[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 77241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31694]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 120902I]


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 will convene 
public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on January 13-16, 2003.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk, 
217 North St Mary's, San Antonio, TX 78205; telephone: 210-224-2500.
    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

January 15

    8:30 a.m.--Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 12 noon--Receive public testimony on the Cooperative 
Texas Shrimp Closure and on yellowedge and red grouper total allowable 
catch (TAC). Final action on these TACs will be taken at a subsequent 
meeting.
    1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Receive the report of the Reef Fish 
Management Committee.

January 16

    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.--Receive the report of the Shrimp Management 
Committee.
    9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive the report of the Habitat 
Protection Committee.
    11:30 a.m. - 12 noon--Receive the Mackerel Management Committee 
Report.
    1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. -Complete action on the Draft Red Snapper 
Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) profile.
    3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.--Receive the South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council liaison report.
    3:45 p.m. - 4 p.m.--Receive Enforcement Reports.
    4 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.--Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    4:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.--Receive Director's Reports.
    4:45 p.m. - 5 p.m.--Other Business.

January 13

    8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to 
hear a review of the economic condition of the Texas shrimp industry by 
Mike Haby of Texas A&M University and biological and economic reports 
by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on the cooperative Texas 
Shrimp Closure. The committee will also review the Draft Amendment 13 
Options Paper addressing maximum sustainable yield (MSY), optimum yield 
(OY), maximum stock size threshold (MSST), and maximum fishing 
mortality threshold (MFMT) for shrimp stocks; vessel monitoring systems 
(VMS); and bycatch. The committee will make recommendations for full 
Council review on Thursday morning.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee 
to review a draft regulatory amendment/environmental assessment (EA) 
which addresses MSY, OY, MSST, and MFMT for the coastal migratory 
pelagic species.
    1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee to 
to hear the Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel (RFSAP) report and 
Socioeconomic Panel (SEP) report on red and yellowedge groupers. They 
will also review the Draft Reef Fish Amendment 18 Options Paper and the 
Draft Reef Fish Amendment 21. The Reef Fish Amendment 18 Options Paper 
considers additional alternatives for management of the grouper stocks. 
The Reef Fish Amendment 21 considers alternatives related to the marine 
reserves established as gag aggregation sites off central west Florida. 
The Committee will also suggest to NMFS and NOAA General Counsel the 
types of penalties that should be used to deter violations of the 
provisions of an individual fishing quota (IFQ) system for red snapper. 
The committee will hear a presentation by NMFS enforcement on 
violations of the western longline prohibited area.

January 14

    8:30 a.m. - 12 noon--Continue the Reef Fish Management Committee if 
necessary.
    1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to 
review and comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Generic Amendment.
    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 (MSFCMA), 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 
MSFCMA, 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 January 6, 2003.

    Dated: December 10, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-31694 Filed 12-16-02; 8:45 am]
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