[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 541-542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22597]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 122806C]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council); Public 
Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene 
public meetings.

DATES: The meeting will be held January 22 -26, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Grand Hotel Marriott, 1 
Grand Blvd., Point Clear AL 36564.
    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

    Thursday, January 25, 2007--The Council will begin at 8:30 am to 
review the agenda and minutes. Public testimony on a regulatory 
amendment to address vermilion snapper management and exempted fishing 
permits (EFPs), if any, will be from 8:45 to 10 a.m. Persons wishing to 
testify on the regulatory amendment must register by filling out a 
public testimony card prior to the beginning of the testimony period. 
From 10 a.m. to 12 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. From 1:30-2 p.m. the Council will hear a presentation 
regarding Dolphin Depredation. The Council will then review and discuss 
reports from the previous three day's committee meetings as follows: 2-
3:30 pm--Reef Fish Management; 3:30-4:15 pm--Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp 
Management Committees; 4:15-4:45 pm--Shrimp Management Committee; 4:45-
5:00 pm--Mackerel Management Committee; 5-5:15 p.m.--Data Collection 
Committee; Budget/Personnel Committee from 5:15-5:30 p.m.
    Friday, January 26, 2007--The Council will begin at 8:30 a.m. to 
continue reviewing and discussing reports from the previous three day's 
committee meetings as follows: 8:30 -8:45 am--Migratory Species 
Management Committee; 8:45 -9 a.m.--SSC Selection Committee; 9-9:30 
a.m. Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum Committees. The Council will 
conclude its meeting by discussing Other Business items from 9:30 -
10:30 a.m.

Committees

    Monday, January 22, 2007, 1-5:30 p.m.--The Reef Fish Management 
Committee will meet to take final action on a Regulatory Amendment for 
Vermilion Snapper, review Reef Fish Amendment 30 (gag, amberjack, 
triggerfish, red grouper), and set scoping hearings. The Committee will 
also review the Ad Hoc Grouper IFQ Advisory Panel's (AP) 
recommendations for Reef Fish Amendment 29 (Grouper Individual Fishing 
Quota [IFQ]), as well as review a Florida Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission study and Southeast Fisheries Science Center 
recommendations for a goliath grouper scientific harvest.
    Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. --The Joint Reef Fish/
Shrimp Management Committee will meet to receive a presentation on red 
snapper juvenile densities off Texas. The Committee will also review 
the current Draft Joint Reef Fish Amendment 27/Shrimp Amendment 14 and 
additional potential shrimp actions; the Committee report from the 
August 2006 meeting; the NMFS' FEIS and Interim Rule; the Final Shrimp 
Effort Workgroup and the Ad Hoc Shrimp Effort Management AP Reports; 
and consider linked vs. delinked shrimp and reef fish mortality 
reduction scenarios for Reef Fish Amendment 27/Shrimp Amendment 14. The 
Committee may also select public hearing locations for Reef Fish 
Amendment 27/Shrimp Amendment 14

[[Page 542]]

and review Reef Fish 31/Shrimp 15 options.
    1:30-4 p.m.--The Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp Management Committee 
continues.
    4-5 p.m.--The Shrimp Management Committee will meet to receive a 
report of the Texas shrimp closure analyses and the Shrimp AP 
recommendations.
    5-5:30 p.m. (CLOSED COUNCIL SESSION) The Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC) Selection Committee, which met prior to the meeting, 
will give their recommendations for Select SSC Subcommittee members to 
monitor NMFS' Design and Analysis Group.
    Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 8:30-10:30 a.m. --The Data Collection 
Committee will meet to discuss the Committee's charge under the 
Council's Standard Operating Practices and Procedures's (SOPPS); 
consider action to require a recreational saltwater fishing license/
permit in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); discuss reporting 
requirements for the recreational-for-hire sector; review the existing 
Gulf charter and head boat surveys; and discuss the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act recreational data provision for 
a vessel registry along with state licensing and reporting 
requirements.
    10:30-11:30 a.m.--The Mackerel Management Committee will meet to 
review an update on status criteria and acceptable biological catch 
(ABC) projections for king mackerel and to approve Amendment 18 to the 
Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for public 
hearings.
    1-3 p.m.--The Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum Committees will 
meet to discuss an Options Paper for an Aquaculture Amendment by 
possibly selecting preferred alternatives and scheduling public hearing 
locations.
    3-3:45 p.m.--The Budget/Personnel Committee will meet to review the 
draft CY 2007 operating budget and consider increases in state liaison 
funding.
    3:45-5:30 p.m.--The Migratory Species Management Committee will 
meet to discuss a proposed rule by NMFS to relax swordfish regulations 
and highly migratory species essential fish habitat.
    The committee reports will be presented to the Council for 
consideration on Thursday January 25, and on Friday, January 26, 2007.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the Council and Committees for discussion, in accordance with 
the M-SFCMA, 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 M-SFCMA, 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.
    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: December 29, 2006.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-22597 Filed 1-4-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S