[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42698-42699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17682]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC114


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Council to convene public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a 
meeting of the Reef Fish Advisory Panel.

DATES: The meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 6, 2012 
and conclude by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 7, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 
33607; telephone: (813) 348-1630.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 N. 
Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 
(813) 348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Reef Fish Advisory Panel (AP) will 
review several amendments that the Council is developing. Amendments 
for which the Council will take final action at its upcoming meeting in 
August include a Generic Amendment for Dealer Permits and Electronic 
Reporting, and Reef Fish Amendment 38 to modify the post-season 
accountability measures for shallow-water grouper and revise the 
generic framework procedure for establishing regulatory actions. 
Amendments for which the Council will review public hearing drafts at 
its upcoming meeting include Reef Fish Amendment 37 to revise the gray 
triggerfish rebuilding plan, and a framework action to provide a 
recreational split season for gag in 2013 and modify or eliminate the 
fixed closed season of February through March on

[[Page 42699]]

recreational shallow-water grouper harvest. In other actions, the AP 
will review a scoping document for a possible amendment to designate 
petroleum platforms and artificial reefs as essential fish habitat. The 
AP will also reconsider its recommendations from an October 2011 
meeting on vermilion snapper annual catch limits in light of revised 
analysis and new acceptable biological catch recommendations from the 
Scientific and Statistical Committee. In addition, the AP will review 
updated information on fish venting and recompression, and may consider 
recommendations for changes to the current regulations requiring 
possession and use of venting tools when fishing for reef fish.
    Copies of the agenda and other related materials can be obtained by 
calling (813) 348-1630 or can be downloaded from the Council's ftp 
site, ftp.gulfcouncil.org.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come 
before the Advisory Panel for discussion, in accordance with the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues 
may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Actions of 
the Advisory Panel will be restricted to those issues specifically 
identified in the agenda and any issues arising after publication of 
this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the 
public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to 
address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Kathy Pereira at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) at least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: July 17, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-17682 Filed 7-19-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P