[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 5, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62241-62242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29516]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 642
[I.D. 110795H]
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Public hearings; requests for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council)
will convene nine public hearings on Draft Amendment 8 to the Fishery
Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf of
Mexico and South Atlantic (FMP) and its draft supplemental
environmental impact statement (draft SEIS).
DATES: Written comments will be accepted until January 5, 1996. The
hearings will be held from December 11 to December 14, 1995. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to and copies of the draft
amendment are available from Mr. Wayne E. Swingle, Executive Director,
Gulf of Mexico Council, 5401 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33609.
The hearings will be held in AL, FL, LA, MS and TX. See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for locations of the hearings and special
accommodations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne E. Swingle, 813-228-2815; Fax:
813-225-7015.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils will be
holding public hearings on Draft Amendment 8 to the FMP and its draft
SEIS. Amendment 8 proposes management measures for the fisheries for
king and Spanish mackerel, cobia and dolphin (fish). Amendment 8
proposes some measures that (1) apply only to the South Atlantic
Council's jurisdiction, (2) apply only to the Gulf Council's
jurisdiction, or (3) apply to both Councils' jurisdictions. Proposed
actions that would affect only the stocks and area under the
jurisdiction of the Gulf of Mexico Council are as follows: Allow Gulf
group king mackerel that can be taken only by hook-and-line (including
longline) and run-around gill nets to be possessed on vessels with
other gear aboard; require commercial dealer permits to buy and sell
coastal pelagic fish managed under the FMP and require that dealers
keep and make available records of purchase by vessel; establish a 5-
year moratorium, beginning on October 16, 1995, on the issuance of both
commercial vessel permits with a king mackerel endorsement and charter
vessel permits; provide for transfer of vessel permits to other
vessels; require that anyone applying for a commercial vessel permit
demonstrate that 25 percent of annual income, or $5,000, be from
commercial fishing; and require, that, as a condition for a Federal
commercial or charter vessel permit, the applicant agrees to comply
with the more restrictive of state or Federal rules when fishing in
state waters. Amendment 8 also includes the following measures that
apply to both Councils' jurisdictions: Recreational bag and commercial
trip limit alternatives for cobia and dolphin (fish); retention of king
mackerel damaged by barracuda bites by vessels under commercial trip
limits; alternatives for Atlantic king mackerel commercial trip limits
off Monroe County, FL of either 50 fish or 125 fish; changes to the
procedure used to set total allowable catch; and changes to definitions
of overfishing and optimum yield. Proposed measures in Amendment 8
applying only to the area and stocks under the jurisdiction of the
South Atlantic Council will be summarized in news releases for public
hearings to be held in the South Atlantic area during January 1996.
The hearings are scheduled from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. as follows:
1. Monday, December 11, 1995, Larose--Larose Regional Park, 2001
East 5th Street, Larose, LA 70373
2. Monday, December 11, 1995, Port Aransas--Visitor's Center
Auditorium, University of Texas, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas,
TX 78373
3. Monday, December 11, 1995, Key West--Lions Club, 2405 North
Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, FL 33040
4. Tuesday, December 12, 1995, Biloxi--J.L. Scott Marine Education
[[Page 62242]]
Center and Aquarium, 115 East Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39530
5. Tuesday, December 12, 1995, Galveston--Best Western Beachfront
Inn, 5914 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77551
6. Wednesday, December 13, 1995, Gulf Shores--Quality Inn
Beachside, 931 West Gulf Shores Boulevard, Gulf Shores, AL 36547
7. Wednesday, December 13, 1995, Panama City--National Marine
Fisheries Service, Panama City Laboratory, 3500 Delwood Beach Road,
Panama City, FL 32408
8. Wednesday, December 13, 1995, Cameron--Police Jury Annex,
Courthouse Square, Cameron, LA 70631
9. Thursday, December 14, 1995, Madeira Beach--City Hall
Auditorium, 3001 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Special Accommodations
These hearings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Anne Alford at the Council office
(see ADDRESSES) by December 4, 1995.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 28, 1995.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 95-29516 Filed 12-4-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
