[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