[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49877-49878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1783]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 080904A]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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 (Council) will 
convene a public meeting of the Aquaculture Advisory Panel (AP) to 
redraft the Generic Amendment Providing for Regulation of Offshore 
Marine Aquaculture in August 2004.

DATES: The Council's Aquaculture Advisory Panel will convene from 1 
p.m. on August 25, 2004 and conclude no later than 3 p.m. on August 26, 
2004 (see ADDRESSES for the meeting location).

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Saint Louis Hotel, 730 Rue 
Bienville, New Orleans, LA; telephone: 888-508-3980 (see DATES for the 
meeting date and time).
    Copies of the discussion material for this meeting may be obtained 
by calling 813-228-2815.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

[[Page 49878]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Swingle, Executive Director, 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, 
Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: 813-228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AP consists largely of scientists with 
expertise in marine aquaculture. The AP will be redrafting the Generic 
Amendment Providing for Regulation of Offshore Marine Aquaculture 
(Amendment). The draft amendment contains scientific information on the 
culture of marine fish and on the environmental effects of such 
aquaculture. The amendment also contains many alternatives that could 
be used to regulate aquaculture by best management practices (BMP). The 
Council solicited public comment on the draft amendment in eight 
scoping hearings. The AP will consider these public recommendations in 
redrafting the amendment.
    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.
    See ADDRESSES for copies of the discussion material for this 
meeting. 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

    The meeting is open to the public and 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: August 9, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-1783 Filed 8-11-04; 8:45 am]
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