[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 36120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14364]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 053100B]


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 Standing and Special Stone Crab 
Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC).

DATES: The SSC meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on June 21, 
2000 and will conclude by 3:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Pier House, 1 Duval Street, 
Key West, FL 33040; telephone: 305-296-4600.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Standing and Special Stone Crab SSC will 
convene to review an amendment to the Stone Crab Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP). The Stone Crab amendment proposes to extend the trap 
certificate program for the commercial stone crab fishery adopted by 
the state of Florida into the Federal waters off west Florida. The 
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC), after 
working with the stone crab industry and the Council over the past 4 
years, has adopted by rule a trap certificate program that will 
gradually reduce the number of traps over a 30-year period. The Florida 
legislature has approved the portion of this program pertaining to 
licenses and fees. Based on this review, the SSC may make 
recommendations to the Council for consideration at their meeting in 
Key Largo, July 10-14, 2000.
    At the conclusion of the Stone Crab SSC meeting, the Standing SSC 
will also review an amendment for a Generic Amendment Addressing the 
Establishment of Tortugas Marine Reserves, which proposes to establish 
the Tortugas South marine reserve that will encompass the Riley's Hump 
mutton snapper spawning aggregation site established by the Council in 
1994. The total area of the proposed Tortugas South marine reserve is 
60 square nautical miles. The amendment also proposes to create the 
Tortugas North marine reserve cooperatively with the Florida Keys 
National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) program, the state of Florida, and 
the National Park system, which will encompass an area of 120 square 
nautical miles. The portion proposed to be established by the Council 
is 13 square nautical miles. The Council proposes that marine reserves 
be established for a period of at least 10 years, during which the 
ecological benefits of the reserve will be evaluated. The Council also 
proposes that fishing and anchoring be prohibited within the marine 
reserves.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the SSCs for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions of the SSCs 
will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the 
agendas 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 action to address the emergency.
    Copies of the agenda can be obtained by calling 813-228-2815.

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 
June 7, 2000.

    Dated: June 1, 2000.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-14364 Filed 6-6-00; 8:45 am]
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