[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 68 (Monday, April 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15469-15470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8553]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 032996A]


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.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene 
public meetings.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The Mackerel AP and all SSC meetings will be held at the 
Pontchartrain Hotel, 2031 St. Charles

[[Page 15470]]
Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70104; telephone: (800) 777-6193.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 5401 
West Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 331, Tampa, FL 33609.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne E. Swingle (for Mackerel related 
issues), and Steven Atran (for reef fish related issues), Gulf of 
Mexico Fishery Management Council, telephone: (813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The meetings are scheduled as follows: 
Mackerel Advisory Panel (AP), April 29, 1996, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 
Standing and Special Mackerel Scientific and Statistical Committee 
(SSC), April 30, 1996, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Standing and Special 
Shrimp Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), May 1, 1996, 8:00 
a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; and Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC), May 1, 1996, 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.
    The Mackerel AP during its meeting on April 29 and the SSC during 
its meeting on April 30, will review the following mackerel assessment 
information and develop their recommendations to the Council: A stock 
assessment for the fishery prepared by NMFS; a report of a scientific 
stock assessment panel which will recommend the range of allowable 
biological catch (ABC) for the 1996-1997 season; and a report of a 
scientific socioeconomic panel which examines social and economic 
impacts of various levels of total allowable catch (TAC), for the 1996-
1997 season.
    The Council will use these recommendations when they set TAC and 
trip and bag limits for king and Spanish mackerel for the 1996-1997 
mackerel season at the Council meeting on May 13-16, 1996 in Houston, 
TX.
    The Shrimp SSC during its meeting on May 1, will review a 
regulatory amendment for royal red shrimp allowing TAC to be exceeded 
to collect information for respecifying maximum sustainable yield, a 
discussion paper on availability of data and analyses to address 
bycatch issues in the forthcoming plan amendment and a NMFS study 
comparing effort data from the bycatch characterization project and 
that collected from the commercial fishery.
    The Reef Fish SSC during its meeting on May 1, will review an 
amendment to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan. Proposed Amendment 
14 will address a license limitation system to replace the current 
moratorium on fish trap endorsements, a prohibition on trap fishing in 
an area of the exclusive economic zone off Dry Tortugas in south 
Florida, an additional revision to the framework procedure and a 
revision to transferability of vessel permits.
    The SSC consists of scientists and the APs of fishermen and other 
user groups who advise the Council on fishery issues.

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 April 22, 1996.

    Dated: April 1, 1996.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-8553 Filed 4-5-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F