[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7187-7188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3282]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[I.D. 012604B]


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; 
Draft Generic Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the 
Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South 
Atlantic Region and to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef 
Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico; Scoping Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft supplemental environmental 
impact statement (DSEIS); notice of scoping meetings; and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) 
intends to prepare a DSEIS that describes and analyzes management 
alternatives associated with limiting access in the king mackerel and 
reef fish fisheries. The purpose of this notice is to solicit public 
comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the DSEIS, which 
will be submitted to NMFS for filing with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) for publication of a Notice of Availability for public 
comment.

DATES: Written comments must be received by the Council by 5 p.m. on 
March 5, 2004 (see ADDRESSES). A series of scoping meetings will be 
held in February and March 2004. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 North 
U.S. Highway 301, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: (813) 228-
2815; fax: (813) 225-7015. Comments may also be sent by e-mail to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Leard; phone: (813) 228-2815 ext. 
228; fax: (813) 225-7015; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: King mackerel and reef fish in the Gulf of 
Mexico are managed under their respective FMPs. Both fisheries operate 
under a moratorium on the issuance of new commercial vessel permits. 
The moratorium on new king mackerel permits was established by 
Amendment 8 to the Mackerel FMP in March 1998, and was extended with 
the implementation of Amendment 12 to the Mackerel FMP. It is scheduled 
to expire on October 15, 2005. The moratorium on the issuance of new 
commercial reef fish permits was established by Amendment 4 to the Reef 
Fish FMP in May 1992. The moratorium has been maintained since that 
time with the implementation of Amendments 9, 11, and 17 to the Reef 
Fish FMP. It is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2005.
    The Council intends to develop a DSEIS that describes and analyzes 
management alternatives to limit entry in the king mackerel and reef 
fish fisheries. Those alternatives include, but are not limited to the 
following: (1) A ``no action'' alternative regarding each fishery, 
which would allow the moratoria to expire; (2) An extension of the 
existing moratoria for a designated time frame; or (3) The 
establishment of some form of license limitation system for each 
fishery, including individual fishing quotas. If a license limitation 
system is chosen, the Council may also consider alternatives for 
different classes of licenses, initial qualification, initial 
allocations by license classes, transferability, and appeals regarding 
eligibility.
    In accordance with NOAA Administrative Order 216-6, Section 
5.02(c), the Council has identified this

[[Page 7188]]

preliminary range of alternatives as a means to initiate discussion for 
scoping purposes only. This may not represent the full range of 
alternatives that eventually will be evaluated by the Council. Copies 
of the scoping document will be available at the meetings and are 
available prior to the meetings from the Council office (see 
ADDRESSES).
    The scoping meetings will be held at the following locations and 
dates from 6 p.m. followed by hearings on a Generic Marine Aquaculture 
Amendment (noticed separately) and will conclude by 10 p.m.
    1. Tuesday, February 17, 2004, Adams Mark Hotel and Resort, 64 
South Water Street, Mobile, AL 36602; telephone: (251) 438-4000;
    2. Wednesday, February 18, 2004, J.L. Scott Marine Education Center 
and Aquarium, 115 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39530; telephone: (228) 
374-5550;
    3. Thursday, February 19, 2004, Larose Regional Park, 2001 East 5th 
Street, Larose, LA 70373; telephone: (504) 693-7355;
    4. Monday, February 23, 2004, Holiday Inn Emerald Beach, 1102 South 
Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78401; telephone: (361) 883-
5731;
    5. Tuesday, February 24, 2004, Moody Gardens Hotel, 7 Hope 
Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77554; telephone: (409) 741-8484;
    6. Wednesday, February 25, 2004, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Panama City Laboratory, 3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408; 
telephone: (850) 234-6541 ext. 201;
    7. Thursday, February 26, 2004, Madeira Beach City Hall Auditorium, 
300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708; telephone: (727) 391-
9951; and
    8. Monday, March 1, 2004, Holiday Inn Beachside, 3841 North 
Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040; telephone: (305) 294-2571.

Special Accommodations

    The meetings will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Trish Kennedy at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) by February 13, 2004.

    Dated: February 9, 2004.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-3282 Filed 2-12-04; 8:45 am]
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