[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 432-433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31438]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XM52


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 (Council) will 
convene public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held January 26-29, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Hollywood Casino, 711 
Hollywood Blvd., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Leard, Interim Executive 
Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 
348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Council

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

    The Council meeting will begin at 1 p.m. with a review of the 
agenda and minutes. From 1:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., the Council will 
receive public testimony on exempted fishing permits (EFPs), if any; 
the Final Aquaculture Fishery Management Plan (FMP), Final Reef Fish 
Amendment 29; and hold an Open Public Comment Period regarding any 
fishery issue of concern. People wishing to speak before the Council 
should complete a public comment card prior to the comment period. From 
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., the Council will review and discuss the report 
of the Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum Committee.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

    From 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., the Council 
will continue to review and discuss reports from the committee meetings 
as follows: Ad Hoc Allocation; Reef Fish Management; Mackerel 
Management; Joint Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Selection/
Administrative Policy; Southeast Data and Review (SEDAR) Selection; 
Shrimp Management; Habitat Protection and Sustainable Fisheries/
Ecosystem. From 4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m., the Council will Review/Approve 
the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) Comprehensive 
Ecosystem-Based Amendment. Other Business items will follow from 4:45 
p.m. - 5:15 p.m. The Council will conclude its meeting at approximately 
5:15 p.m.

Committees

Monday, January 26, 2009

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - CLOSED SESSION - The SEDAR Selection Committee 
and Full Council will meet to select participants for the Gag and Red 
Grouper SEDAR Assessment Update and the Black Grouper Data Workshop.
    9 a.m. - 12 p.m. - CLOSED SESSION - The Budget/Personnel and Full 
Council will Interview and select the Executive Director.
    1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - The Ad Hoc Allocation Committee will meet 
to discuss the Allocation Policy and the next steps.
    2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - The Joint Reef Fish/Mackerel/Red Drum 
Management Committee will meet to discuss the Final Aquaculture FMP.
    5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. - The Sustainable Fisheries/Ecosystem Committee 
will meet to receive a status report on the Generic Annual Catch Limit/
Accountability Measures (ACL/AM) Amendment.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

    8:30 am - 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. - The Reef Fish Management 
Committee will meet to discuss the Options Paper on Amendment/
Regulatory Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to 
address Longline/Turtle Interactions; Results of Referendum and Final 
Action on Reef Fish Amendment 29; White Paper on Pros and Cons of Red 
Snapper For-Hire Sector Management; and Consideration of (re)allocation 
Issues for those Species in Reef Fish Amendments 30A and 30B using the 
Allocation Policy. The committee will also receive a presentation on a 
device to reduce release mortality and may discuss goliath grouper 
activities.
    3 p.m. - 4 p.m. - The Habitat Protection Committee will discuss 
summaries of the Habitat Protection Advisory Panel (AP) Meetings.
    4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - The Mackerel Management Committee will meet to 
discuss the King Mackerel Stock Assessment as well as SSC and Mackerel 
AP recommendations and consider future management strategies.
    6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - There will be an Informal Open Public 
Question and Answer Session.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

    8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - The Shrimp Management Committee will meet to 
review the results of the 2008 Cooperative Texas Closure and consider 
recommendations for 2009.
    9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - The Joint SSC Selection/Administrative Policy 
Committee will meet to discuss the National SSC Report; Council 
policies in Statement of Organization Practices and Procedures (SOPPs); 
and consideration of disbanding the Operator Permits Committee.
    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

[[Page 433]]

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 O'Hern at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: December 31, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-31438 Filed 1-5-08; 8:45 am]
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