SESSION),

Snapper Grouper Committee, and a

Scoping Meeting of the Atlantic Coastal

Cooperative Statistics Program. A

Council Session will also be held.

DATES: The meetings will be held from

November 17-21, 1997. See

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific

dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at

the Duke University Nicholas School of

the Environment Marine Laboratory,

135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort,

NC 28516; telephone: (919) 504-7504.

Council address: South Atlantic

Fishery Management Council, One

Southpark Circle, Suite 306; Charleston,

SC 29407-4699.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan Buchanan, Public Information

Officer; telephone: (803) 571-4366; fax:

(803) 769-4520; email:

susan.buchanan@noaa.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates

November 17, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00

p.m.—Habitat Committee/Habitat

Research and Monitoring Subgroup;

The Committee will observe the

Subgroup workshop. The Subgroup will

review present research efforts to

identify and describe essential fish

habitat and determine fishery and nonfishery impacts on these habitats and

discuss the structure of the research

section of the Habitat Fishery

Management Plan (FMP).

November 17, 1997, 5:00 p.m. until all

business is complete —Atlantic Coastal
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 213 / Tuesday, November 4, 1997 / Notices 59659

Cooperative Statistics Program Scoping

Meeting;

The purpose of this scoping meeting

is to provide the public an opportunity

to express their views on ways to

improve commercial and recreational

fisheries data collection.

November 18, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00

noon—Joint Habitat Committee and

Habitat Advisory Panel chairmen and

state & Federal representatives to the

Habitat Advisory Panel;

The Committee, chairmen and

representatives will review the status of

the Habitat FMP and comprehensive

Habitat Amendment, review fishing

threats to essential fish habitat,

determine fishery impacts on habitat,

and develop management options for

the Habitat FMP.

November 18, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30

p.m.—Marine Reserves Committee;

The Committee will review recent

activities in the country that have

focused on marine reserves, such as

meetings, workshops and research,

review the status of the Oculina Bank

closed area, hear a report from NMFS

law enforcement on fishing vessel

monitoring systems and the potential for

enforcing marine reserves, and discuss a

Council approach for addressing marine

reserves in the South Atlantic.

November 18, 1997, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30

p.m.—Information and Education (I &

E) Committee;

The Committee will review current

Council I & E activities, hear an

overview of the NMFS Southeast

Regional Office plan for fishery I & E

activities, and discuss additional and/or

future I & E activities.

November 19, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00

noon—Mackerel Committee;

The Committee will review items for

Amendment 9 to the Coastal Migratory

Pelagics FMP proposed by the Gulf of

Mexico Fishery Management Council,

discuss the Gulf Council’s response to

the South Atlantic Council’s request for

true lead in dolphin and wahoo

management, and hear the status of

Amendment 8 to the Coastal Migratory

Pelagics FMP and the 1997-98

framework seasonal adjustments.

November 19, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30

p.m.—Scientific and Statistical

Selection (SSC) Committee (CLOSED

SESSION);

The Committee will review resumes

and develop recommendations for

appointment to SSC.

November 19, 1997, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00

p.m.—Advisory Panel Selection

Committee (CLOSED SESSION);

The Committee will review

applications and develop

recommendations for appointments to

advisory panels.

November 19, 1997, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00

p.m.—Personnel Committee (CLOSED

SESSION);

The Committee will discuss Council

personnel issues.

November 20, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00

noon—Snapper Grouper Committee;

The Committee will hear status

reports on Amendments 8 and 9 to the

Snapper Grouper FMP, hear stock

assessment reports on scamp and

vermilion snapper species, hear the

snapper grouper logbook report, a report

on the economic survey results, and

review special management zone

requests and develop recommendations.

November 20, 1997, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30

p.m.—Snapper Grouper Committee

continued;

November 20, 1997, 3:00 p.m. to 5:30

p.m.—Council Session;

The full Council will convene to hear

comments from Rear Admiral Norman

T. Saunders, Commander of the 7th

Coast Guard District, and to begin

development of the Magnuson-Stevens

Act Generic Amendment (the Council

will review definitions of overfishing

and rebuilding timeframes for each

FMP, develop new definitions and

rebuilding timeframes where required,

and review other Magnuson-Stevens Act

requirements).

November 21, 1997, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00

p.m.—Council Session;

The full Council will convene to hear

committee reports at the following

times.

8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.—Habitat

Committee report;

The Council will approve Habitat

Amendment management options.

9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.—Snapper

Grouper Committee report;

The Council will take action on

special management zone requests.

9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.—Marine

Reserves Committee report;

10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.—Mackerel

Committee report;

The Council will take action on Gulf

Council proposed actions for Coastal

Migratory Pelagics Amendment 9.

10:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.—I & E

Committee report;

11:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.—SSC

Selection Committee report (CLOSED

SESSION);

The Council will approve new SSC

members.

11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.—Advisory

Panel Selection Committee report

(CLOSED SESSION);

The Council will approve new

advisory panel members.

11:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon—Personnel

Committee report (CLOSED SESSION);

1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Council

will hear a report from the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service on the Federal aid

program and the South Florida

restoration project; modify the Bycatch

Reduction Device Protocol; hear reports

on the status of the investigation of the

four golden crab permits; the golden

crab framework action; the Operations

Plan meeting, the Dolphin/Wahoo FMP

request; progress of the Calico Scallop

FMP development; the Highly Migratory

Species longline Advisory Panel

meeting; the Highly Migratory Species

billfish advisory Panel meeting; and the

Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics

Program before making Council

recommendations. The Council will also

hear agency and liaison reports and

discuss other business.

Although other issues not contained

in this agenda may come before this

Council/Committee for discussion, in

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act, those issues may not be the subject

of formal Council/Committee action

during this meeting. Council/Committee

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 the Council office

(see ADDRESSES) by November 10, 1997.

Dated: October 29, 1997.

Gary C. Matlock,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–29098 Filed 10–30–97; 10:28 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain

Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk

Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber

Textiles and Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Macau

October 29, 1997.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the

Commissioner of Customs adjusting

limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 5, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Helen L. LeGrande, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and