[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 40263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14772]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 060302B]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of scoping meetings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene scoping meetings to receive comments on whether the Council 
should begin developing an amendment to the Reef Fish Fishery 
Management Plan to extend the time period for the Madison/Swanson and 
Steamboat Lumps marine reserves. A scoping meeting is part of the 
initial process of determining whether development of a management 
action should proceed.

DATES: The scoping meetings will be held in June. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to and copies of the scoping 
document are available from the Gulf Council.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301, North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 
(813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The scoping meetings will be convened on the 
issue of whether the Council should begin developing an amendment to 
the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan to extend the time period for the 
Madison/Swanson and Steamboat Lumps marine reserves.
    The Madison/Swanson and Steamboat Lumps marine reserves were 
implemented on June 19, 2000 with a 4-year sunset provision, and will 
expire on June 16, 2004. The Madison/Swanson site is approximately 115 
square nautical miles in size and is located about 40 nautical miles 
southwest of Apalachicola, FL. Steamboat Lumps is approximately 104 
square nautical miles in size and is located about 95 nautical miles 
west of Tarpon Springs, FL. Within each area, fishing is prohibited for 
all species except for highly migratory species, i.e., tunas, marlin, 
oceanic sharks, sailfishes, and swordfish.
    These marine reserves were created primarily to protect a portion 
of the gag spawning aggregations and to protect a portion of the 
offshore population of male gag. However, the areas are also suitable 
habitat and may provide protection for many other species, such as 
scamp, red grouper, warsaw grouper, speckled hind, red snapper, red 
porgy and others. A 4-year period was established to give the Council 
time to evaluate the utility of marine reserves. If the Council chooses 
to continue the Madison/Swanson and Steamboat Lumps marine reserves 
beyond June 2004, it must do so through a reef fish plan amendment. 
Non-action will result in the two reserves expiring on June 16, 2004, 
and the areas re-opening to all fishing.
    During the scoping meetings, Dr. Chris Koenig, of Florida State 
University, who is one of the researchers studying the marine reserves, 
will give a presentation on his research to date. Public input will 
then be solicited as to whether management action should be initiated 
to continue the reserves beyond June 2004, and if so, what the scope of 
issues should be for consideration.
    The scoping meetings will be held at the following locations and 
dates from 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
    1. Wednesday, June 19, 2002, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408; 850-234-6541
    2. Thursday, June 20, 2002, Tampa Airport Hilton, 2225 Lois Avenue, 
Tampa, FL 33607; telephone 813-877-6688
    Copies of the scoping document for these meetings 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 June 12, 2002.

    Dated: June 6, 2002.
Virginia M. Fay,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-14772 Filed 6-11-02; 8:45 am]
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