Gulf Council Conducting Scoping on Proposed Amendment on Crew Size Limit/ Earned Income Requirements

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has scheduled a series of scoping meetings on a proposed amendment to address crew size limits for dually permitted vessels, as well as earned income requirements for commercial reef fish permit holders. Dually permitted vessels are vessels with both a charter for-hire permit and a commercial reef fish permit. The proposal also looks at suspending the earned income qualification requirement for the renewal of commercial reef fish permits, and it will evaluate modifications to these requirements as well as an option to eliminate the requirements altogether.

Scoping is the process of identifying issues, potential impacts, and reasonable alternatives associated with the issue at hand. It provides the first and best opportunity for the public to make suggestions or to raise issues and concerns before the Council begins developing an amendment.

The meetings will be held March 22, 2011 through April 5, 2011 at eight locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. All meetings will begin at 6 p.m. local time, and will conclude no later than 9 p.m.

The meetings schedule is as follows:

March 23, 2011
Harvey Government Center
1200 Truman Avenue
Key West, Florida 
305-295-5000  

March 28, 2011
Hilton Garden Inn
4535 Williams Boulevard
Kenner, Louisiana
504-712-0504  

March 29, 2011  
Hilton Garden Inn
14108 Airport Road
Gulfport, Mississippi
228-863-4996

March 30, 2011
Renaissance Riverview Plaza
64 S. Water Street
Mobile, Alabama
251-438-4000  

March 31, 2011
Royal American Beach Getaways
9400 S. Thomas Drive
Panama City, Florida
850-230-4681

April 4, 2011  
Holiday Inn Emerald Beach
1002 S. Shoreline Boulevard
Corpus Christi, Texas
361-883-5731     

April 5, 2011  
Hilton 5400 Seawall Boulevard
Galveston, Texas
409-744-1757

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

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