[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 98 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29316-29317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-7768]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051706C]


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 on June 5-8, 2006.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Quorum Hotel, 700 North 
Westshore Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607
    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, June 7, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - Convene.
    8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. - Hear a report on the Implications of the 
National Research Council (NRC) Review of Recreational Data Collection.
    9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Receive public testimony on exempted 
fishing permits (if any).
    9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Open public comment period regarding any 
fishery issue or concern.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Hear a report on the Coastal Ocean 
Observing System.
    1 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. - Receive the Administrative Policy Committee 
Report.
    1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Receive the Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem 
Committee Report.
    2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Receive the Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Committees 
Report.
    4 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Receive the Southeast Data Assessment and 
Review Panel (SEDAR) Selection Committee Report and select persons to 
serve on the SEDAR 12 panels (CLOSED SESSION).
    4:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Hold the AP Selection Committee/Council 
meeting in CLOSED SESSION to review fishery violations.

Thursday, June 8, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Continue with the Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp 
Committees Report.
    9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. - Publicly report the Council action on the 
SEDAR Committee and AP Selection Committee/Council sessions.
    9:45 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Receive the Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum 
Committees Report.
    10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Receive the Shrimp Committee Report.
    10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Receive the Reef Fish Committee Report.
    11:30 a.m. - 12 noon - Other Business (Includes miscellaneous 
reports filed under Tabs O, P, Q, and R of briefing book).

Committee

Monday, June 5, 2006

    1 p.m. - 2 p.m. - The Administrative Policy Committee will meet to 
review the Statement of Organization Practices and Procedures' (SOPPs) 
provisions on the Standing Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 
operations; review the proposed NMFS Operating Agreement for Regulatory 
Streamlining; and hear a presentation on the draft Council 
communications plan.
    2 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. The Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem Committee 
will review and comment on Congressional bills on the reauthorization 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(Magnuson-Stevens Act).

Tuesday, June 6, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 12 noon - The Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees will receive a report on the decline in effort for selected 
recreational fisheries; and receive a report on the Ad Hoc Shrimp 
Effort Work Group. The Committees will also review a Partial Draft 
Joint Reef Fish 27/Shrimp 14 Amendment. This Amendment considers 
changes to regulations for the directed red snapper fishery, 
alternatives to reduce bycatch in the directed red snapper fishery and 
shrimp fishery, and alternatives to limit effort in the shrimp fishery.
    1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - The Shrimp Management Committee will 
receive a report on the near-shore areas where juvenile red snapper 
congregate. The Committee will also review the Draft Options Paper for 
Shrimp Amendment 15 that considers limits on trawling gear, 
restrictions on the transfer of vessel permits, bycatch quotas, and 
possible time/area closures.
    2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - The Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum 
Committees will receive a presentation on the siting of aquaculture 
facilities and an update on actions for drafting the Generic Amendment 
for Regulating Offshore Aquaculture. The Committee will also hear a 
report on Florida's Best Management Practices for Net Pens.
    3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. - The Reef Fish Management Committee will 
receive a report of the Ad Hoc Grouper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 
Advisory Panel (AP) and a report on the status of the Grouper 
Allocation Amendment. The Committee will also review a report on the 
implications of the SEDAR 9 stock assessment to the stocks of greater 
amberjack, vermilion snapper, and gray triggerfish. The Committee will 
also approve the Red Snapper IFQ outreach workshops for the IFQ 
program.
    The committee reports will be presented to the Council for 
consideration on Wednesday and Thursday, June 7-8.

[[Page 29317]]

    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the Council and Committees for discussion, in accordance with 
the 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 Trish Kennedy at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: May 17, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-7768 Filed 5-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S