[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 172 (Friday, September 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47268-47269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23934]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 082698B]


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 September 14-17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Adam's Mark Hotel, 64 
South Water Street, Mobile, AL; telephone: 334-438-4000.
    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, 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Council

    September 14
     8:30 a.m.--Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.--Receive public testimony on Draft Essential 
Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment, which identifies and describes essential 
fish habitat in the Gulf of Mexico for the seven fisheries managed by 
the Council.
    The following is a summary of the Draft EFH 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, red drum, reef fish, coastal migratory 
pelagic species, stone crab, spiny lobster, and the coral complex; (2) 
The selected species represent about one-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. Consequently, EFH for the remaining managed species would be 
included with that of the species discussed. EFH for the remaining 
managed species will be further addressed in future fishery management 
plan (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 the sub-tidal vegetation (seagrasses and algae) and adjacent 
inter-tidal vegetation (marshes and mangroves). In the 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 Exclusive 
Economic Zone (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.
     10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Take final action on the EFH Amendment.
    10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.--Consider the SFA Amendment Options Paper.
    3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.--Receive public testimony on TAC for 
Vermilion Snapper and Gag.
    September 17
    8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.--Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
Report.
    2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.--Receive Budget Committee Report.
    2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.--Receive Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Committees' 
Report.
    3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Receive Shrimp Committee Report.
    3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.--Receive Marckerel Committee Report.
    3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.--Receive the Tortuga Sanctuary Enforcement 
Report.
    4:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.--Receive International Commission for the 
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Advisory Committee Meeting 
Reports.
    4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.--Receive NMFS Highly Migratory Species (HMS)/
Billfish Advisory Panels (AP) Meeting Report.
    4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.--Receive Enforcement Reports.
    4:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.--Receive Director's Reports.

[[Page 47269]]

    5:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Select a member for the Red Snapper and Reef 
Fish APs.
    5:30 p.m.--Elect a Council chair and vice chair.
    September 14
    8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.--Convene the Budget Committee to develop the 
1999 Council budget.
    9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.--Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to 
review and approve changes to the EFH Amendment for consideration by 
the Council on Wednesday.
    1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Mackerel/Reef Fish/Red Drum 
Management Committees to review and approve changes to the EFH 
Amendment for consideration by the Council on Wednesday.
    September 15
    8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee 
to consider the stock assessment information on vermilion snapper and 
gag, as well as the recommendations of the Council's scientific 
advisory groups and advisory panel. The recommendations of the Reef 
Fish Committee will be considered by the Council on Thursday.
    1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.--Convene a joint meeting of the Reef Fish and 
Shrimp Committees to review analyses by NMFS on the effectiveness of 
bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) in reducing bycatch of juvenile red 
snapper.
    4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.--Convene a meeting of the Shrimp Committee to 
review a request by NMFS that the Council begin development of Shrimp 
Amendment 10. Proposed provisions would include requirements for shrimp 
vessel permits, logbook reporting, observers, and vessel monitoring 
systems (VMS). If the Council concurs with this request, the amendment 
would be developed in 1999.
    5:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to 
consider a control date for dolphin (fish) and adding wahoo as a stock 
for management under the fishery management plan (FMP).
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal 
Council action during this meeting. Council action will be restricted 
to those issues specifically identified in the agenda listed in this 
notice.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Jenny Biggs at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) by September 4, 1998.

    Dated: August 31, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Offfice of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-23934 Filed 9-3-98; 8:45 am]
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