[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 14, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19822-19823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-832]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 040704C]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION:  Notice of a public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY:  The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene 
public meetings of the Reef Fish Advisory Panel (AP)and the Standing 
and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) on 
April 28-29, 2004.

DATES:  The Council's Reef Fish AP and SSC will convene jointly at 10 
a.m. on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 to receive presentations and will 
meet separately on Thursday, April 29, 2004 for discussions on the 
presentations beginning at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude by 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES:  The meetings will be held at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel, 
4860 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL; telephone: (813) 286-4400.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Mr. Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician, or Mr. Stu Kennedy, Biologist, Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AP and SSC will meet jointly on 
Wednesday, April 28 to receive a presentation on the Public Hearing 
Draft for Amendment 23 of the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan to set 
vermilion snapper Sustainable Fisheries Act targets and thresholds and 
to establish a plan to end overfishing and rebuild the stock. NOAA 
Fisheries notified the Council on October 30, 2003 that the vermilion 
snapper stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing. The Council has 
until October, 2004 to submit a plan to rebuild the vermilion snapper 
stock to NOAA Fisheries. Draft Amendment 23 develops a rebuilding plan 
that is in compliance by establishing status determination criteria 
(minimum stock size threshold, maximum fishing mortality rate, maximum 
sustainable yield, and optimum yield) and contains alternatives for a 
rebuilding strategy and harvest reductions that will restore the 
vermilion snapper stock within ten years, the time frame allowed under 
Sustainable Fisheries Act.
    The AP and SSC will also receive presentations on the Southeast 
Data and Review (SEDAR) reports for hogfish and goliath grouper. These 
reports provide independent review of the scientific information and 
stock assessments critical to management of species within the 
Council's jurisdiction and form the basis for future management 
actions.
    On Thursday April 29, the AP and SSC will convene separately to 
discuss Draft Reef Fish Amendment 23 and the SEDAR reports. The AP and 
SSC will be asked to review the draft plan and provide recommendations 
to the Council as to the appropriateness of the preferred alternatives. 
The SSC will also be asked to evaluate the scientific validity of the 
biological and economic analyses in the plan. Additionally, the AP and 
SSC will be asked to review the two SEDAR reports and provide 
recommendations to the Council on the validity of the conclusions of 
those reports and future directions.
    The recommendations of the AP and SSC will be presented to the Gulf 
Council at its May 17-20, 2004 meeting in Key Largo, FL. At that 
meeting, the Council will review and revise as appropriate the Final 
Public Hearing Draft of Amendment 23, the public hearings will be held 
in June and the Council will make their final decisions on preferred 
alternatives at the July, 12-15 meeting in Houston, TX.
    Copies of the Draft Reef Fish Amendment 23 and the two SEDAR 
reports can be obtained by calling the Council office at 813-228-2815 
(toll-free 888-833-1844).
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the AP and SSC for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not 
be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions of the 
AP and SSC will be restricted to those issues specifically identified 
in the agendas and any issues arising after publication of this notice 
that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take action to address the emergency. The established times 
for addressing items on the agenda may be adjusted as necessary to 
accommodate the untimely completion of discussion relevant to other 
agenda items. In order to further allow for such adjustments and 
completion of all items on the agenda, the meeting may be extended from 
or completed prior to the date established in this notice.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are 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 April 21, 2004.


[[Page 19823]]


    Dated: April 8, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-832 Filed 4-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S