[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 146 (Tuesday, August 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41831-41832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16465]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB280]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a four-day meeting to consider actions affecting the Gulf of 
Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

DATES: The meeting will convene Monday, August 23 at 8:15 a.m. to 5:30 
p.m., CDT. Tuesday, August 24, 2021 through Wednesday, August 25, 2021 
at 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., CDT and on Thursday August 26, 2021 at 8:30 
a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting address: The meeting will take place at the Hilton Palacio 
del Rio, 200 South Alamo Street, San Antonio, TX 78205.
    Please note, meeting attendees will be expected to follow any 
current COVID-19 safety protocols as determined by the Council, hotel 
and the City of San Antonio. Such precautions may include masks, room 
capacity restrictions, and/or social distancing. If you prefer to 
``listen in'', you may access the log-on information by visiting our 
website at www.gulfcouncil.org.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 4107 W. 
Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone: (813) 348-1630.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

Monday, August 23, 2021; 8:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

    The meeting will begin open to the public with Full Council Session 
to Induct New Council Members and Re-Appoint Council members. Committee 
sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the Administrative/Budget 
Committee will discuss modifications to the Statement of Organization 
Practices and Procedures (SOPPs) for Scientific and Statistical 
Committees (SSC) Memberships and SSC's Best Voting Practices and 
Procedures. The Committee will receive a presentation on the 2019-20 
Audit Results and discuss SSC Stipends.
    The Shrimp Committee will receive an update on Effort Data 
Collection for 2021, review Draft Framework Action: Modifications to 
the Gulf of Mexico Federal Shrimp Fishery Effort Monitoring and 
Reporting, and Section 7 Consultation on the Shrimp Industry and 
Protected Species.
    The Mackerel Committee will convene after lunch. They will review 
Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) Landings, Public Hearing Draft 
Amendment 32: Modifications to the Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group Cobia 
Catch Limits, Possession Limits, Size Limits and Framework Procedure, 
receive clarification on Gulf King Mackerel Commercial Historical 
Landings Data and SSC recommendations, and review Draft Amendment 33: 
Modifications to the Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group King Mackerel Catch 
Limits and Sector Allocations and CMP Advisory Panel recommendations.
    The Sustainable Fisheries Committee will receive an update on 
Historical Captain Permits Conversion; review National Standard 1 (NS1) 
Technical Guidance Subgroup 3 Technical Memo--Managing with Annual 
Catch Limits (ACLs) for Data-limited Stocks in Federal Fishery 
Management Plans and Using Field Experiments to Assess Alternative 
Mechanisms for Distributing Fish to the Recreational Sector, and SSC 
Recommendations.
    The public meeting will adjourn for the day at approximately 4:15 
p.m. and the Council will move in to a Full Council--Closed Session for 
the remainder of the day for the Selection of Special Coral, Mackerel 
and Shrimp Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Members.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

    The Reef Fish Committee will convene to review Reef Fish Landings 
and Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Landings, Draft Framework Action: 
Modification of Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper Annual Catch Limits and 
receive a presentation on Greater Amberjack Calibrated Landings and 
Catch Limits, and Proposed Management Alternatives. The Committee will 
review and discuss Implementation of the DESCEND Act of 2020, Updates 
on 2021 Red Snapper State Management Programs, Final Document--
Framework Action: Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recreational Data 
Calibration and Recreational Catch Limits, Reef Fish Amendments 36B and 
36C: Modifications to Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Programs, and 
Draft Snapper Grouper Amendment 44 and Reef Fish Amendment 55: 
Modifications to Southeastern U.S. Yellowtail Snapper Jurisdictional 
Allocations, Catch Limits, and South Atlantic Sector Annual Catch 
Limits. The Committee will receive a presentation on Sector Separation 
for Four Reef Fish Species.
    Immediately following the Reef Fish Committee Virtual and In-person 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will hold an informal Question and 
Answer Session.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

    The Data Collection Committee will receive an update on Southeast 
For-hire Electronic Reporting (SEFHIER) Program and a presentation on 
Draft Options for Electronic Reporting due to Equipment Failure.
    The Habitat Protection and Restoration Committee will receive a 
presentation from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Renewable 
Wind Energy and review Draft: Generic Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 
and SSC recommendations.
    The Law Enforcement Committee will review the meeting summary from 
the March 2021 meeting and approve the Cooperative Law Enforcement 
Strategic Plan 2021-24 and Operations Plan 2021-22.
    Following lunch, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the Council will 
reconvene with a Call to Order, Announcements and Introductions, 
presentation of the 2020 Law Enforcement Team of the Year Award, 
Adoption of Agenda and Approval of Minutes. The Council will receive 
presentations on Movement Patterns and Discard Mortality of Cobia in 
the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and Assessing the Influence of Sargassum 
Habitat on Greater Amberjack Recruitment in the GOM.
    The Council will hold public testimony from 2:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., 
EDT for Potential Reconsideration of Final Document--Framework Action: 
Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recreational Data Calibration and 
Recreational Catch Limits, and open testimony on other fishery issues 
or concerns. Public comment may begin earlier than 2:45 p.m. EDT, but 
will not

[[Page 41832]]

conclude before that time. Persons wishing to give public testimony in-
person must register at the registration kiosk in the meeting room.

Thursday, August 26, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

    The Council will receive committee reports from Administrative/
Budget, Shrimp, Mackerel, Habitat Protection and Restoration, 
Sustainable Fisheries, Data Collection, Law Enforcement, and Reef Fish 
Management Committees, and report on the Closed Session. The Council 
will receive updates from the following supporting agencies: South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Texas Law Enforcement Efforts; 
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE); Gulf States Marine Fisheries 
Commission; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and 
Department of State.
    The Council will discuss any Other Business items; and, hold an 
Election for Chair and Vice-Chair.

--Meeting Adjourns

    The meeting will be an in-person meeting only. You may register for 
the webinar to listen-in only by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org and click 
on the Council meeting on the calendar.
    The timing and order in which agenda items are addressed may change 
as required to effectively address the issue, and the latest version 
along with other meeting materials will be posted on the website as 
they become available.
    Although other non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda 
may come before this group 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 meeting. Actions will be restricted to those issues 
specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising after 
publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 
305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided that the public has been 
notified of the Council's intent to take final action to address the 
emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aid should be directed to Kathy Pereira, (813) 348-1630, at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: July 28, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-16465 Filed 8-2-21; 8:45 am]
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