[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 198 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)] [Notices] [Page 55091] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-27418] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 100798A] Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
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 (Council) will convene a public meeting of the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) and the Billfish AP.
Dates
The HMS AP meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 1998, and conclude by 3:30 p.m. The Billfish AP will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, 1998 and conclude by 3:30 p.m.
Addresses
The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza New Orleans, 333 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130; telephone: 504-525-9444. Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.
For Further Information Contact
Dr. Richard Leard, Senior Fishery Biologist, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 813- 228-2815.
Supplementary Information
The HMS AP will review a recently prepared fishery management plan (FMP) for highly migratory species occurring in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico by NMFS. The HMS FMP addresses the current commercial and recreational fisheries for tuna, swordfish, and sharks. It includes, among other provisions: overfishing definitions, biomass targets, and rebuilding schedules; essential fish habitat; and other management measures, e.g. season and area closures, quota reductions, gear restrictions, and prohibited species. The Billfish AP will review NMFS' amendment to the Billfish FMP, which includes Atlantic blue and white marlin, Western Atlantic sailfish, and longbill spearfish. These species are also considered as HMS species, but they are managed under a separate FMP. The Billfish FMP amendment also includes provisions for overfishing definitions, biomass targets, and rebuilding schedules; essential fish habitat; and other management measures, including: gear restrictions, minimum size limit increases, bag limit modifications, and retention prohibitions. All HMS are under the direct management of NMFS, and some species are cooperatively managed with other countries through agreements under the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The Council's HMS AP and Billfish AP are charged with reviewing the provisions of these FMPs and amendments and providing recommendations to the Council, which in turn may provide recommendations to NMFS. Although other issues not on the agenda may come before the APs for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Actions will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda listed as available by this notice.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is 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 October 20, 1998.
Dated: October 7, 1998. Richard W. Surdi, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 98-27418 Filed 10-13-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F