[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 121 (Friday, June 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31924-31925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15832]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[ I.D. 061496B]


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 will convene 
public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on July 15-18, 1996.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, 
4860 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL; telephone: 813-286-4050.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 5401 
West Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 331, Tampa, FL 33609.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne E. Swingle, Executive Director, 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Council
    July 17
     8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.--Convene to receive public testimony on 
Mackerel Total Allowable Catch (TAC)/Quotas/Bag Limits for the 1996-
1997 season and Draft Reef Fish Amendment 14 (NOTE: Testimony cards 
must be turned in to staff before the start of public testimony.)  
Draft Reef Fish Amendment 14 principally proposes alternatives to 
regulate the fish trap fishery. The amendment contains several 
alternatives related to the current moratorium on the issuance of fish 
trap permits. The Council's proposed action is to create a license 
limitation system with transferrable permits. Other alternatives to the 
proposed action include extending the moratorium for four more years, 
limiting permits to current participants and phasing out the trap 
fishery after ten years, and evaluating the effectiveness of 
enforcement of trap rules over two years before taking further action.
    Draft Reef Amendment 14 also has several alternatives related to 
area prohibitions on use of fish traps. The Council's proposed action 
is to prohibit the use of traps south of 2454', north 
latitude (i.e. off Dry Tortugas, Florida). Alternatives to the proposed 
action include also prohibiting use of traps in the Gulf of Mexico west 
of Cape San Blas, Florida (Appalachicola area), prohibiting use of 
traps on Riley's Hump (a 20 square mile spawning aggregation site, 
south of Dry Tortugas), and prohibiting all fishing on Riley's Hump 
year round, making it a marine sanctuary. It modifies the provisions 
for tending traps and sets forth compliance conditions for the trap 
permit. Authority is provided to the Regional Director of National 
Marine Fisheries Service to open and close commercial reef fish 
fisheries operating under quotas. Transfer provisions for reef fish 
vessel permits are modified to allow transfer to qualifying vessel 
operators and owners. The amendment also proposes to prohibit harvest 
of Nassau grouper in the Gulf. Copies of the amendment can be requested 
from the Council office (see addresses).
    July 18
    8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Set TACs for king and Spanish mackerels and 
cobia for 1996-1997.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.--Receive a report of the Shrimp Management 
Committee.
    11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the Budget Committee.
    11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.--Receive a report of the Ad Hoc 
Communications Committee.
    11:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon.--Receive a report of the Deep-water Crab 
Management Committee.
    1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Re-convene to receive a report of the Reef 
Fish Management Committee.
    3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.--Receive a report of Council Chairman's 
Meeting.
    3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.--Receive a report of the NOAA Constituency 
Workshop.
    4:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.--Receive Enforcement Report.
    4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.--Receive South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council Liaison Report.
    4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.--Receive Director's reports.
    4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.--Other Business to be discussed.
    Committees
    July 15
    9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Convene the Deep-water Crab Management 
Committee.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.--Convene the Budget Committee.
    11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Convene the Ad Hoc Communications 
Committee.
    1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee.

[[Page 31925]]

    July 16
    8:00 a.m. -12:00 noon--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee.
    1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee.
    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 July 8, 1996.

    Dated: June 17, 1996.
Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-15832 Filed 6-20-96; 8:45 am]
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