[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1733-1734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-188]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 123005D]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Scoping Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of scoping hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene scoping hearings to solicit comments on two joint amendments: 
Joint Reef Fish Amendment 27/Shrimp 14 and Joint Reef Fish Amendment 
28/Shrimp 15.

DATES: The scoping hearings will held from January 23 - 31, 2006 at 10 
locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. For specific dates and times 
see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting addresses: The scoping hearings will be held in the 
following locations: Brownsville, Port Aransas, and Galveston, Texas; 
Larose, Louisiana; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Mobile and Orange Beach, 
Alabama; and Panama City, Tampa, and Key West, Florida. For specific 
dates and times see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

[[Page 1734]]

    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Richard Leard, Deputy Executive 
Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 
348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council (Council) has scheduled a series of scoping hearings to solicit 
public comment on two draft scoping documents. The first, Joint Reef 
Fish Amendment 27/Shrimp 14 proposes actions that deal with adjustments 
to the total allowable catch (TAC) for red snapper, size limits, bag 
limits, recreational season dates, and the certification of new shrimp 
bycatch reduction devices (BRDs). The amendment will also look at 
directed fishery gear restrictions and depth restrictions on the 
commercial fishery.
    The second document, Joint Reef Fish Amendment 28/Shrimp 15, will 
consider such issues as shrimp trawl gear limits, limitations of shrimp 
vessel permit transferability, further reducing bycatch, shrimp fishery 
bycatch quota and quota monitoring, vessel monitoring systems (VMS), 
possible area closures for shrimp, and other management alternatives.
    The scoping hearings will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude at the end 
of public testimony or no later than 10 p.m. at each of the following 
locations:
    Monday, January 23, 2006, Four Points by Sheraton, 3777 North 
Expressway, Brownsville, TX 78520, telephone: (956) 547-1500;
    Monday, January 23, 2006, Holiday Inn Mobile I-10 Bellingrath 
Gardens, 5465 Highway 90 West, Mobile, AL 36619, telephone: (251) 666-
5600;
    Tuesday, January 24, 2006, University of Texas Marine Science 
Institute Auditorium, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas, TX 78373, 
telephone: (361) 749-6711;
    Tuesday, January 24, 2006, LaFont Inn, 2703 Denny Avenue, 
Pascagoula, MS 39567, telephone: (228) 762-7111;
    Wednesday, January 25, 2006, Holiday Inn Galveston, 5002 Seawall 
Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77550, telephone: (409) 740-3581
    Wednesday, January 25, 2006, Hilton Garden Inn Orange Beach, 23092 
Perdido Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL 36561, telephone: (251) 974-
1600;
    Thursday, January 26, 2006, Larose Regional Park Gym, 307 East 5th 
Street, Larose, LA 70373, telephone: (985) 693-7355;
    Thursday, January 26, 2006, National Marine Fisheries Service 
Laboratory, 3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408, telephone: 
(850) 234-6541;
    Monday, January 30, 2006, Tampa Marriott Westshore, 1001 North 
Westshore Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607, (813) 287-2555; and
    Tuesday, January 31, 2006, DoubleTree Grand Key Resort, 3990 South 
Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040, telephone: (305) 293-1818.
    Copies of the scoping documents and related materials can be 
obtained by calling the Council office at (813) 348-1630.

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: January 5, 2006.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-188 Filed 1-10-06; 8:45 am]
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