[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76259-76260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7777]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 121905D]


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.

DATES: The meetings will be held January 9 - 12, 2006.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Omni Corpus Christi Hotel 
- Bayfront Tower, 900 North Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 
78401.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203

[[Page 76260]]

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:

Council

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Receive public testimony on (a) Reef Fish 
Amendment 26 (Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ); (b) The Texas 
Shrimp Closure; and (c) Exempted fishing permits (if any).
    1 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
Report.
    3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Receive the joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees Report.
    4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Receive Litigation Briefing (CLOSED 
SESSION).

Thursday, January 12, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Receive the Budget/Personnel Committee Report.
    9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Receive the Administrative Policy Committee 
Report.
    9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. - Receive the Habitat Protection Committee 
Report.
    9:45 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Receive the Shrimp Management Committee 
Report.
    10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. - Receive the South Atlantic Fishery 
Management Council (SAFMC) Meeting Report.
    10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Receive the Enforcement Reports.
    10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. - Adoption of the Law Enforcement Advisory 
Panel (LEAP) Operation Plan.
    10:45 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Receive the NMFS Regional Administrator's 
Report.
    11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Receive the State Director's Reports.
    11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - Other Business.

Committee

Monday, January 9, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - The Habitat Protection Committee will hear 
a report of the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) Meeting 
and a report of the Texas Habitat Protection AP Meeting. The Committee 
will receive presentations of Shell Oil Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) 
Proposals and Gulf Foundation CRP Habitat Grants. Then the Committee 
will receive an update on the Gulf of Mexico Summit.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - The Shrimp Management Committee will meet 
to review the Texas Closure.
    1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The Reef Fish Management Committee will hear 
an update on the second red snapper referendum. The Committee will hear 
a status report on the Grouper Allocation Amendment. Then, the 
Committee will discuss possible mechanisms to trigger vertical line 
fishing at the end of the grouper season.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 12 noon - The joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees will review a scoping document for a joint Reef Fish 27/
Shrimp 14 Amendment to consider changes to regulations for the directed 
red snapper fishery targeted at reducing shrimp trawl by-catch; by-
catch in the directed red snapper fishery; and effort limitation 
alternatives for the shrimp fishery. The Committee will also review 
another scoping document for a joint Reef Fish 28/Shrimp 15 Amendment 
to consider at such issues as gear and depth restrictions for the red 
snapper fishery; further reducing bycatch in the red snapper and shrimp 
fisheries; effort reduction in the shrimp fishery; as well as other 
management alternatives. The Committees will hear the Shrimp Advisory 
Panel's (AP) comments on these two documents.
    1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. - The Budget/Personnel Committee will meet to 
review Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) revisions to the Statement of 
Organization Practices and Procedures (SOPPs) and make recommendations 
to Council. The Committee will also review the factors affecting the CY 
2006 Budget.
    3 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The Administrative Policy Committee will 
discuss the revisions made to the SOPPs regarding the Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) operations by the SSC Operations Task Force 
and make recommendations to Council. The Committee will hear a 
presentation by staff on video conferencing and discuss holding public 
comment sessions.
    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 (Magnuson-
Stevens Act), 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 Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
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) at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: December 20, 2005.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E5-7777 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am]
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