Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 210 / Monday, October 30, 2000 / Notices 64683

DATES: The meeting dates are:

1. Honolulu, HI, November 14, 2000,

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

2. Miami, FL, November 16, 2000, 10

a.m. - 3 p.m.

3. Silver Spring, MD; November 20,

2000, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop locations are:

1. Honolulu: University of Hawaii,

Hawaii Imin International Conference

Center, Jefferson Hall, Pacific Room,

East West Center Road, Honolulu, HI

96822.

2. Miami: Rosenstiel School

Auditorium, 4600 Rickenbacker

Causeway, Miami, FL 33149.

3. Silver Spring: NOAA Auditorium,

1301 East West Highway, Silver Spring,

MD. 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Edwin Rhodes at (301) 713-2334 or

Colin Nash at (360) 871 8309. For

specific workshop information contact:

Honolulu, HI, Wende Goo (808) 983

5303; Miami, FL, Daniel Benetti (305)

361 4889 or Kim Newlin (305) 361 4464;

Silver Spring, MD, Edwin Rhodes, (301)

713 2334.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

NMFS has Federal responsibility for

the living marine resources of the

United States. Under authorities of the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act,

NMFS has responsibility for federally

managed species and for the

conservation and enhancement of

essential fish habitat in the zone

seaward of coastal state boundaries to

the 200 nautical mile limit of the EEZ.

NMFS has additional responsibilities for

threatened and endangered species and

for marine mammals under authorities

of the Endangered Species Act and the

Marine Mammal Protection Act. NMFS

anticipates increasing aquaculture

activity in the EEZ. In order to provide

guidance to potential users of the U.S.

EEZ for aquaculture, NMFS, with broad

stakeholder input, will produce a Code

of Conduct for Responsible Aquaculture

in the United States Exclusive Economic

Zone. It is the purpose of such a Code

of Conduct to provide general guidance

to the aquaculture industry for siting

and operating aquaculture facilities in

this zone, and to provide NMFS with a

framework that can be used to ensure a

more consistent review of aquaculture

projects that require agency actions.

NMFS may also use the Code of

Conduct as a starting point for the

development of regulatory standards in

the future.

The United States was an active

participant in the 1993-1995

consultations that led to the adoption by

the Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United Nations (FAO) of the Code

of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

(FAO Code). While the FAO Code is a

voluntary and non-binding instrument,

the United States has consistently

supported its usefulness as an

internationally agreed upon statement of

principles that should govern the

policies of FAO members in all sectors

of the fishing industry, including

aquaculture, which is addressed in

Article 9 of the FAO Code. Although the

Code of Conduct being developed for

the U.S. EEZ does not have to follow the

FAO model, the FAO Code is an

important reference instrument. A copy

of the aquaculture section (Article 9) of

the FAO Code can be obtained from the

contact persons listed here, and can be

found on the internet at http://

www.fao.org/fi/agreem/codecond/

ficonde.asp

NMFS will develop the Code of

Conduct in steps. The first step is to get

stakeholder input through workshops to

assist in Code of Conduct development.

NMFS, in consultation with other

Federal agencies with authorities in

Federal waters, will consider this

stakeholder input in producing a draft

Code of Conduct, which will be made

available for public comment through a

Federal Register notice early in 2001.

Public comments will be addressed in

formulating a final Code of Conduct,

which will be published in the Federal

Register before January, 2002.

Regional Workshops

NMFS held three workshops in

September, 2000, and will hold three

more regional workshops to receive

additional stakeholder input for

development of the Code of Conduct.

NMFS seeks input on the scope,

content, specificity and use of a Code of

Conduct that can be used to help guide

aquaculture development in the EEZ.

Areas for discussion include, but are not

limited to, species choices, siting,

transboundary considerations, design

and construction of facilities, disease

prevention and control, feeds and

feeding protocols, effluents and

pollution,interactions with wild species

and protected resources, general

operations, stock enhancement, use

conflict resolution, and on-shore

impacts. The workshops are open to all

interested persons.

Special Accommodations

The workshops will be physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Edwin Rhodes at

least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: October 24, 2000.

Clarence G. Pautzke,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

FR Doc. 00–27824 File 10–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

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.

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.

64684 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 210 / Monday, October 30, 2000 / Notices

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 MagnusonStevens 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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 102400F]

New England 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 New England Fishery

Management Council (Council) is

scheduling a public meeting of its

Research Steering Committee and Social

Science Advisory Committee (SSAC) in

November, 2000 to consider actions

affecting New England fisheries in the

exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Recommendations from these groups

will be brought to the full Council for

formal consideration and action, if

appropriate.

DATES: The meetings will be held on

Monday, November 13, 2000. See

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific

dates and times.