[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55200-55201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21973]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 082302B]


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.

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

DATES: The meetings will be held on September 9-12, 2002.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel Lakeside 
New Orleans, 3838 North Causeway Boulevard, Metairie, LA 70002; 
telephone: 504-836-5253.
    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

September 11

    8:30 a.m.-Convene.
    8:45 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.-Receive public testimony on the Secretarial 
Reef Fish Amendment 2 and the Regulatory Amendment for status 
determination criteria and king mackerel total allowable catch (TAC).
    1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.-Receive the report of the Vessel Monitoring 
Committee.
    2:30 p.m.- 3 p.m.-Receive the report of the Habitat Protection 
Committee.
    3 p.m.-4 p.m.-Receive the report of the Mackerel Management 
Committee.
    4 p.m.-4:30 p.m.-Receive the report of the Budget Committee.
    4:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m.-(Closed Session) Appoint persons to Scientific 
and Statistical Committees.

September 12

    8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.-Receive the report of the Reef Fish Management 
Committee.
    10 a.m.-10:15 a.m.-Receive the Gulf Safety Committee Report.
    10:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m.-Receive Enforcement Reports.
    10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.-Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m.-Receive Director's Reports.
    11:15 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.-Other Business
    11:30 a.m.- 11:45 a.m.-Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

September 9, 2002

    8 a.m-9 a.m.-Orientation Session for New Members.
    9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.-Convene the Vessel Monitoring Committee to hear a 
NMFS presentation on the vessel monitoring system (VMS) program.
    1 p.m.-2 p.m.-Convene the Budget Committee to review the CY 2003 
budget.
    2 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.-Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to hear 
reports on sargassum as essential fish habitat (EFH), methylmercury, 
and the NOAA-GOM-GIS project. They will also hear a legal opinion on 
prey species as it will be used in the EFH environmental impact 
statement (EIS), and discuss the classification of artificial reefs and 
oil structures as EFH.

September 10

    8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m-Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to 
review and make recommendations on a regulatory amendment for king 
mackerel TAC and status determination criteria. They will also hear a 
report on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (SAFMC) 
action on the Dolphin/Wahoo Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
    1 p.m.-5:30 p.m.-Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee to to 
review and make recommendations for final action on the Secretarial 
Reef Fish Amendment 2 for Greater Amberjack. They will also review an 
options paper for Reef Fish Amendment 18 and hear a presentation on the 
SAW/SARC

[[Page 55201]]

process. They will discuss a letter to the Secretary of Commerce on a 
fishing capacity reduction program, and will review the red snapper 
rebuilding plan regulatory amendment scoping document.
    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 August 30, 2002.

    Dated: August 23, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service
[FR Doc. 02-21973 Filed 8-27-02; 8:45 am]
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