[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 107 (Thursday, June 4, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30465-30466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14871]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 052698C]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene public hearings on the Draft Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) 
Generic Amendment to the Fishery Management Plans (FMP) of the Gulf of 
Mexico. Public meetings on the NMFS draft EFH recommendations will be 
held following one of the public hearings.

DATES: Written comments on the Council's draft EFH amendment will be 
accepted through July 17, 1998. Written comments on NMFS' draft EFH 
recommendation will be accepted through July 15, 1998.
    The public hearings will be held in June and July. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times of the public 
hearings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the draft amendment should be sent to, 
and copies of the draft amendment are available from, the Council at 
the following address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301, North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619. Copies of the 
amendment can be obtained by calling (813) 228-2815.
    Written comments on the NMFS draft EFH recommendations should be 
addressed to: Habitat Conservation Division, NMFS, 9721 Executive 
Center Drive N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702-2432, Attn: Draft EFH 
Recommendation to GMFMC. Copies of the draft recommendations can be 
obtained by calling (813) 570-5317.
    Public hearings will be held in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Alabama, and Texas. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for locations of the 
hearings.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council will hold public hearings on a 
draft generic amendment addressing EFH in the Gulf of Mexico; eight 
public hearings will be held to obtain public comments. The description 
and identification of EFH is mandated by section 305(b) the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). 
The generic EFH amendment that is the subject of these hearings 
addresses EFH in all seven of the Council's FMPs. The following is a 
summary of the amendment:
    1. EFH is identified and described based on areas where various 
life stages of 21 selected managed species and the coral complex 
commonly occur. The selected species are: Shrimp (brown shrimp, Penaeus 
aztecus; white shrimp, Penaeus setiferus; pink shrimp, Penaeus 
duorarum); red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus; reef fish (red grouper, 
Epinephelus morio; gag grouper, Mycteroperca microlepsis; scamp 
grouper, Mycteroperca phenax; red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus; gray 
snapper, Lutjanus griseus; yellowtail snappper, Ocyurus chrysurus; lane 
snapper, Lutjanus synagris; greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili; lesser 
amberjack, Seriola fasciata; tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps; 
and gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus), coastal migratory pelagic 
species (king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla; Spanish mackerel, 
Scomberomorus maculatus; cobia, Rachycentron canadum; and dolphin, 
Coryphaena hippurus), stone crab, Menippe mercenaria; spiny lobster, 
Panulirus argus; and the coral complex.
    2. The selected species represent about a third of the species 
under management by the Council. Collectively, these species commonly 
occur throughout all of the marine and estuarine waters of the Gulf of 
Mexico. EFH for the remaining managed species will be addressed in 
future FMP amendments, as appropriate.
    3. EFH is defined as everywhere that the above managed species 
commonly occur. Because these species collectively occur in all 
estuarine and marine habitats of the Gulf of Mexico, EFH is separated 
into estuarine and marine components. For the estuarine component, EFH 
includes all estuarine waters and substrates (mud, sand, shell, rock, 
and associated biological communities), including subtidal vegetation 
(seagrasses and algae) and adjacent intertidal vegetation (marshes and 
mangroves). In marine waters of the Gulf of Mexico, EFH includes 
virtually all marine waters and substrates (mud, sand, shell, rock, and 
associated biological communities) from the shoreline to the seaward 
limit of the EEZ.
    4. Threats to EFH from fishing and nonfishing activities are 
identified.
    5. Options to conserve and enhance EFH are provided and research 
needs are identified.
    6. No management measures and, therefore, no regulations are 
proposed at this time. Fishing-related management measures to minimize 
any identified impacts are deferred to future amendments when the 
Council has the information necessary to decide if the measures are 
practicable.
    NMFS is in the process of developing an EFH recommendation to the 
Council in accordance with the 1996 amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens 
Act. The NMFS draft EFH recommendation to the Council includes a review 
and comments on the Council's draft EFH amendment. The NMFS draft EFH 
recommendation to the Council will be available for public distribution 
June 8, 1998, and will be available at the Council's public hearings. 
Copies may be requested from the NMFS Habitat Conservation Division 
(see ADDRESSES). Written comments on the NMFS draft EFH recommendation 
may be sent to the NMFS Habitat Conservation Division (see ADDRESSES). 
NMFS will hold a public meeting on the NMFS draft EFH recommendations 
immediately following the Council's June 22, 1998, public hearing in 
Kenner, LA.
    Public hearings will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at all of 
the following locations:
    1. Wednesday, June 17, 1998--Ramada Airport Inn & Conference

[[Page 30466]]

Center, 5303 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33609.
    2. Thursday, June 18, 1998--Holiday Inn Beachside, 3841 North 
Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040.
    3. Monday, June 22, 1998--New Orleans Airport Radisson, 2150 
Veterans Boulevard, Kenner, LA 70062.
    4. Tuesday, June 23, 1998--J.L. Scott Marine Education Center & 
Aquarium, 115 East Beach Boulevard, U.S. Highway 90, Biloxi, MS 39530.
    5. Wednesday, June 24, 1998--Holiday Inn on the Beach, 365 East 
Beach Boulevard, Gulf Shores, AL 36547.
    6. Thursday, June 25, 1998--National Marine Fisheries Service 
Panama City Laboratory, 3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408.
    7. Tuesday, June 30, 1998--Hobby Airport Hilton, 8181 Airport 
Boulevard, Houston, TX 77061.
    8. Wednesday, July 1, 1998--Port Aransas Library, 700 West Avenue 
A, Port Aransas, TX 78373.

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 June 10, 1998.

    Dated: May 29, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-14871 Filed 6-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F