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Published: June 27, 2008
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The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) has scheduled public hearings to solicit public comment on two proposed fishery management plans (FMPs) and a new Aquaculture FMP.

The first amendment - Amendment 29 to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan – proposes to rationalize effort and reduce overcapacity in the commercial grouper and tilefish fisheries in order to achieve and maintain optimum yield (OY). Effort management approaches considered in this amendment include:

* Permit endorsements

* Implementation of an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program

Proposed Amendment 8 to the Spiny Lobster FMP examines various alternatives to restrict imports of spiny lobster into the United States to minimum conservation standards in and effort to achieve an increase in the spawning biomass of the stock and increase long-term yields from the fishery.

Finally, the Aquaculture FMP will require persons to obtain a permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to participate in aquaculture by constructing an aquaculture facility in the EEZ of the Gulf of Mexico. Each permit application must comply with numerous permit conditions related to recordkeeping and operation of the facility. These permit conditions will assure the facility has a minimal affect on the environment and on other fishery resources. Compliance with the conditions will be evaluated annually for the duration of the permit as the basis for renewal of the permit for the next year.

An informal open question and answer session on IFQs will begin at 5:30 p.m.  Public hearings will begin at 6:00 p.m. and conclude no later than 9:00 p.m. at each of the following locations:

July 21, 2008

Amendment 29

Best Western

5914 Seawall Boulevard

Galveston, Texas

       

July 21, 2008

Spiny Lobster

Amendment 29

Aquaculture

Radisson Hotel,

3820 N. Roosevelt Blvd.

Key West, FL 33040

       
July 22, 2008

Amendment 29

Hilton New Orleans

901 Airline Drive

Kenner, LA      July 22, 2008

Spiny Lobster

Amendment 29

Banana Bay

4590 Overseas Highway

Marathon, FL  33050

       
July 23, 2008

Amendment 29

Wingate Inn

12009 Indian River Rd

Biloxi, MS      July 23, 2008

Spiny Lobster

Amendment 29

Doubletree Hotel

2649 S. Bayshore Dr

Miami, FL  33133       

July 24, 2008

Amendment 29

City of Orange Bch

27235 Canal Road

Orange Beach, AL       

July 24, 2008

Amendment 29

Clarion Hotel

12635 S. Cleveland Ave

Ft. Myers, FL  
July 30, 2008

Amendment 29

Quorum

700 N. Westshore Tampa, FL 33609        July 31, 2008

Amendment 29

NMFS Lab

350 Dellwood Beach Dr

Panama City, FL  32408

Interested parties are encouraged to participate in this process. Written comments on all three documents should be received by close of business, August 7, 2009. Copies of the documents can be obtained by calling the Council at 813-348-1630, or by e-mailing the Council at gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org.

For stakeholders and other interested parties who are unable to participate in the meetings, comments and suggestions can be submitted to the Council via e-mail to gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org. Comments may also be submitted via US mail: 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL  33607, or by fax: (813) 348-1711.

Meetings are open to the public and are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office within five business days of the meeting date.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson­Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council prepares fishery management plans designed to manage fishery resources in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
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