[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 198 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 55091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27418]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 100798A]


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 Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory 
Panel (AP) and the Billfish AP.

DATES: The HMS AP meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 
27, 1998, and conclude by 3:30 p.m. The Billfish AP will begin at 8:00 
a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, 1998 and conclude by 3:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza New Orleans, 
333 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130; telephone: 504-525-9444.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Richard Leard, Senior Fishery 
Biologist, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 813-
228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The HMS AP will review a recently prepared 
fishery management plan (FMP) for highly migratory species occurring in 
the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico by NMFS. The HMS FMP addresses 
the current commercial and recreational fisheries for tuna, swordfish, 
and sharks. It includes, among other provisions: overfishing 
definitions, biomass targets, and rebuilding schedules; essential fish 
habitat; and other management measures, e.g. season and area closures, 
quota reductions, gear restrictions, and prohibited species.
    The Billfish AP will review NMFS' amendment to the Billfish FMP, 
which includes Atlantic blue and white marlin, Western Atlantic 
sailfish, and longbill spearfish. These species are also considered as 
HMS species, but they are managed under a separate FMP. The Billfish 
FMP amendment also includes provisions for overfishing definitions, 
biomass targets, and rebuilding schedules; essential fish habitat; and 
other management measures, including: gear restrictions, minimum size 
limit increases, bag limit modifications, and retention prohibitions.
    All HMS are under the direct management of NMFS, and some species 
are cooperatively managed with other countries through agreements under 
the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
(ICCAT). The Council's HMS AP and Billfish AP are charged with 
reviewing the provisions of these FMPs and amendments and providing 
recommendations to the Council, which in turn may provide 
recommendations to NMFS.
    Although other issues not on the agenda may come before the APs for 
discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of 
formal action during this meeting. Actions will be restricted to those 
issues specifically identified in the agenda listed as available by 
this notice.

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 
October 20, 1998.

    Dated: October 7, 1998.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-27418 Filed 10-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F