[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10025-10026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5336]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 022597E]


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 (Council) will 
convene a public meeting of the Law Enforcement Advisory Panel (AP).

DATES: This meeting will be held on March 19, 1997, from 8:30 a.m. to 
12:00 noon.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will be held at the Isle of Capri Crowne Plaza 
Resort, 151 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39530; telephone: (601) 435-
5400.

[[Page 10026]]

    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 reef-fish 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]
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