10026 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 43 / Wednesday, March 5, 1997 / Notices

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;

telephone: (813) 228–2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of the meeting will be to review

management alternatives being

considered by the Council in

Amendment 15 to the Fishery

Management Plan (FMP) for Reef Fish in

the Gulf of Mexico. Amendment 15

includes a license limitation system for

red snapper with initial trip-limit

allocations. In order to help alleviate the

effects of derby fishing, the amendment

also considers opening the commercial

season for red snapper for only the first

15 days of each month until the quota

is reached and the fishery is closed. In

addition to proposed measures for red

snapper, Amendment 15 considers

alternatives regarding the harvest of reef

fish in traps other than permitted reeffish traps and the potential removal of

certain species of sea basses, grunts, and

porgies from the management unit.

The Law Enforcement AP will also

review the current regulations on bag

limits for reef fish species and any

potential enforcement problems.

Finally, the AP will review the schedule

for implementation of Amendment 9 to

the Shrimp FMP that requires virtually

all shrimp trawls used in Federal waters

west of Cape San Blas, FL to be

equipped with certified bycatch

reduction devices.

At 1:00 p.m., members of the Law

Enforcement AP will attend a meeting of

the Ad Hoc Interjurisdictional Legal

Panel of the Gulf States Marine

Fisheries Commission at the same

location. This meeting will focus on:

(1) Consistency of state fishery

regulations with Magnuson-Stevens Act

FMP guidelines;

(2) Consistency among Gulf States in

licensing and vessel registration;

(3) Development of guidelines for

effective state prosecution of Federal

fishery violations; and

(4) Future of state jurisdictional

authority within and without states’

waters. If necessary, the Law

Enforcement AP will reconvene

following the Ad Hoc Legal Panel

meeting to consider any

recommendations that arise from these

discussions. All business is expected to

be concluded by 5:00 p.m.

The AP comprises chief enforcement

agents for the state and Federal fishery

agencies in the Gulf area who advise the

Council on law enforcement issues.

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 March 12, 1997.

Dated: February 26, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–5336 Filed 3–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 022597C]

Pacific Fishery Management Council;

Public Meetings and Hearings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of reports;

notice of public meetings and hearings.

SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery

Management Council (Council) has

begun its annual preseason management

process for the 1997 ocean salmon

fisheries. This notice announces the

availability of Council documents and

the dates and locations of Council

meetings and public hearings. These

actions comprise the complete schedule

of events followed by the Council for

determining the annual proposed and

final modifications to ocean salmon

management measures.

DATES: Written comments on the season

options must be received by April 2,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be sent to Lawrence D. Six, Executive

Director, Pacific Fishery Management

Council, 2130 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite

224, Portland, OR 97201; telephone:

(503) 326–6352. See SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for dates, times, and

locations of public meetings and

hearings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

Coon, Salmon Management Coordinator;

telephone: (503) 326–6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

February 24, 1997: Council reports

which summarize the 1996 salmon

season and project the expected salmon

stock abundance for 1997 are available

to the public from the Council office.

March 3–7, 1997: Council and

advisory entities meet at the Red Lion

Hotel Lloyd Center, 1000 NE

Multnomah, Portland, OR, to adopt

1997 regulatory options for public

review.

March 18, 1997: Report with proposed

management options and public hearing

schedule is mailed to the public. (The

report includes options, rationale, and

summary of biological and economic

impacts.)

March 31 - April 1, 1997: Public

hearings are held to receive comments

on the proposed ocean salmon fishery

regulatory options adopted by the

Council. All public hearings begin at 7

p.m. on the dates and at the locations

specified below.

March 31, 1997: Westport High

School Commons, 2850 S. Montesano

Street, Westport, WA.

March 31, 1997: Pony Village Motor

Inn, Ballroom, Virginia Avenue, North

Bend, OR.

April 1, 1997: Red Lion Inn, Chinook

Room, 400 Industry, Astoria, OR.

April 1, 1997: Red Lion Inn,

Evergreen Room, 1929 Fourth Street,

Eureka, CA.

April 7–11, 1997: Council and its

advisory entities meet at the Clarion

Hotel, Millbrae, CA, to adopt final 1997

regulatory measures.

April 17, 1997: Newsletter describing

adopted ocean salmon fishing

management measures is mailed to the

public.

April 11–22, 1997: Salmon Technical

Team completes ‘‘Preseason Report III

Analysis of Council Adopted Regulatory

Measures for 1996 Ocean Salmon

Fisheries.’’

May 1, 1997: Federal regulations

implemented and preseason report III

available for distribution to the public.

Special Accommodations

The meetings are physically

accessible to people with disabilities.

Requests for sign language

interpretation or other auxiliary aids

should be directed to Eric Greene at

(503) 326–6352 at least 5 days prior to

the meeting date.

Dated: February 26, 1997.

Bruce Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97–5334 Filed 3–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

[I.D. 022797B]

Marine Mammals; Permit No. 968

(P557D)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Scientific research permit

amendment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a

request for amendment of scientific