[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50517-50518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21454]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 081503D]


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 Monday, September 8, 2003 through 
Thursday September 11, 2003.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Baton Rouge Marriott, 
5500 Hilton Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA; telephone: 225-924-5000.
    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 10

    8:30 a.m.--Convene.
    8:45 a.m.--Receive an address by RADM Robert Duncan.
    9 a.m.-11 a.m.--Receive four presentations of Marine Fisheries 
Initiative (MARFIN) reports on stock structure of Gulf red snapper. 
These reports suggest there are separate subpopulations of red snapper 
east and west of the Mississippi River.
    11 a.m.-11:30 a.m.--Receive the Habitat Protection Committee 
report.
    1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.--Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
report.
    3:30 p.m.-4 p.m.--Receive the Mackerel Management Committee report.
    4 p.m.-4:30 p.m.--Receive the Shrimp Management Committee report.
    4:30 p.m.-5 p.m.--(Closed Session) Receive the report of the 
Advisory Panel (AP) Selection Committee.

September 11

    8:30 a.m.-9 a.m.--Receive the Migratory Species Committee report.
    9 a.m.-9:15 a.m.--Receive a report of the Logo Selection Committee.
    9:15 a.m.-9:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the Budget Committee.
    9:30 a.m.-10 a.m.--Receive Enforcement Reports.
    10 a.m.-10:15 a.m.--Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m.--Receive Director's Reports.
    10:45 a.m.-11 a.m.--Other Business
    11 a.m.-11:15 a.m.--Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Committees

September 8

    9 a.m.-10 a.m.--Orientation session for New Members.
    10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.--(Closed Session) - Convene the AP Selection 
Committee to review NMFS enforcement records.
    1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee to 
review the Vermilion Snapper Regulatory Amendment Options Paper that 
includes alternatives for arresting overfishing that is believed to be 
occurring on that stock. The committee will review public comments on 
this issue from scoping hearings held in August 2003. The committee 
will consider implementing a new stock assessment procedure (SEDAR - 
Southeast Data and Review) under which groups of panels review the 
data, develop the assessment, and develop a peer-reviewed assessment. 
The committee will consider alternatives that should be included in the 
Reef Fish 18 options paper for management of the grouper stocks. The 
committee will also discuss which of the Council's advisory panels to 
utilize in the development of a red snapper individual fishing quota 
(IFQ) system. The committee will also consider submitting an emergency 
action request to NMFS to assure that there is no lapse between the 
June 16, 2004 expiration of the current regulations establishing the 
Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps marine reserves, and implementation 
of the new regulations under Amendment 21.
    4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.--Convene the Budget Committee to discuss the 
CY2004 budget.

September 9

    8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to 
review potential alternatives and issues to be included in a scoping 
document for Amendment 15 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP).
    10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to 
review Draft Shrimp Amendment 13/Environmental Assessment (EA) Options 
Paper that includes alternatives for status criteria and benchmarks as 
well as a revised standardized bycatch reporting methodology; and a 
Draft Options Paper for Shrimp Amendment 14/Supplementary Invironmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) that includes alternatives to improve the 
bycatch reporting methodology, further reduce bycatch, and achieve 
optimum yield.
    2 p.m.-4:30 p.m.--Convene the Migratory Species Management 
Committee to discuss shark bycatch in the menhaden purse seine fishery, 
Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel recommendations on 
Amendment 1 to the HMS FMP, scoping issues for HMS Amendment 2 and 
Billfish Amendment2, and the International Commission for the 
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Draft recommendations on Integrated 
Migratory and Control Measures.
    4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.--Convene the Habitat Protection Committee to 
discuss the Florida Offshore Aquaculture Inc. Permit, and a dredge 
material disposal application in Mississippi.
    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

[[Page 50518]]

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 29, 2003.

    Dated: August 15, 2003.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-21454 Filed 8-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S