[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 227 (Friday, November 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68883-68884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-3330]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 111904B]


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 hearing; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a public hearing to solicit comments on ``Draft Amendment 3 for 
Addressing EFH Requirements, Habitat Areas of Particular Concern 
(HAPCs), and Adverse Effects of Fishing in the Following Fishery 
Management Plans of the Gulf of Mexico: Shrimp, Red Drum, Reef fish, 
Stone Crab, Coral and Coral Reef in the Gulf of Mexico and Spiny 
Lobster and the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of 
Mexico and South Atlantic.'' The Amendment contains proposed 
alternatives to further

[[Page 68884]]

identify EFH, establish HAPCs, and to the extent practicable prevent 
adverse impacts of fishing activities on coral in HAPCs.

DATES: The public hearing will be held December 7, 2004, beginning at 6 
p.m. and concluding not later than 9 p.m. Public comments received by 
mail or e-mail that are received in the Council office by 5 p.m., 
December 8, 2004, will be presented to the Council.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the DoubleTree Guest 
Suites Tampa Bay, 3050 North Rocky Point Drive West, Tampa, FL 33607 
Phone: (813) 888-8800.
    Send written comments to: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301, North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following the judicial decision in American 
Oceans Campaign v. Daley (Civil Action No. 99-982), NOAA Fisheries and 
the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) prepared a 
draft ``Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Generic Essential 
Fish Habitat (EFH) Amendment to the Following Fishery Management Plans 
of the Gulf of Mexico: Shrimp, Red Drum, Reef fish, Stone Crab, Coral 
and Coral Reef in the Gulf of Mexico and Spiny Lobster and the Coastal 
Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.'' 
The draft EIS analyzes within each fishery a range of potential 
alternatives to: (1) describe and identify essential fish habitat for 
each fishery; (2) identify other actions to encourage the conservation 
and enhancement of such EFH; and (3) identify measures to minimize to 
the extent practicable any adverse effects of fishing on such EFH. 
Based on this EIS, the Council has subsequently developed ``Draft 
Amendment 3 for Addressing EFH Requirements, Habitat Areas of 
Particular Concern (HAPCs), and Adverse Effects of Fishing in the 
Following Fishery Management Plans of the Gulf of Mexico: Shrimp, Red 
Drum, Reef fish, Stone Crab, Coral and Coral Reef in the Gulf of Mexico 
and Spiny Lobster and the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the 
Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.'' The Amendment contains proposed 
alternatives to further identify EFH, establish HAPCs, and to the 
extent practicable prevent adverse impacts of fishing activities on 
coral in HAPCs.
    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 
November 30, 2004.

    Dated: November 19, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-3330 Filed 11-24-04; 8:45 am]
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