Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council); Public Meeting, 19059-19060 [2014-07689]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 66 / Monday, April 7, 2014 / Notices Comments must be received on or before April 22, 2014. ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following methods: • Email: nmfs.gar.efp@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line ‘‘Comments on CFFI Scallop Trawl Bycatch EFP.’’ • Mail: John K. Bullard, Regional Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930. Mark the outside of the envelope ‘‘Comments on CFFI Scallop Trawl Bycatch EFP.’’ • Fax: (978) 281–9135. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Christopher, Senior Fishery Policy Analyst, 978–281–9288. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc. (CFFI) submitted a complete application for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) on February 27, 2014, to conduct commercial fishing activities that the regulations would otherwise restrict. The EFP would exempt 6 vessels from the 5.5-in (13.97-cm) minimum mesh size for scallop trawl gear, and would temporarily exempt the vessels from possession and minimum fish size limits for all species of fish in order for researchers to conduct onboard sampling. All fishing activity will otherwise be conducted under and consistent with normal scallop fishing operations. This project proposes to test the effectiveness of a turtle excluder device (TED) in reducing finfish bycatch. Scallop trawls will be equipped with a TED in the extension of the net. The TED includes several rows of 3.5-in (8.89-cm) mesh to prevent turtle entanglement as it passes through the TED extension. The TED gear is not currently required in the scallop trawl fishery and this project is not evaluating the TED’s effectiveness in reducing turtle catch. In order to estimate bycatch, CFFI personnel onboard the vessels will measure and record all catch (or subsamples) after each tow. Researchers from CFFI will work with 6 commercial fishing vessels. Each vessel will use the gear during otherwise normal scallop fishing operations for 5 days, 6 tows per day, for a total of up to 30 tows per vessel, and 180 tows for the project. All catch will be sampled onboard using standard catch sampling methods consistent with the researcher’s contract with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Vessels would retain and land scallops and all other legal catch. Research will be conducted from May through October and will mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES DATES: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:49 Apr 04, 2014 Jkt 232001 occur in southern New England and Mid-Atlantic waters. NMFS has preliminarily determined that the CFFI application contains all of the required information. NMFS has preliminarily determined that the purpose, design and administration of the exemptions are consistent with the Scallop Fishery Management Plan’s management objectives, the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable law. Further, granting the exemption is not expected to have a detrimental effect on the fishery resources, cause any quota to be exceeded, or create any significant enforcement problems. Therefore, the application warrants further consideration. If approved, the applicant may request minor modifications and extensions to the EFP throughout the year. EFP modifications and extensions may be granted without further notice if they are deemed essential to facilitate completion of the proposed research and have minimal impacts that do not change the scope or impact of the initially approved EFP request. Any fishing activity conducted outside the scope of the exempted fishing activity would be prohibited. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: April 2, 2014. James P. Burgess, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2014–07728 Filed 4–4–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD227 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council); Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a joint meeting of its Coral Scientific and Statistical Committee and Coral Advisory Panel. DATES: The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, 2014. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council office, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL, 33607. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 19059 Mr. Mark Mueller, GIS Analyst, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348–1630; fax: (813) 348–1711; email: mark.mueller@ gulfcouncil.org. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The items of discussion on the agenda are as follows: Joint meeting of the Gulf Council’s Coral Scientific and Statistical Committee and Coral Advisory Panel Meeting Agenda, Thursday, April 24, 2014, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 a.m. 1. Election of Coral AP and Coral SSC chairs 2. Adoption of agenda 3. Approval of minutes from last meetings a. Coral SSC, March 8, 2012 b. Joint Coral AP/Coral SSC, September 2, 2004 4. Council charge and action guide 5. Summary presentation of Workshop on Interrelationships between Corals and Fisheries a. Review the findings and recommendations of the workshop report 6. Discussion of workshop recommendations and new information a. Summary of new habitat and ecological data b. Discussion of Coral Essential Fish Habitat c. Live rock areas d. Discussion on Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs) i. Locations ii. Potential fishing gear interactions iii. Potential boundary options e. Recommendations 7. Update on endangered and threatened species listing status 8. Other Business SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Adjourn Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council’s intent to take final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM 07APN1 19060 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 66 / Monday, April 7, 2014 / Notices Kathy Pereira at the Council Office (see ADDRESSES), at least 5 working days prior to the meeting. Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: April 2, 2014. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2014–07689 Filed 4–4–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD216 Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meetings National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 38 assessment process webinars for Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic King Mackerel. AGENCY: The SEDAR 38 assessment of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic King Mackerel will consist of a workshop and series of webinars. This notice is for the first two webinars associated with the Assessment portion of the SEDAR process. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. SUMMARY: The first two assessment webinars for SEDAR 38 will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, 2014 and from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meetings will be held via webinar. The webinar is open to the public. Those interested in participating should contact Julie A. Neer at SEDAR (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT below) to request an invitation providing webinar access information. Please request webinar invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each webinar. SEDAR address: 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES DATES: Julie A. Neer, SEDAR Coordinator; telephone: (843) 571–4366; email: julie.neer@ safmc.net. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:49 Apr 04, 2014 Jkt 232001 Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions, have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multistep process including: (1) Data/ Assessment Workshop; and (2) a series of webinars. The product of the Data/ Assessment Workshop is a report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses; and describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include: data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); international experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies. The items of discussion in the Assessment Process webinars are as follows: 1. Using datasets and initial assessment analysis recommended from the Assessment Workshop, panelists will employ assessment models to evaluate stock status, estimate population benchmarks and management criteria, and project future conditions. 2. Panelists will recommend the most appropriate methods and configurations for determining stock status and estimating population parameters. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency. PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Special Accommodations These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) at least 10 business days prior to the meeting. Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: April 2, 2014. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2014–07687 Filed 4–4–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD223 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. AGENCY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee will hold a public meeting. DATES: The meeting will be held on April 28, 2014, from 1:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only connection option. Details on webinar registration and telephone-only connection details are available at: https://www.mafmc.org. Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674–2331. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore Ph.D., Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 526–5255. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee is meeting to receive a presentation by Rutgers and the Nature Conservancy on their Data Portal Project. This project produces illustrative maps of Mid-Atlantic fishing activity summarized by port and gear groups. During this meeting, the SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\07APN1.SGM 07APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 66 (Monday, April 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19059-19060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07689]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD227


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council); Public 
Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a joint meeting of its Coral Scientific and Statistical Committee 
and Coral Advisory Panel.

DATES: The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on 
Thursday, April 24, 2014.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council office, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, 
FL, 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark Mueller, GIS Analyst, Gulf of 
Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: (813) 348-1630; fax: 
(813) 348-1711; email: mark.mueller@gulfcouncil.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items of discussion on the agenda are as 
follows:

Joint meeting of the Gulf Council's Coral Scientific and Statistical 
Committee and Coral Advisory Panel Meeting Agenda, Thursday, April 24, 
2014, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 a.m.
    1. Election of Coral AP and Coral SSC chairs
    2. Adoption of agenda
    3. Approval of minutes from last meetings
    a. Coral SSC, March 8, 2012
    b. Joint Coral AP/Coral SSC, September 2, 2004
    4. Council charge and action guide
    5. Summary presentation of Workshop on Interrelationships between 
Corals and Fisheries
    a. Review the findings and recommendations of the workshop report
    6. Discussion of workshop recommendations and new information
    a. Summary of new habitat and ecological data
    b. Discussion of Coral Essential Fish Habitat
    c. Live rock areas
    d. Discussion on Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs)
    i. Locations
    ii. Potential fishing gear interactions
    iii. Potential boundary options
    e. Recommendations
    7. Update on endangered and threatened species listing status
    8. Other Business

Adjourn

    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to

[[Page 19060]]

Kathy Pereira at the Council Office (see ADDRESSES), at least 5 working 
days prior to the meeting.

    Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are 
subject to change.


    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: April 2, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-07689 Filed 4-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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