[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 194 (Friday, October 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59089-59090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16594]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 100306A]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene its Law Enforcement Advisory Panel (LEAP).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 24, 2006, from 1 
p.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Royal Sonesta, 300 Bourbon 
St., New Orleans, LA 70130; telephone: (504) 586-0300.
    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 Council will convene the Law Enforcement 
Advisory Panel (LEAP) to review a Draft Joint Amendment 27 to the Reef 
Fish Fishery Management Plan (FMP)/Amendment 14 to the Shrimp FMP. This 
amendment contains alternatives to regulate the harvest and bycatch of 
red snapper by both the directed commercial and recreational fisheries 
and the shrimp fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. The need for this 
amendment arose from the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) 
process through which a recent stock assessment showed that the red 
snapper stock in the Gulf was overfished and overfishing was 
continuing.
    In addition, the LEAP will review progress and possible actions 
with regard to an amendment to potentially allow offshore aquaculture 
and a reef fish amendment to address individual fishing quotas (IFQs) 
for grouper and

[[Page 59090]]

possibly other reef fish species. Finally, the LEAP will review the 
status of various FMP amendments and other regulatory actions and 
approve the Operations Plan for 2007.
    The LEAP consists of principal law enforcement officers in each of 
the Gulf States, as well as the NMFS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(FWS), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's (NOAA) General Counsel. A copy of the agenda and 
related materials can be obtained by calling the Council office at 
(813) 348-1630.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the LEAP 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 this meeting. 
Actions of the LEAP 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.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is 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) 5 
working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: October 3, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-16594 Filed 10-5-06; 8:45 am]
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