Gulf Council Seeks Input on on Reef Fish Amendment 32 and Coastal Migratory Pelagics (Mackerel) Amendment 18

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has scheduled a series of public hearings on the following proposed amendments:

Amendment 18 to the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources (Mackerel) contains alternatives for actions to set Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for Gulf group king mackerel, Gulf group Spanish mackerel, and Gulf group cobia.  It also contains measures to remove cero, little tunny, dolphin, and bluefish from the fishery management plan, revise the framework procedure, and separate cobia into Atlantic and Gulf migratory groups.

Reef Fish Amendment 32 will establish annual catch limits and annual catch targets for 2012 to 2015 for gag and for 2012 for red grouper. The amendment contains actions to establish a rebuilding plan for gag; set recreational bag limits, size limits and closed seasons for gag/red grouper in 2012; consider a commercial gag and shallow-water grouper quota adjustment to account for dead discards; make adjustments to multi-use IFQ shares in the grouper individual fishing quota program; reduce the commercial gag size limit; modify the offshore time and areas closures; and revise gag, red grouper, and shallow-water grouper accountability measures. 

The hearings will be held August 1, 2011 through August 3, 2011 at various locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. All hearings will begin at 6 p.m. local time, and will conclude no later than 9 p.m. The meeting schedule is as follows:

Reef Fish Amendment 32
Monday, August 1, 2011
Hyatt Place Ft. Myers
2600 Champion Ring Road
Fort Myers, FL  33905

Tuesday, August 2, 2011*
Hilton St. Petersburg
Carillon Park
950 Lake Carillon Drive
St. Petersburg, FL  33716

Wednesday August 3, 2011*
Boardwalk Beach Resort
9400 S. Thomas Drive
Panama City Beach, FL  32408

Mackerel Amendment 18
Monday, August 1, 2011
Plantation Suites
1909 Highway 361
Port Aransas, TX  78373

Monday, August 1, 2011
Courtyard Marriott
Gulfport Beachfront Hotel
1600 East Beach Blvd.
Gulfport, MS  39501

Tuesday August 2, 2011*
Hilton St. Petersburg
Carillon Park
950 Lake Carillon Drive
St. Petersburg, FL  33716

Tuesday August 2, 2011
Fairfield Inn & Suites
3111 Loop Road
Orange Beach, FL  36561

Tuesday August 2, 2011
Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Research Lab
195 Ludwig Annex
Grand Isle, LA 70358

Wednesday, August 3, 2011*
Boardwalk Beach Resort
9400 S. Thomas Drive
Panama City Beach, FL  32408

* Meeting is for both Reef Fish Amendment 32 and Mackerel 18.

Interested parties are encouraged to participate in this process. Documents can be obtained from the News & Resources Page of the Council’s website – http://www.gulfcouncil.org/news_resources/scoping_documents.php, or by calling the Council office at 813-348-1630. Anyone who is unable to participate in the meetings but would like to submit comments can do so by sending an email 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. Written comments on both documents should be received by close of business, August 8, 2011.

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 Kathy Pereira at 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 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.

http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments