[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 146 (Monday, July 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43133-43134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12232]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 072606D]


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 August 14-17, 2006.

ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Baton Rouge Marriott, 
5500 Hilton Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.
    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, August 16, 2006

    12 noon - Convene.
    12:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Receive public testimony on ``A Framework 
Measure to Address the Bycatch Reduction Criterion for Shrimp Trawls in 
the Gulf of Mexico West of Cape San Blas, Florida Under the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico Including 
Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and Regulatory 
Flexibility Act Analysis, as well as exempted fishing permits (if any).
    2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Receive the Reef Fish Committee Report.
    3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Open public comment period regarding any 
fishery issue or concern.
    4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Convene the Southeast Data, Assessment, and 
Review Panel (SEDAR) Selection Committee and the Advisory Panel (AP) 
Selection Committee (CLOSED SESSION).

Thursday, August 17, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Continue with the Reef Fish Committee 
Report.
    9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. - Publicly report the Council action on the 
SEDAR Selection Committee and AP Selection Committee/Council sessions.
    9:45 a.m. - 12 noon - Receive the Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Committees 
Report.
    1:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. - Receive the Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem 
Committee Report.
    2 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - Receive the Administrative Policy Committee 
Report.
    2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - Receive the Migratory Species Committee 
Report.
    2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Receive the Mackerel Committee Report.
    3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Other Business (Includes miscellaneous 
written reports filed under Tabs O, P, Q, and R of briefing book), as 
well as any special announcements.
    4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman

Committees

Monday, August 14, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Conduct an Orientation Session for new 
Council members.
    1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The Reef Fish Management Committee will meet 
to receive a report on the Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps Marine 
Protected Areas Monitoring Program by NMFS and a status report on the 
development of an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system for the grouper 
fishery. The Committee will also review stock assessments for greater 
amberjack, vermilion snapper, gray triggerfish, and gag along with 
recommendations from the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and 
Reef Fish AP. The Committee will also consider scheduling stock 
assessment updates for red snapper and goliath grouper.

[[Page 43134]]

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - The Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committees will receive a report on the status and health of shrimp 
stocks in the Gulf, as well as a report from the Ad Hoc Shrimp Effort 
Working Group on the status of existing effort in the shrimp fishery 
and possible relationships to optimal effort. The Committee will also 
consider final action on a regulatory amendment to potentially change 
the bycatch reduction criterion for Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) 
used in shrimp trawls west of Cape San Blas, Florida. Finally, the 
Committee will consider approving Joint Amendment 27 to the Reef Fish 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP)/Amendment 14 to the Shrimp FMP for public 
hearings.
    2 p.m. - 3 p.m. - The Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem Committee 
will review and possibly approve the Ecosystem SSC's recommended budget 
for workshops and consider recommending an extension to the ecosystem 
budget into 2007.
    3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - The Administrative Policy Committee will meet 
to consider a proposed pool of non-government organizations (NGO's) 
that would be used to select representatives to future SEDAR workshops. 
The Committee will also review the Statement of Organization Practices 
and Procedures' (SOPPs) provisions on the Standing Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC).
    3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - The Migratory Species Management Committee 
will receive a report from NMFS Headquarter on the International 
Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

    8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - The Mackerel Management Committee will 
review recommendations from the SSC regarding a report from a special 
scientific committee made up of scientists appointed by the Council and 
the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC). This report 
includes recommendations regarding the stock assessment for king 
mackerel in the Gulf and Atlantic regions. The Committee will also 
consider the recommendations of the SAFMC regarding this report and 
other king mackerel issues.
    The committee reports will be presented to the Council for 
consideration later on Wednesday and on Thursday, August 17, 2006.
    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 Tina Trezza at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: July 26, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-12232 Filed 7-28-06; 8:45 am]
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