[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 76 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20736-20737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1873]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041505G]


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 meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene 
public meetings. See SUPPLEMRNTARY INFORMATION for specific meeting 
schedule.

DATES: The meetings will be held May 9 - 12, 2005.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Palace Casino Resort, 158 
Howard Avenue, Biloxi, MS.
    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 Meetings - Shedule

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

    8:30 a.m. - Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 12 Noon - Receive public testimony on (a) Final Shrimp 
Amendment 13/EA and (b) Exempted fishing permits (if any).
    1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Receive a report on the Administration's Ocean 
Action Plan.
    1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - Receive a presentation on major law 
enforcement issues regarding red snapper violations and illegal seafood 
imports.
    2:45 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Receive the National State Fishery Directors' 
Meeting report.
    3 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Receive the Shrimp Management Committee report.
    4 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. - Receive the AP Selection Committee Report 
(CLOSED SESSION).

[[Page 20737]]

    4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Receive the SSC Selection Committee Report 
(CLOSED SESSION).
    4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Receive the SEDAR Committee Report (CLOSED 
SESSION).
    4:45 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Receive the Joint Budget/Personnel Committee 
Report (CLOSED SESSION).

Thursday, May 12, 2005

    8:30 a.m. - 8:35 a.m. - Receive the AP Selection Committee Report.
    8:35 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. - Receive the SSC Selection Committee Report.
    8:40 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. - Receive the SEDAR Committee Report.
    8:45 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Receive the Joint Budget/Personnel Committee 
Report.
    9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
report.
    9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. - Receive the Joint Administrative Policy/
Budget/Personnel Committee Report.
    9:45 a.m. - 10 a.m. Receive the Habitat Protection Committee 
Report.
    10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. - Receive the Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel 
Committee Report.
    10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Receive the Data Collection Committee 
Report.
    10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. - Receive the NMFS Billfish and HMS AP 
Meeting Report.
    10:45 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Receive Enforcement Reports.
    11 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
report.
    11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Receive Directors' Reports.
    11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - Other Business.
    Committee

Monday, May 9, 2005

    9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. - The Advisory Panel (AP) Selection Committee 
will meet in closed session to appoint AP members.
    10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. - The Scientific and Statistical (SSC) 
Selection Committee will meet in closed session to appoint SSC members.
    10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - The Joint Budget/Personnel Committee will 
meet in closed session to make recommendations to Council on the 
selection of an Ecosystem Facilitator and then open session to review 
the Council's operational budget for CY2005.
    1 p.m. - 3 p.m. - The Shrimp Management Committee will review 
public hearing summaries, public letters, AP recommendations, LEAP 
recommendations, SEP comments, SSC recommendations and committee 
recommendations on Final Shrimp Amendment 13/EA, which addresses 
limited access in the shrimp fishery in order to make recommendations 
to the Council.
    3 p.m. - 4 p.m. - The Joint Administrative Policy/Budge/Personnel 
Committee will meet to review the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 
revision to the SOPPs.
    4 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - The Habitat Protection Committee will hear 
reports on the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Coordinators' Meeting and 
the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) Meeting. They will 
then hear an update on liquefied natural gas (LNG) Facility Permitting.
    4:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The Data Collection Committee will receive 
a presentation on the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

    8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. - The SEDAR Committee will meet in closed 
session to select panel participants for SEDAR workshops for amberjack, 
vermilion snapper and gray triggerfish.
    9:15 a.m. - 12:00 noon - The Reef Fish Management Committee will 
meet to review Public Hearing Draft Reef Fish Amendment 18A/EA, which 
addresses the grouper fishery and receive a demonstration of bycatch 
release gear. The Committee will then receive the red grouper 2004/2005 
landings data and hear a status report on the interim red grouper rule. 
The Committee will review a revised options paper for the Red Grouper 
Regulatory Amendment providing for commercial vessel trip limits and a 
revised total allowable catch (TAC) and then discuss the red grouper 
industry buy-out business plan.
    1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - The Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel Management 
Committees will review a public hearing draft of a Generic Amendment 
for Extension of Charter Vessel Permit Moratorium.
    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 (M-SFCMA), 
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
    M-SFCMA, 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 timely completion of discussion relevant to the 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 Dawn Aring at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) by May 2, 2005.

    Dated: April 18, 2005.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-1873 Filed 4-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S