[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 58443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29160]



[[Page 58443]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 111501D]


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 will convene 
public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on December 10-13, 2001.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Imperial Palace Hotel, 
850 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39530; telephone: 228-436-3000.
    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

December 12

    8:30 a.m.-Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.-Appointment of new committee members. 9:15 
a.m. - 12 noon-Receive public testimony on Dolphin/Washoo Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft Shrimp Amendment 10/Environmental 
Assessment (EA).
    1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.-Receive the report of the Shrimp Management 
Committee.
    2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.-Receive the report of the Mackerel Management 
Committee.
    3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.-Receive a report of the Law Enforcement 
Committee.
    4 p.m. - 5 p.m.-CLOSED SESSION-Receive a report of the Advisory 
Panel (AP) Selection Committee.

December 13

    8:30 a.m. - 12 noon-Receive a report of the Reef Fish Management 
Committee.
    1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.-Continue report of the Reef Fish Management 
Committee.
    3 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.-Receive a report of the Personnel Committee.
    3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.-Receive a report of the Administrative Policy 
Committee.
    3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.-Receive a report of the Habitat Protection 
Committee.
    3:45 p.m. - 4 p.m.-Receive a report of the International Commission 
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee.
    4 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.-Receive a report of the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council Liaison.
    4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.-Receive Enforcement Reports.
    4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.-Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    4:45 p.m. - 5 p.m.-Receive Director's Reports.
    5 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.-Other Business.

Committees

December 10

    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.-CLOSED SESSION-Convene the AP Selection 
Committee to recommend members for an Ad Hoc Essential Fish Habitat 
(EFH)/EIS Review Panel.
    9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.-Convene the Personnel Committee to consider 
revisions to the personnel section of the Administrative Handbook.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.-Convene the Administrative Policy Committee 
to consider revisions of Statement of Organization Practices and 
Procedures (SOPPS).
    1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.-Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee to 
review a consolidated Draft Reef Fish Amendment 18 with a draft 
supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) that includes 
measures to further encourage grouper stocks as well as identification 
of EFH, habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs), and gear impacts. 
The Committee may develop their recommendations to the Council and to 
approve public hearing locations. The Committee will also discuss a 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) review protocol. The full Council will 
consider these recommendations on Thursday morning. Final action on 
Reef Fish Amendment 18 will likely be taken at the March 11-15, 2002 
Council meeting in Mobile, AL. Public testimony on the amendment and 
DSEIS is scheduled before the Council takes final action.

December 11

    8 a.m. - 11 a.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to review 
Draft Amendment 10/EA and develop recommendations to the full Council 
for final action. The full Council will consider these recommendations 
on Wednesday afternoon. The Shrimp Committee will also hear a report on 
the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation's Bycatch and Effort 
Monitoring Program.
    11 a.m. - 12 noon-Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to hear 
recommendations from Habitat Protection APs and to discuss a proposed 
Council freshwater inflow policy.
    1 p.m. - 3 p.m.-Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to make 
recommendations regarding approval of the Dolphin/Wahoo EIS.
    3 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.-Convene the Law Enforcement Committee to to 
receive progress reports on the 2001 Operations Plan and Cooperative 
Enforcement Agreements and to consider the 2002 Operations Plan.
    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 (Magnuson 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 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 December 3, 2001.

    Dated: November 16, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-29160 Filed 11-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S