[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 67771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32604]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 121196C]


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 meetings.

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

DATES: The meetings will be held on January 13-16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn Emerald 
Beach, 1102 South Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, Texas; 
telephone: 512-883-5731.
    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; 
telephone: (813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Council

January 15

    8:30 a.m.--Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Receive public testimony on Texas 
Cooperative Shrimp Closure and Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Red 
Snapper and Vermilion Snapper.
    1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.--Reconvene to continue public testimony on 
TACs for Red Snapper and Vermilion Snapper.
    2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.--Receive a report of the Shrimp Management 
Committee.
    4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Receive a report of the Personnel Committee 
(CLOSED SESSION).

January 16

    8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.--Receive a report of the Reef Fish 
Management Committee.
    11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the Habitat Protection 
Committee.
    11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.--Receive a report on the South Atlantic 
Fishery Management Council Liaison.
    11:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Receive Enforcement Reports.
    12:00 noon - 12:20 p.m.--Receive Director's Reports.
    12:20 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.--Other Business to be discussed.

Committees

January 13

    12:00 noon - 4:30 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee. 
The committee will hear scientific reports on the cooperative shrimp 
closure with Texas and determine the areal extent of the closure for 
the 1997-98 fishing season. They will review similar closures of 
adjoining Mexican waters and discuss cooperation for initiating these 
annual closures. The committee will hear reports on Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) review of Draft Shrimp Amendment 9 and 
review of statisticians recommendations for computing estimates of 
bycatch of red snapper using a general linear model.
    4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Personnel Committee (CLOSED 
SESSION).

January 14

    8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee. 
The committees will hear stock assessment reports for red snapper, 
vermilion snapper, and amberjack. They will review the recommendations 
of a scientific stock assessment panel and socioeconomic panel on 
acceptable biological catch (ABC) and on TAC for these stocks as well 
as the recommendations of the SSC and Red Snapper Advisory Panel (AP). 
The committee will develop their recommendations to the Council on TAC, 
bag limits, and commercial quotas for red snapper and vermilion 
snapper, and management actions for the other stocks. The committee 
will review recommendations of the SSC, Socioeconomic Panel and AP on 
management alternatives for a license limitation system for the 
commercial red snapper fishery which will be included in Draft Reef 
Fish Amendment 15.
    3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Habitat Protection Committee.

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 January 6, 1997.

    Dated: December 16, 1996.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-32604 Filed 12-23-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F