[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 43 (Friday, March 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11556-11557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5224]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 022400A]


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.

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

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

DATES: The meetings will be held on March 20-23, 2000.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Adams Mark Riverwalk 
Hotel, 111 Pecan Street East, San Antonio, TX; telephone: 210-354-2800.
    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

March 22

    8:30 a.m.--Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Receive a report of the Joint Reef Fish/
Mackerel Committees.
    1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.-Receive a report of the Red Drum Management 
Committee.
    2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.-Receive a report of the Reef Fish Management 
Committee.
    4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.-Receive a report of the Administrative Policy 
Committee.
    4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.-Receive a report of the Habitat Protection 
Committee.
    4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.-Receive a report of the Stone Crab Management 
Committee.

March 23

    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the Mackerel Management 
Committee.
    9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.--Receive a report of the Joint Marine 
Reserves/Reef Fish Management Committees.
    9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.--Receive a report of the Shrimp Management 
Committee.
    10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.--Receive the NMFS Billfish Advisory Panel 
(AP) Report.
    10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Receive the NMFS HMS AP and International 
Commission for the Conservation for Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee 
Reports.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.--Receive Enforcement Reports.
    11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.--Receive a report of the Coral Reef Task 
Force and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Liaison.

[[Page 11557]]

    11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the NOAA Strategic 
Planning Meeting.
    11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.--Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.--Receive Director's Reports.
    12:15 p.m.- 12:30 p.m.--Other Business.
    Committees

March 20

    9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.--Convene the Administrative Policy Committee 
to discuss the legal status of National Standard Guidelines.
    10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.-Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to 
hear a report on the effects of using oil dispersants on marine 
organisms in shallow water, and a report on the NMFS workshop on the 
effects of fishing gear on the habitat.
    11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Convene the Red Drum Management Committee 
to review recommendations of the Red Drum Stock Assessment Panel for a 
subsequent meeting to review a new stock assessment.
    1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Joint Reef Fish/Management 
Committees to review the proposal from the Ad Hoc Charter Vessel/
Headboat Advisory Panel for a new Federal permitting system for 
recreational for-hire vessels. Such a system would require development 
of a fishery management plan amendment for consideration by the public 
at hearings later in the year. The full Council will discuss the 
proposal from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Wednesday.

March 21

    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.--Convene the Stone Crab Management Committee 
to hear a report on a trap certificate program for the stone crab 
fishery, that is under development by the state of Florida.
    9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to 
review the scoping workshop summaries on the Options Paper for Shrimp 
Amendment 10 which addresses reduction of trawl bycatch in the eastern 
Gulf. Based on that review, the Committee will recommend further action 
to the Council.
    10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Convene the Joint Marine Reserves/Reef 
Fish Management Committees to discuss an Options Paper for Tortugas 
2000 Marine Reserves Amendment. Based on that discussion a draft 
amendment will be developed for Council consideration at the May, 2000 
meeting.
    1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to 
review recommendations from an InterCouncil Committee meeting of the 
Gulf, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils 
regarding a potential Dolphin/Wahoo Fishery Management Plan and will 
develop recommendations regarding future actions, including scheduling 
of public hearings.
    2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee 
to review a Preliminary Amendment 18 Scoping Document. This document 
will eventually become a major amendment regulating primarily the 
grouper fishery. At this preliminary state the Committee and Council 
will be identifying management measures for which staff should develop 
analyses of the biological, economic, and social impacts. Development 
of the draft amendment will continue over the next several Council 
meetings, with public hearings likely being scheduled in the fall.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in the agenda may come 
before the Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 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 
this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice 
that require emergency action under section 305 (c) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.
    A copy of the Committee schedule and agenda can be obtained by 
calling (813) 228-2815.

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 March 13, 2000.

    Dated: February 28, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-5224 Filed 3-2-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F