[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 209 (Monday, October 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63286-63288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18092]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 102306F]


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 November 13-17, 2006.

ADDRESSES: These meeting will be held at the San Luis Resort, 5222 
Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77550.
    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, November 15, 2006

    8:30 a.m.
    The Council will begin to review the agenda, minutes, and 
appointment of members to management committees.

[[Page 63287]]

    9:15 a.m.-9:30 a.m.--Public Testimony on Exempted Fishing Permits 
(EFPs), if any.
    9:30 a.m.-10 a.m.--A summary of the National Marine Fisheries 
Service's (NMFS) Recreational Data Workshop will be discussed.
    10 a.m.-10:30 a.m.--A presentation will be made on the Flower 
Garden Banks Sanctuary Proposed Management Program.
    The Council will then review and discuss reports from the previous 
two day's committee meetings as follows:
    10:30 a.m.-11 a.m.--Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management;
    11 a.m.-12 noon--Mackerel Management;
    1:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.--Shrimp Management;
    1:45 p.m.-2 p.m.--Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum Management;
    2 p.m.-2:30 p.m.--Red Drum Management;
    2:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.--Administrative Policy;
    2:45 p.m.-3 p.m.--Habitat Protection; and
    3 p.m.-3:15 p.m.--Budget/Personnel.
    3:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m.--The Council will hold an Open Public Comment 
Period regarding any fishery issue or concern. People wishing to speak 
before the Council should complete a public comment card prior to the 
comment period.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

    8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.--The Council will convene in Closed Session to 
discuss budget, personnel, and panel member selections.
    The Council will then resume in an open session and continue to 
review the following committee reports:
    9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.--Reef Fish Management; and
    10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.--Law Enforcement.
    10:45 a.m.-12 noon--The Council will conclude its meeting by 
receiving reports from the Gulf states, NMFS, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, and others; as well as discussion of other business items.

Committees

Monday, November 13, 2006

    9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.--Conduct an Orientation Session for new Council 
members.
    1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.--The Reef Fish Management Committee will meet to 
review the Socioeconomic Panel's (SEP) recommendation on Reef Fish 
Amendment 28 (Grouper Allocation). The Committee will receive updates 
on Reef Fish Amendment 29 (Grouper Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)), 
Reef Fish Amendment 26 (Red Snapper IFQ), and the red snapper IFQ 
outreach workshops. The Committee will review scoping options for an 
amendment to potentially modify regulations for gag, greater amberjack, 
gray triggerfish, and vermilion snapper. The Southeast Fishery Science 
Center (SEFSC) and the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) 
recommendations for goliath grouper will be presented to the Committee, 
and a discussion will be held regarding the pending vessel monitoring 
system (VMS) requirements for commercial reef fish vessels. Finally, 
the committee will address implementing the outreach program on turtle/
sawfish conservation under Reef Fish Amendment 18A.
    4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.--The Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management 
Committee will meet to receive an update on the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Interim Rule for red snapper/shrimp, 
and the status of the Interim Rule. They will also review the 
Scientific and Statistical Committee's (SSC) recommendations on the 
reliability of the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey 
(MRFSS).

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

    8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.--The Reef Fish Management Committee will 
reconvene to finish discussions from the previous day.
    9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.--The Habitat Protection Committee will meet to 
discuss recommendations made by the Texas Habitat Protection Advisory 
Panel (AP) and the Mississippi/Louisiana Habitat AP.
    10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.--The Shrimp Management Committee will meet to 
receive a report of the Ad Hoc Shrimp Effort Working Group. The 
committee will also discuss scheduling meetings of the Ad Hoc Shrimp 
Effort Management AP.
    11:30 a.m.-12 noon--The Administrative Policy Committee will meet 
to discuss the SSC's recommendations on the SEDAR process as well as 
revisions to the SSC's Operations.
    1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.--The Mackerel Management Committee will meet to 
review recommendations from the Joint South Atlantic/Gulf Mackerel 
Management Committees on king mackerel. The Committee will also discuss 
revising the framework procedure for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic 
(CMP) Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
    2:30 p.m.-3 p.m.--The Law Enforcement Committee will meet to review 
and approve the Law Enforcement Advisory Panel's (LEAP) 2007 Operations 
Plan. The Committee will also receive a presentation on key enforcement 
cases.
    3 p.m.-4 p.m.--The Red Drum Management Committee will review the 
SEDAR recommendations for assessment and review Gulf states' and the 
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission's assessment actions.
    4 p.m.-5 p.m.--The Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum Committees 
will receive an update on work completed by the contractors on the 
Aquaculture Amendment. The Committee will discuss initiation of work by 
the Inter-disciplinary Planning Team (IPT) in 2007.
    5 p.m.-5:30 p.m.--The Budget/Personnel Committee will meet to 
review the Council's operating budget for 2007. A portion of the 
committee session will be closed to the public to discuss personnel 
actions.
    The committee reports will be presented to the Council for 
consideration on Wednesday November 15, and on Thursday, November 16, 
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.


[[Page 63288]]


    Dated: October 25, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-18092 Filed 10-27-06; 8:45 am]
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