[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 8567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2692]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 011601A]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Coastal Migratory Pelagic 
Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene public hearings to receive comments on the proposed Charter 
Vessel/Headboat Permit Moratorium Amending the Reef Fish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) and Coastal Migratory Pelagics FMP (Draft 
Amendment).

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., March 23, 2001. 
The public hearings will be held in February. For specific dates and 
times see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to, and copies of the Draft 
Amendment are available from, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301, North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619. The 
public hearings will be held in the State of Texas in Port Isabel, Port 
Aransas, and Galveston; in Larose, LA; in Biloxi, MS; in Orange Beach, 
AL; and in the State of Florida in Panama City, Key West, Naples, and 
Madeira Beach. For specific location, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The public hearings will be convened to 
review new alternatives added by Council members at the November, 2000 
Council meeting to the Draft Amendment. The additions principally 
include alternatives for a charter vessel quota for red snapper based 
on charter vessel landings for various periods in lieu of implementing 
the permit moratorium. The Council retained all of the alternatives 
proposed by the Ad Hoc Charter Vessel/Headboat Advisory Panel along 
with the preferred alternatives selected by the Council in September. 
The public hearing document includes a number of alternatives under 
each of the following issues: Duration of moratorium; a new Gulf permit 
for the Reef Fish and Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fisheries FMPs; 
initial eligibility requirements for permits and/or endorsements; 
annual permit and endorsement transfers during the moratorium; vessel 
passenger restriction on permit transfers; annual reissuance of permits 
not renewed (or permanently revoked); appeals process under the 
moratorium; and, reporting requirements to maintain the new gulf 
permit/endorsement.

Dates, Times, and Locations for Public Hearings

    Public hearings for the Draft Amendment are scheduled as follows:
    1. Monday, February 5, 2001 - 7 p.m.--Laguna Madre Learning Center, 
Port Isabel High School, Highway 100, Port Isabel, TX 78578; telephone: 
956-943-0052;
    2. Tuesday, February 6, 2001 - 7 p.m.--Port Aransas Community 
Center, 408 North Allister, Port Aransas, TX 78376; telephone: 361-749-
4111;
    3. Wednesday February 7, 2001 - 7 p.m.--Texas A&M University, 200 
Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, TX 77553; telephone: 409-740-4416;
    4. Monday, February 12 , 2001 - 7 p.m.--Larose Regional Park, 307 
East 5th Street, Larose, LA 70373; telephone: 504-693-7380;
    5. Tuesday, February 13, 2001 - 6 p.m.--MS Department of Marine 
Resources, 1141 Bayview Drive, Biloxi, MS 39530; telephone: 228-374-
5000;
    6. Wednesday, February 14, 2001 - 7 p.m.--Hilton Beachfront Garden 
Inn, 23092 Perdido Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL 36561; telephone: 
334-974-1600;
    7. Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 7 p.m.--National Marine Fisheries 
Service, 3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408; telephone: 
850-234-6541;
    8. Monday, February 19, 2001 - 7 p.m.--Holiday Inn Beachside, 3841 
North Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040; telephone: 305-294-2571;
    9. Tuesday, February 20, 2001 - 7 p.m.--Naples Depot Civic Cultural 
Center, 1051 Fifth Avenue South, Naples, FL 34102; telephone: 941-262-
1776; and
    10. Wednesday February 21, 2001 - 7 p.m.--Madeira Beach City Hall, 
300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708; telephone: 727-391-9951.
    The Council will also hear public testimony at the March Council 
Meeting during the week of March 26-29, 2001, before taking final 
action on the Draft Amendment. The exact date for public testimony will 
be published at a later time.

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 January 29, 2001.

    Dated: January 23, 2001.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-2692 Filed 1-31-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S