[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 112 (Monday, June 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 34091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-3044]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 060705E]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene their Reef Fish Advisory Panel to review the ``Draft Amendment 
18A to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish 
Resources of the Gulf of Mexico.''

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2005, from 8:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the DoubleTree Westshore Hotel, 
4500 West Cypress Street, Tampa, FL.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
North U.S. Highway 301, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 
(813) 228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Reef Fish Advisory Panel (AP) will 
review the Draft Amendment 18A to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan 
for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico. Reef Fish Amendment 
18A deals with enforcement and monitoring issues, including 
simultaneous commercial and recreational harvest on a vessel (to 
improve enforceability of prohibition on sale of recreationally caught 
reef fish), maximum crew size on a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) inspected 
vessel when fishing commercially (to resolve a conflict between NMFS 
maximum crew size and USCG minimum crew size regulations), use of reef 
fish for bait, and vessel monitoring system (VMS) requirements on 
commercial reef fish vessels. Amendment 18A also addresses 
administrative changes to the framework procedure for setting total 
allowable catch (TAC) of reef fish, and measures to reduce bycatch and 
bycatch mortality of endangered sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish 
taken incidentally in the commercial and charter/headboat reef fish 
fishery.
    The AP's comments/recommendations will be provided to the Council 
at its July 11-15, 2005 meeting in Ft. Myers, FL.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the Ecosystem SSC for discussion, in accordance with the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act), those issues may not be the subject of formal action 
during this meeting. Actions of the Ecosystem SSC 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 Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public 
has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address the 
emergency.
    A copy of the Amendment and related materials can be obtained by 
calling the Council office at (813) 228-2815.

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 June 21, 2005.

    Dated: June 8, 2005.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-3044 Filed 6-10-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S