[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 135 (Friday, July 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40988-40989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-3777]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 071105D]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
    Cancellation of public meetings and notice of rescheduling.

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has cancelled 
its meetings scheduled for July 11 - 15, 2005 in Fort Myers Beach, FL, 
due to Hurricane Dennis. The Council has rescheduled the meetings for 
August 8-12, 2005.

DATES: The meetings will be held August 8-12, 2005.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the DiamondHead Beach Resort, 
2000 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, FL.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne E. Swingle, Executive Director, 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Agenda (Committees and Council)

Committees

Monday, August 8, 2005
    8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. - The Scientific and Statistical (SSC) 
Selection Committee will meet in closed session to appoint SSC members.
    8:45 a.m. - 10 a.m. - The Advisory Panel (AP) Selection Committee 
will meet to develop the structure of the Ad Hoc Red Grouper Individual 
Fishing Quota (IFQ) AP.
    10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. - The Coral Management Committee will meet to 
review the recommendations of the Coral SSC on coral reef research and 
other matters.
    10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - The Joint Budget/Personnel Committee will 
meet to consider options recommended by staff under the Family Medical 
Leave Act (FMLA) revision to the SOPPs.
    1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The Reef Fish Management Committee will review 
the new red snapper stock assessment conducted under the SouthEast 
Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, which yields a peer-
reviewed assessment. They will also review the recommendations of the 
SSC, SEP and Red Snapper AP on this assessment. The Committee will 
review Draft Reef Fish Amendment 26 for a red snapper IFQ program and 
select their preferred alternatives for management measures that will 
be presented at public hearings in August. The Reef Fish Management 
Committee will review public hearing summaries, public letters, AP 
recommendations, SSC recommendations, Federal recommendations and 
committee recommendations on Reef Fish Amendment 18A/EA, which 
addresses enforcement and monitoring issues including simultaneous 
commercial and recreational harvest on a commercial fishing vessel, 
maximum crew size on a vessel with a Coast Guard Certificate of 
Inspection when fishing commercially, use of reef fish for bait, and 
vessel monitoring system requirements for reef fish vessels. Reef Fish 
Amendment 18A/EA also addresses revisions to the framework procedure 
for setting total allowable catch, and measures to reduce bycatch 
mortality of endangered sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish. The 
Committee will then review public hearing comments on the NMFS interim 
red grouper rule and select preferred alternatives for a Council 
regulatory amendment that will replace the interim rule once it 
expires.
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
    8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - The Reef Fish Management Committee 
resumes.
    1 p.m. - 4 p.m. - The Shrimp Management Committee will hear a 
presentation on bycatch reduction devices (BRDs), review a preliminary 
scoping document on Amendment 14 and hear a report on the status of 
shrimp stocks.
    4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem Committee 
will meet to consider the recommendations of the Ecosystem SSC and to 
develop recommendations to Congress on amendments to the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - The joint Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem 
Committee continues.

[[Page 40989]]

    9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - The Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel Management 
Committees will review public hearing summaries, public letters, AP 
recommendations, SEP comments, SSC recommendations and committee 
recommendations on Final Generic Amendment for Extension of Charter 
Vessel Permit Moratorium and make recommendations to the Council.

Council

Wednesday, August 10, 2005
    10:45 a.m. - Convene.
    11 a.m. - 12 noon - The Council will hear a presentation on the 
licensing of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities.
    1:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. - Receive public testimony on the preliminary 
Red Grouper Regulatory Amendment.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
    8:30 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. - Receive the SSC Selection Committee Report 
(CLOSED SESSION).
    8:40 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Receive public testimony on (a) the 
preliminary Red Grouper Regulatory Amendment, (b) Reef Fish Amendment 
18A/EA, (c) Charter Vessel Permit Moratorium Extension (CMP17/RF 25) 
and (d) Exempted fishing permits (if any).
    1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Receive a presentation on a Permits 
Information Management System.
    1:30 p.m. - 1:35 p.m. - Receive the SSC Selection Committee Report.
    1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. - Receive the AP Selection Committee Report.
    1:50 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
Report.
Friday, August 12, 2005
    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Receive the Shrimp Management Committee 
report.
    9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Receive the Coral Management Committee 
report.
    10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. - Receive the Joint Budget/Personnel Committee 
Report.
    10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. - Receive the Sustainable Fisheries/
Ecosystem Committee Report.
    10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Receive the joint Reef Fish/Mackerel 
Management Committees Report.
    11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Receive the NRC Recreational Data Meeting 
report.
    11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - Other Business.
    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 July 25, 2005.

    Dated: July 12, 2005.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-3777 Filed 7-14-05; 8:45 am]
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