[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 100 (Monday, May 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29520-29521]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11661]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051704C]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold public hearings to solicit comments on draft Amendment 23 to the 
Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan (draft Amendment 23) that contains 
alternatives for the vermilion snapper rebuilding plan. Scoping 
hearings for a charter vessel permit moratorium extension will also be 
held.

DATES: The meetings will be held in June 2004. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times. Public comments on draft 
Amendment 23 that are received in the Council office by 5 p.m., July 1, 
2004, will be presented to the Council.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Gulf of Mexico 
Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301, North, Suite 1000, 
Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stu Kennedy, Fishery Biologist, 
Gulf of

[[Page 29521]]

Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Draft Amendment 23 (FMP) contains 
alternatives for the vermilion snapper population in the Gulf of Mexico 
that was declared to be overfished and undergoing overfishing on 
October 30, 2003. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, the Council has one year from that date to develop a 
plan to end overfishing and rebuild the stock. Draft Amendment 23 
specifies alternatives to set stock status determination criteria and 
biological reference points that determine when overfishing has ended 
and the vermilion snapper stock is no longer overfished. Alternatives 
that establish a plan to end overfishing and rebuild the stock include 
10-year and 7-year rebuilding plans and harvest reduction measures that 
change size limits, bag limits, trip limits, or specify quotas or 
seasonal closures.
    Following presentation and comment on draft Amendment 23, the 
Council will present the scoping document for the extension of the 
moratorium on the issuance of additional charter vessel/headboat 
permits. The rule creating the moratorium on the issuance of the 
permits was implemented through Amendment 14 to the Coastal Migratory 
Pelagic FMP and Amendment 20 to the Reef Fish FMP effective June 16, 
2003, for a 3-year period (68 FR 26230). The scoping document presents 
alternatives for consideration and comment by the public for allowing 
the permit moratorium to expire at the end of the 3-year period or to 
extend the moratorium period by another 3 to 6 years. The rationale for 
alternatives for extension of the moratorium is that during the 
extended period the Council would consider a more complex limited 
access system for the charter vessel/headboat fishery. If the Council 
were to determine the more complex system was needed then additional 
time would be necessary to develop and implement an amendment for that 
purpose. The Council is soliciting public comment on these issues 
through the scoping hearings and by mail.

Times and Locations of Hearings

    The public hearings will be held at the following locations and 
dates beginning at 7:00 p.m. and concluding no later than 10 p.m.:
    1. Monday, June 7, 2004, Naples Depot Civic Cultural Center 
(Windisch Room), 1051 5th Avenue South, Naples, FL 34102; telephone: 
239-262-1776;
    2. Wednesday, June 9, 2004, City of Madeira Beach, 300 Municipal 
Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33702; telephone: 727-391-9951;
    3. Monday, June 21, 2004, New Orleans Airport Hilton, 901 Airline 
Drive, Kenner, LA 70062; telephone: 504-469-5000;
    4. Tuesday, June 22, 2004, MS Department of Marine Resources, 1141 
Bayview Drive, Biloxi, MS 39530; telephone: 228-374-5000;
    5. Wednesday, June 23, 2004, Perdido Beach Resort, 27200 Perdido 
Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL 36561; telephone: 251-981-9811;
    6. Thursday, June 24, 2004, Destin Community Center, 101 Stahlman 
Avenue, Destin, FL 32541; telephone: 850-654-5184;
    7. Monday, June 28, 2004, Laguna Madre Learning Center, Port Isabel 
High School, Highway 100, Port Isabel, TX 78578; telephone: 956-943-
0052;
    8. Tuesday, June 29, 2004, Port Aransas Community Center, 408 N 
Alister, Port Aransas, TX 78373; telephone: 361-749-4111; and
    9. Wednesday, June 30, 2004, San Luis Resort, 5222 Seawall 
Boulevard, Galveston Island, TX 77551; telephone: 409-740-8616.
    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 May 28, 2004.

    Dated: May 18, 2004.
Galen R. Tromble,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-11661 Filed 5-21-04; 8:45 am]
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