96-15832. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings  

  • [Federal Register Volume 61, Number 121 (Friday, June 21, 1996)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 31924-31925]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 96-15832]
    
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    [ I.D. 061496B]
    
    
    Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
    
    AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
    
    ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene 
    public meetings.
    
    DATES: The meetings will be held on July 15-18, 1996.
    
    ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, 
    4860 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL; telephone: 813-286-4050.
        Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 5401 
    West Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 331, Tampa, FL 33609.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne E. Swingle, Executive Director, 
    Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
        Council
        July 17
         8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.--Convene to receive public testimony on 
    Mackerel Total Allowable Catch (TAC)/Quotas/Bag Limits for the 1996-
    1997 season and Draft Reef Fish Amendment 14 (NOTE: Testimony cards 
    must be turned in to staff before the start of public testimony.)  
    Draft Reef Fish Amendment 14 principally proposes alternatives to 
    regulate the fish trap fishery. The amendment contains several 
    alternatives related to the current moratorium on the issuance of fish 
    trap permits. The Council's proposed action is to create a license 
    limitation system with transferrable permits. Other alternatives to the 
    proposed action include extending the moratorium for four more years, 
    limiting permits to current participants and phasing out the trap 
    fishery after ten years, and evaluating the effectiveness of 
    enforcement of trap rules over two years before taking further action.
        Draft Reef Amendment 14 also has several alternatives related to 
    area prohibitions on use of fish traps. The Council's proposed action 
    is to prohibit the use of traps south of 2454', north 
    latitude (i.e. off Dry Tortugas, Florida). Alternatives to the proposed 
    action include also prohibiting use of traps in the Gulf of Mexico west 
    of Cape San Blas, Florida (Appalachicola area), prohibiting use of 
    traps on Riley's Hump (a 20 square mile spawning aggregation site, 
    south of Dry Tortugas), and prohibiting all fishing on Riley's Hump 
    year round, making it a marine sanctuary. It modifies the provisions 
    for tending traps and sets forth compliance conditions for the trap 
    permit. Authority is provided to the Regional Director of National 
    Marine Fisheries Service to open and close commercial reef fish 
    fisheries operating under quotas. Transfer provisions for reef fish 
    vessel permits are modified to allow transfer to qualifying vessel 
    operators and owners. The amendment also proposes to prohibit harvest 
    of Nassau grouper in the Gulf. Copies of the amendment can be requested 
    from the Council office (see addresses).
        July 18
        8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Set TACs for king and Spanish mackerels and 
    cobia for 1996-1997.
        10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.--Receive a report of the Shrimp Management 
    Committee.
        11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive a report of the Budget Committee.
        11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.--Receive a report of the Ad Hoc 
    Communications Committee.
        11:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon.--Receive a report of the Deep-water Crab 
    Management Committee.
        1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.--Re-convene to receive a report of the Reef 
    Fish Management Committee.
        3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.--Receive a report of Council Chairman's 
    Meeting.
        3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.--Receive a report of the NOAA Constituency 
    Workshop.
        4:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.--Receive Enforcement Report.
        4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.--Receive South Atlantic Fishery Management 
    Council Liaison Report.
        4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.--Receive Director's reports.
        4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.--Other Business to be discussed.
        Committees
        July 15
        9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.--Convene the Deep-water Crab Management 
    Committee.
        10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.--Convene the Budget Committee.
        11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Convene the Ad Hoc Communications 
    Committee.
        1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee.
    
    [[Page 31925]]
    
        July 16
        8:00 a.m. -12:00 noon--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee.
        1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee.
        These meetings 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 (see 
    ADDRESSES) by July 8, 1996.
    
        Dated: June 17, 1996.
    Richard H. Schaefer,
    Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management, National 
    Marine Fisheries Service.
    [FR Doc. 96-15832 Filed 6-20-96; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
    
    

Document Information

Published:
06/21/1996
Department:
Commerce Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of public meeting.
Document Number:
96-15832
Dates:
The meetings will be held on July 15-18, 1996.
Pages:
31924-31925 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
I.D. 061496B
PDF File:
96-15832.pdf