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.

SUMMARY:

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a public meeting of the Socioeconomic Panel (SEP).

DATES:

A meeting of the SEP will be held beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 18, 2004 and will conclude at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 19, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Double Tree Hotel, 4500 West Cypress Street, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone: 813-879-4800. 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 SEP will meet to discuss an analyses of interactions between red snapper and vermilion snapper fisheries; review recreational economic literature; review Shrimp Amendments 13 and 14 Options Papers; and will hear a presentation on the individual fishing quota for the red snapper commercial fishery.

A report will be prepared by the SEP containing their conclusions and recommendations. This report will be presented for review to the Council's Reef Fish Advisory Panel and Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee at meetings to be held in April 2004 in Tampa, FL and to the Council at its meeting on May 17-20, 2004 in Key Largo, FL.

Composing the SEP membership are economists, sociologists, and anthropologists from various universities and state fishery agencies throughout the Gulf. They advise the Council on the social and economic implications of certain fishery management measures.

A copy of the agenda can be obtained by calling 813-228-2815.

Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come before the SEP 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 of the SEP will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agendas and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is open to the public and is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) by March 11, 2004.