[Federal Register: April 26, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 79)] [Notices] [Page 20265-20266] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr26ap99-55] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 041999A] Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. [[Page 20266]] ACTION: Notice of public meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene public meetings. DATES: The meetings will be held from May l0 through May l3, l999. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times. ADDRESSES: These meetings will be held at the Omni Austin Hotel, 700 San Jacinto, Austin, Texas; telephone: 512-476-3700. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Wayne E. Swingle, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 228-2815. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The public meetings will be held on: Monday, May 10, 1999 12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m.--Convene the Shrimp Management Committee to review a draft amendment options paper addressing reduction of shrimp trawl bycatch in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The options paper will be revised into a draft amendment at a subsequent Council meeting and be presented at public hearings in the late summer or fall. 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.--Convene the Joint Shrimp/Reef Fish Management Committees to hear a presentation by NMFS scientists on the results of their study on the effectiveness of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) in reducing the bycatch of juvenile red snapper in shrimp trawls. 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Reef Fish Management Committee to approve Draft Reef Fish Amendment 17 for public hearings that will be held in June. The amendment proposes to extend the moratorium on issuance of commercial reef fish vessel permits. The committee will hear and may act on a report on the recommendations of the red snapper recreational workshop participants on actions that could be taken to extend the recreational red snapper season. The committee will also hear and may act on a NMFS report on the status of approval of the Council's regulatory amendment to set red snapper total allowable catch (TAC) for 1999. Tuesday, May 11, 1999 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Convene the Mackerel Management Committee to review stock assessment and socioeconomic information and to develop their TAC recommendations to the Council, which can include bag limits, size limits, trip limits, and seasons. The committee will also approve Draft Mackerel Amendment 12 for public hearings to be held in June. The amendment proposes to extend the moratorium on issuance of commercial king mackerel vessel permits. 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.--Convene the Marine Reserves Committee to review a draft scoping document that will be presented at workshops in the fall. 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.--Convene the Administrative Policy Committee to consider amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Wednesday, May 12, 1999 Council 8:30 a.m.--Convene. 8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.--Receive a report on completion of the Federal Billfish Amendment and Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon--Receive public testimony on the total allowable catch (TAC) for mackerels and coastal pelagics. 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m--Receive the Mackerel Management Committee Report. 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.--Receive the Shrimp Management Committee Report. Thursday, May 13, 1999 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.--Receive the Reef Fish Management Committee Report. 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.--Receive the Administrative Policy Committee Report. 9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.--Receive the Marine Reserves Committee Report. 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.--Receive the Joint Shrimp/Reef Fish Committee Report. 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.--Receive the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Advisory Committee (ICCAT) meeting report. 11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.--Receive the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Liaison Report. 11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--Receive Enforcement Reports. 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.--Receive Director's Reports. 11:45 a.m.- 12:00 noon--Other Business. The General Accounting Office (GAO) is currently reviewing implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. As part of this effort, two GAO staff will be attending the Council meeting the week of May 10th and will be available to talk to anyone who wishes to provide information or examples on the subjects detailed here. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Senate Report 105-235 mandates that GAO review National Marine Fisheries Service compliance with the national standards to base conservation and management measures on the best scientific information available and that such measures take into account the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities. The report also mandates that GAO review NMFS' implementation of the essential fish habitat provisions. GAO is interested in interviewing anyone who wishes to provide information or examples with respect to these three areas. Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before the Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal Council action during this meeting. Council action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda listed in this notice. Special Accommodations 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 May 3, 1999. Dated: April 19, 1999. Bruce C. Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 99-10294 Filed 4-23-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F