[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55586-55587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21748]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB470]


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). The meeting is a 
hybrid meeting open to the public offering both in-person and virtual 
options for participation.

DATES: The meeting will convene Monday, October 25 through Wednesday, 
October 27, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., CDT and on Thursday, 
October 28, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., CDT.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at Perdido Beach Resort, located 
at 27200 Perdido Beach Resort Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL 36561. Please 
note, in-person meeting attendees will be expected to follow any 
current COVID-19 safety protocols as determined by the Council, hotel 
and the City of Orange Beach. 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, October 25, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., CDT

    The meeting will begin open to the public in a Full Council Session 
to review and adopt Council Committee Assignments for October 2021 
through August 2022; and, receive an update on Hurricane Ida's Impacts 
to Fishing Communities. Committee sessions will begin approximately 
8:45 a.m. with the Shrimp Committee discussing the Shrimp Focus Group, 
review Draft Framework Action: Modification of the Vessel Position Data 
Collection Program for the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery.
    The Gulf SEDAR Committee will receive a meeting summary from the 
October 2021 SEDAR Steering Committee and review the Gulf SEDAR Stock 
Assessment Schedule.
    The Sustainable Fisheries Committee will review the Draft 
Allocation Review Guidelines, SSC Recommendations on Using Field 
Experiments to Assess Alternative Mechanisms for Distributing Fish to 
the Recreational Sector, and a Report to Congress on Shark and Dolphin 
Depredation.
    The Mackerel Committee will convene after lunch. They will review 
Coastal Migratory Pelagics (CMP) Landings and receive a presentation on 
the History of CMP Permits and Sale of Recreational Cobia. They will 
review and discuss Final Action Item: Amendment 32: Modifications to 
the Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group Cobia Catch Limits, Possession 
Limits, Size Limits, and Framework Procedure, discuss Draft Amendment 
33:
    Modifications to the Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group King Mackerel 
Catch Limits and Sector Allocations and Public Hearing Draft Amendment 
34: Atlantic Migratory Group King Mackerel Catch Levels and Atlantic 
King and Spanish Mackerel Management Measures.
    Immediately following Mackerel Committee, there will be a virtual 
and in-person Public Hearing on Final Action: Amendment 32: 
Modifications to the Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group Cobia Catch Limits, 
Possession Limits, Size Limits, and Framework Procedure.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., CDT

    The Reef Fish Committee will convene to review Reef Fish Landings 
and Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Landings and Final Action Item: 
Draft Framework Action: Modification of Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper 
Catch Limits. The Committee will receive presentations on SEDAR 70: 
Greater Amberjack Stock Assessment Report

[[Page 55587]]

and on SEDAR 72: Gag Grouper Stock Assessment Report, and discuss SSC 
Recommendations for both. The Committee will hold a discussion on 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 and on 
Individual Fishing Quota Programs: Presentation from the National 
Academy of Sciences on The Use of Limited Access Privilege Programs in 
Mixed-Use Fisheries, and hold a discussion on Focus Group Formation. 
The Committee will review Draft Framework Action: Modification of 
Vermillion Snapper Catch Limits, and discuss SSC Recommendations on 
Final Great Red Snapper Count (GRSC) report and Louisiana Department of 
Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Red Snapper Abundance Studies.
    Immediately following the Reef Fish Committee, a virtual and in-
person Question and Answer Session focused on For-Hire Reporting 
Requirements hosted by National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), Gulf 
Council Leadership and NMFS-Approved Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) 
Vendors.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., CDT

    The Data Collection Committee will receive a presentation from the 
National Academy of Sciences on Data and Management Strategies for 
Recreational Fisheries with Annual Catch Limits, update on Southeast 
For-hire Integrated Electronic Reporting (SEFHIER) Program, and review 
Draft Framework Action: Modification to Location Reporting Requirements 
for For-Hire and Commercial Vessels and Data Collection Advisory Panel 
(AP) Recommendations. The Committee will receive a presentation on 
Update to Modifications to the Commercial Electronic Reporting Program 
and discuss remaining Data Collection AP recommendations.
    Following lunch, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the Council will 
reconvene with a Call to Order, Announcements and Introductions, 
Adoption of Agenda and Approval of Minutes. The Council will receive 
presentation on Network Analysis of Quota Trading in the Gulf of Mexico 
Individual Fishing Quota Fisheries.
    The Council will hold public testimony from 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., 
CDT on Final Action Items: Amendment 32: Modifications to the Gulf of 
Mexico Migratory Group Cobia Catch Limits, Possession Limits, Size 
Limits, and Framework Procedure and Draft Framework Action: 
Modification of Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper Catch Limits; and open 
testimony on other fishery issues or concerns. Public comment may begin 
earlier than 2:15 p.m. CDT, but will not conclude before that time. 
Persons wishing to give public testimony in-person must register at the 
registration kiosk in the meeting room. Persons wishing to give public 
testimony virtually must sign up on the Council website on the day of 
public testimony. Registration for virtual testimony closes one hour 
(1:15 p.m. CDT) before public testimony begins.

Thursday, October 28, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., CDT

    The Council will receive Committee reports from Shrimp, Gulf SEDAR, 
Mackerel, Data Collection, Sustainable Fisheries and Reef Fish 
Management Committees. The Council will receive updates from the 
following supporting agencies: South Atlantic Fishery Management 
Council; Alabama 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.

--Meeting Adjourns

    The meeting will be a hybrid meeting; both in-person and virtual. 
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 or accommodations should be directed to Kathy Pereira, 
(813) 348-1630, at least 15 days prior to the meeting date.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 30, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-21748 Filed 10-5-21; 8:45 am]
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