[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 125 (Monday, June 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38690-38691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16432]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[ I.D. 062403A]


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 July 14-17, 2003.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Naples Beach Hotel and 
Golf Club, 851 Gulf Shore Boulevard, North, Naples, FL; telephone: 239-
261-2222.
    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

July 16

    1:30 p.m. - Convene.
    1:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - Receive a report by the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) on the dispersal of wastewater from the Piney 
Point Phosphate Plant.
    2:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Receive public testimony on the Reef Fish 
Amendment 21 and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Generic Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment. Reef Fish Amendment 21 
contains a proposal to extend the time period for the Madison/Swanson 
and Steamboat Lumps marine reserves beyond their June 16, 2004 
expiration date. The Draft EIS for the Generic EFH Amendment contains 
alternatives for specifying EFH, habitat areas of particular concern 
(HAPCs), and impacts of fishing on EFH. Final action to approve Reef 
Fish Amendment 21 and the Draft EIS for the Generic EFH Amendment will 
be taken at on Thursday during the Council meeting. Persons testifying 
must register before the start of the testimony period.
    4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. - (Closed Session) Receive the report of the 
Joint Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Selection/Advisory 
Panel (AP) Selection Committee.

July 17

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Receive a presentation by the U.S. Geological 
Services on the Pulley's Ridge Coral Study.
    9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Receive a presentation by NMFS on the 
designation of sawfish as an endangered species.
    9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Receive a review of the draft EIS for EFH 
Amendment by MRAG Americas, Inc.
    10 a.m. - 12 noon - Review and final approval of the EIS for EFH 
Amendment.
    1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
report.
    3 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. - Receive the Shrimp Management Committee 
report.
    3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Receive the Mackerel Management Committee 
report.
    3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - Receive the Migratory Species Committee 
report.
    3:45 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Receive the Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum 
Management Committee report.
    4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Receive the Joint Personnel/Administrative 
Policy/Budget Committee Report.
    4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Receive a report of the Logo Selection 
Committee.
    4:45 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Receive the South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council (SAFMC) Liaison Report.
    5 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. - Receive Enforcement Reports.
    5:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Receive a report of the Council Chairs 
Meeting.
    5:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. - Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    5:45 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. - Receive Director's Reports.
    6:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Other Business.

Committees

July 14

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - (Closed Session) Convene the Joint SSC and AP 
Selection

[[Page 38691]]

Committees to make recommendations for appointments to the Standing SSC 
and the Shrimp AP.
    9 a.m. - 12 noon - Convene the Joint Personnel/Administrative 
Policy/Budget Committee. This session will be partially closed. The 
Administrative handbook and part of the budget action will be acted 
upon in open session.
    1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee 
to hear recommendations of the SSC and Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel 
(RFSAP) on the Southeast Data Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process. 
They will hear a presentation by NMFS on the final results of a 
trolling study conducted in the Madison-Swanson Marine Reserve. They 
will discuss an options paper for a vermilion snapper regulatory 
amendment to arrest overfishing, discuss alternatives for the red 
snapper rebuilding plan, and review the draft Reef Fish Amendment 18 
Options Paper. The committee will make recommendations to be considered 
by the full Council on Thursday afternoon.

July 15

    8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Reconvene the Reef Fish Management Committee, 
if necessary.
    10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Convene a joint meeting of the Reef Fish, Red 
Drum, and Mackerel Management Committees to discuss the proposed 
scoping document on a generic aquaculture amendment.
    11 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to 
review and hear a presentation by NMFS on the status of shrimp stocks. 
They will also discuss a revised Amendment 13/Environmental Assessment 
(EA) Options Paper that includes alternatives for status criteria and 
benchmarks as well as a revised standardized bycatch reporting 
methodology.
    2 p.m. - 5 p.m. - A NOAA Fisheries 2003 Regional Constituent 
Session will be held in conjunction with the Gulf of Mexico Council 
meeting. This will be one of eight regional constituent sessions to be 
held in conjunction with Fishery Management Council meetings from June 
through September 2003. The sessions are intended to gather public 
input on ways to improve the effectiveness of NOAA Fisheries. The 
regional sessions will be a collaborative effort involving all major 
marine fisheries interests - councils, commercial and recreational 
fishermen, tribal representatives, environmental organizations, and 
federal and state government. The primary objective is to assemble and 
provide a comprehensive analysis of the diverse opinions, attitudes, 
and perspectives of marine resource stakeholders as they relate to 
broad themes in management and daily operations. The secondary 
objective is to identify performance measures for fishery management. 
Persons attending these sessions can direct their questions to the 
Director of NOAA Fisheries, the Regional Administrator of NOAA 
Fisheries, the Director of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center and 
the Agent in Charge of NOAA Fisheries Enforcement. For more 
information, contact Patricia Lawson 301-713-2239 or 
[email protected]. Visit the NOAA Fisheries website for periodic 
updates on the regional sessions and to submit e-comments http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/constit_sessions_2003.html.
    6 p.m. - 8 p.m. - Continue the NOAA Fisheries 2003 Constituent 
Session.
    July 16
    8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to 
review additional information on potential alternatives in the 
Amendment 15 Options Paper to increase the minimum size limit and/or 
reduce the bag limit on cobia in the Gulf of Mexico.
    10 a.m. - 12 noon - Convene the Migratory Species Management 
Committee to discuss a proposed rule for Amendment 1 for the Highly 
Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
    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 July 7, 2003.

    Dated: June 24, 2003.
Matteo J. Milazzo,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-16432 Filed 6-27-03; 8:45 am]
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