[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 168 (Tuesday, September 1, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45182-45183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21009]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XR23


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Scoping 
Hearings

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

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene Scoping Hearings on Spiny Lobster Amendment 10 (in Marathon and 
Key West, FL only), Generic ACL/AM Amendment and Amendments 18 and 20 
to the Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

DATES: The scoping hearings will be held on September 21 through 
September 24, 2009 at nine locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. For 
specific dates, times and subjects see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held in the following locations: 
Madeira Beach, Marathon, Key West and Panama City, FL, Biloxi, MS, 
Houston and Corpus Christi, TX, Grand Isle, LA and Orange Beach, AL. 
For specific dates, times and subjects see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Carrie Simmons, Fishery Biologist; 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council (Council) has scheduled nine scoping hearings on Spiny Lobster 
Amendment 10, Generic ACL/AM Amendment, and Amendments 18 and 20 to the 
Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). In 2006 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act was 
reauthorized and included a number of changes to improve conservation 
of managed fishery resources. The goals require that conservation and 
management prevent overfishing while achieving, on a continuous basis 
optimum yield for each fishery in the United States. Therefore included 
in these changes are requirements for the Regional Councils to 
establish annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs). 
Accountability measures are management controls to prevent the ACLs 
from being exceeded and to correct by either in-season or post-season 
monitoring if they occur. These measures must be implemented by 2010 
for stocks experiencing overfishing and by 2011 for all others.
    The Gulf Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
are jointly developing two separate amendments to address the ACLs and 
AMs; the Spiny Lobster Amendment 10 and the CMP Amendments 18 and 20. 
These two joint amendments address several species within the jointly 
management FMP. For example, the Spiny Lobster Amendment 10 addresses 
ACLs and AMs for the following species: Caribbean spiny lobster, 
smoothtail spiny lobster, spotted spiny lobster, Spanish slipper 
lobster, and ridged slipper lobster. Whereas, the joint CMP FMP 
Amendments 18 and 20 address ACLs and AMs for the following species: 
king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and cobia. The Generic ACL/AM 
Amendment addresses all other federally managed species in the Gulf of 
Mexico. There are several questions and issues in each amendment for 
discussion. The public is encouraged to attend and provide comments on 
these three amendments.
    These public hearings will begin at 6 p.m. and conclude at the end 
of public testimony or no later than 9 p.m. at the following locations:
    Monday, September 21, 2009, Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries 
Research Lab, 195 Ludwig Annex, Grand Isle, LA 70358, telephone: (985) 
787-2163;
    Monday, September 21, 2009, Monroe County Harvey Government 
Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West, FL 33040;
    Tuesday, September 22, 2009, Holiday Inn, 1102 S. 
Shoreline, Corpus Christi, TX 78401, telephone: (361) 883-5731;
    Tuesday, September 22, 2009, Banana Bay Resort, 4590 
Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050, telephone: (305) 743-3500;
    Tuesday, September 22, 2009, Best Western, 7921 Lamar Poole 
Road, Biloxi, MS 39532, telephone: (228) 875-7111;
    Wednesday, September 23, 2009, City of Orange Beach Parks & 
Recreation, 27235 Canal Road, Orange

[[Page 45183]]

Beach, AL 36561, telephone: (251) 981-6028;
    Wednesday, September 23, 2009, SpringHill Suites, 7922 
Mosley Road, Houston, TX 77061;
    Thursday, September 24, 2009, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, 3500 Delwood Beach Road, Panama City, FL 32408, telephone: 
(850) 234-6541;
    This public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at the end 
of public testimony or no later than 9:30 p.m. at the following 
location:
    Wednesday, September 23, 2009, City of Madeira Beach, 300 
Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708, telephone: (727) 391-9951.
    Copies of the Amendment can be obtained by calling the Council 
office at (813) 348-1630.Special Accommodations
    These hearings 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: August 27, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-21009 Filed 8-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S