[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 123 (Monday, June 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36066-36067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1413]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 062104B]


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 12-15, 2004.

ADDRESSES:  These meetings will be held at the Omni Houston Hotel, 4 
Riverway, Houston, TX; telephone: 713-871-8181.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
North U.S. Highway 301, 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 14, 2004

    9 a.m.--Convene.
    9:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive public testimony on the Reef Fish 
Amendment 23 (Vermilion Snapper Rebuilding Plan) and Applications for 
Exempted Fishing Permits (if any).
    1 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.--Receive a presentation on the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Amendment 2.
    2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.--Receive the Shrimp Management Committee 
report.
    2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Receive the Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel 
Management Committee report.
    3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.--Receive the Mackerel Management Committee 
Report.
    4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--(Closed Session) - Receive the report of the 
Joint Personnel/Administrative Policy Committee.

July 15, 2004

    8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
Report.
    10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.--Receive the report of the Joint Personnel/
Administrative Policy Committee.
    11 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.--Receive the South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council (SAFMC) Liaison report.
    11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive Enforcement Reports.
    11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.--Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.--Receive Director's Reports.
    12:15 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.--Other Business

Committees

July 12, 2004

    1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to 
review the public hearing draft of Shrimp Amendment 13 that includes 
alternatives for setting maximum sustainable yield (MSY), optimum yield 
(OY), overfishing, overfished definitions for shrimp, and also includes 
alternatives for evaluating shrimp trawl bycatch. The committee will 
also receive presentations by NOAA Enforcement on a case study of 
illegal shrimp trawling in the Gulf and by NMFS on the status of Gulf 
shrimp stocks.
    3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Joint Reef fish/Mackerel 
Management Committee to review both the public hearing draft of Reef 
Fish Amendment 24 and Mackerel Amendment 15 that proposes creating a 
limited access system for both of these fisheries. The joint committee 
will also review public comments on a Scoping Document for an Amendment 
for the Extension of the

[[Page 36067]]

Charter Vessel/Headboat Permit Moratorium. Finally, the joint committee 
will discuss problems with implementation of the current moratorium and 
possible actions.

July 13, 2004

    8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.--Convene the Joint Personnel/Administrative 
Policy Committee in a session closed to the public to revise the 
Council's Statement of Practices and Procedures (SOPPs) and the 
Administrative Handbook of Policies and Procedures which regulates 
personnel.
    1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to 
review the Options Paper for Mackerel Amendment 16 and review actions 
of the Joint South Atlantic/Gulf Council Mackerel Management Committee 
meeting that was held in June. The committee will receive a 
presentation on the National Mercury Working Group Report.
    2:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee to 
review public comments and recommend final action on the Final Reef 
Fish Amendment 23 (vermilion snapper rebuilding plan) that contains 
alternatives for arresting overfishing of that stock by commercial and 
recreational fishermen. The committee will also review and revise the 
Draft Scoping Document for the Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota 
(IFQ) System that will be presented at hearings in August. The 
committee will also receive a report on the status of grouper for 2004 
and may take action accordingly.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the Council and Committees 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 Council and Committees 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 July 2, 2004.

    Dated: June 22, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-1413 Filed 6-25-04; 8:45 am]
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