[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 43 (Monday, March 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11190-11191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3100]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 022806D]


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 March 20 - 23, 2006. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Radisson Admiral Semmes 
Hotel, 251 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602.
    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:

Council

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

    1:30 p.m. - Convene.
    1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Hear a Monitoring Report on the Madison/
Swanson Marine Reserves.
    2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Receive public testimony on (a) Final Reef 
Fish Amendment 26 [Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)]; and (b) 
Exempted fishing permits (if any).
    4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Open public comment period regarding any 
fishery issue or concern.
    6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - NOAA Fisheries Service will hold a public 
workshop to provide a general demonstration of the on-line capabilities 
to implement the Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) System. 
This presentation is solely for the purpose of soliciting input from 
the Council and potential users of the system in an effort to make the 
tool user friendly, concise and responsive to Reef Fish Amendment 26.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Receive the Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC) Selection Committee Report on appointment of shrimp 
effort working group (CLOSED SESSION).
    9 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Receive the joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees Report.
    11:15 a.m. - 12 noon - Receive the Administrative Policy Committee 
Report.
    1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. - Report the Council action on the SSC 
Selection Committee Report.
    1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee 
Report.
    3:45 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Receive the Council Chairs Budget Meeting 
Report.
    4 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Other Business (Includes miscellaneous reports 
filed under Tabs O, P, Q, and R of briefing book).

Committee

Monday, March 20, 2006

    1 p.m. - 3 p.m. - The Standing SSC will meet to discuss and take 
action on attendance/operations issues. The Standing SSC will then 
review and take action on the Socioeconomic Panel (SEP) Report on 
grouper allocation issues.
    3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - The Administrative Policy Committee will meet 
jointly with the Standing SSC to review the Statement of Organization 
Practices and Procedures (SOPPs) provisions on SSC operations.
    4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees will meet with the Standing SSC to review an options paper 
for Joint Draft Amendment Reef Fish 27/Shrimp 14 to consider changes to 
regulations for the directed red snapper fishery and shrimp trawl 
fishery for reducing bycatch in the directed red snapper fishery and 
shrimp fishery; and effort limitation alternatives for the shrimp 
fishery. The Committees and the SSC will also review a scoping document 
for a Draft Shrimp Amendment 15 that considers limits on trawling gear, 
restrictions on the transfer of vessel permits, bycatch quotas, and 
possible area closures. Public comments from the scoping meetings will 
be reviewed for both proposed amendments. The SSC will provide their 
review, and the Committees will make recommendations for Council.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 12 noon - The joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees will reconvene with the Standing SSC to continue their work.
    1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees will convene without the Standing SSC to continue their 
discussions.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. - After an update on the red snapper IFQ 
referendum, the Reef Fish Management Committee will take final action 
on Reef Fish Amendment 26 for a Red Snapper IFQ program. They will then 
review public comments/letters and develop committee recommendations. 
The Committee will then discuss issues pertaining to the Grouper IFQ 
Amendment and review recommendations of the Ad Hoc Grouper IFQ Advisory 
Panel and make recommendations to Council. Finally, the Committee will 
review the SEP report and the SSC Recommendations on Grouper Allocation 
Amendment issues and make recommendations to Council.
    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

[[Page 11191]]

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: March 1, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-3100 Filed 3-3-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S