[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47120-47121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1730]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 072904E]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

[[Page 47121]]


ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene public meetings of the Shark and Oceanic Migratory Species 
Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC) and Highly Migratory 
Species (HMS) and Billfish Advisory Panels (APs) to review potential 
issues for NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Division action on 
August 23-24, 2004.

DATES: The Council's Special Shark and Special Oceanic Migratory 
Species Scientific and Statistical Committees will convene jointly at 9 
a.m. on Monday, August 23, 2004. The Highly Migratory Species and 
Billfish Advisory Panels will convene jointly at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, 
August 24, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Hilton Tampa Airport 
Westshore, 2225 North Lois Avenue, Tampa, FL; telephone: 813-877-6688.
    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, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 
33619; telephone: 813-228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At each of these meetings, a representative 
from the NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Division will present 
a summary of issues and options for Amendment 2 to the HMS and Billfish 
Fishery Management Plans, which is currently in its initial scoping 
phase. The issues and options include a wide range of potential 
management measures that could affect fishermen, dealers, or equipment 
suppliers for the Atlantic tuna, swordfish, shark, or billfish 
fisheries. Some of the issues and potential options for which NOAA 
Fisheries is requesting comment include, but are not limited to: 
modifying the General category allocation of Bluefin tuna; filleting 
Atlantic tuna at sea; modifying the swordfish bag limit for anglers; 
changing the large coastal shark trip limit for directed permit 
holders; streamlining the limited access permit program; simplifying 
the quota and permitting administrative processes for exempted fishing 
permits; modifying non-tournament reporting of billfish harvest; 
establishing outreach workshops; implementing the bycatch reduction 
plan; green stick and/or spearfishing as allowable gears for HMS 
fisheries; and updating essential fish habitat identifications and data 
for all HMS.
    The joint Shark/Oceanic Migratory Species SSC and the joint HMS/
Billfish AP will provide recommendations to the Council on issues and 
alternatives that should be included in the amendment. The Council will 
review the SSC and AP recommendations at its September 13-17, 2004 
meeting in Panama City Beach, FL, at which time it will make its 
recommendations to the NOAA Fisheries HMS Division.
    The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight 
regional fishery management councils that were established by the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council prepares fishery management 
plans that are designed to manage fishery resources in the U.S. Gulf of 
Mexico. Although the Council does not manage highly migratory species, 
it does provide recommendations to the NMFS HMS Division on management 
measures that affect fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. 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-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Dawn Aring at the Council (see ADDRESSES) by 
August 13, 2004.

    Dated: July 30, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-1730 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am]
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