[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 159 (Friday, October 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 60360]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2559]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 100404G]


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 (Council) will 
convene its Ad Hoc Red Snapper Advisory Panel (AP) to review public 
comments on the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) profile.

DATES: The Council's Ad Hoc Red Snapper AP will convene from 8 a.m. on 
October 26, 2004, and conclude no later that 5 p.m. on October 27, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the New Orleans Airport Plaza 
Hotel and Conference Center, 2150 Veterans Boulevard, Kenner, LA 70062; 
telephone: (504) 467-3111.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
North U.S. Highway 301, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Swingle, Executive Director, 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council's AP will convene to review 
public comment on an individual fishing quota (IFQ) scoping document, 
and to develop their recommendations to the Council on the alternatives 
that should become rules regulating the IFQ process. The AP consists of 
persons in the commercial red snapper fishery that are dealers or 
fishermen holding either Class 1 or Class 2 commercial red snapper 
vessel licenses. The AP also has four non-voting members representing 
law enforcement, academia, red snapper biological assessment, and the 
environmental community. An IFQ program would be used to allocate 
shares of the commercial red snapper quota to all fishermen with 
records of landings. Each fisherman's share would be based on his 
landing records from the trip tickets filed with NMFS. The IFQ shares 
will be transferrable to other fishermen. The IFQ profile includes 
alternatives for regulating the IFQ program that were reviewed by the 
public at scoping hearings held in August 2004.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may be 
discussed by the AP, 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 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 Act, provided the public 
has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address the 
emergency.

Special Accommodations

    Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Dawn Aring at the Council office (see ADDRESSES) 
by October 18, 2004.

    Dated: October 5, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-2559 Filed 10-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S