NOAA seeks comments - Amendment 34 Gulf of Mexico: Reef Fish Permit Income Requirement and Dual-permitted Crew Size

July 10, 2012    Below is a Southeast Fishery Bulletin recently distributed by NOAA Fisheries Service announcing a public comment period for Reef Fish Amendment 34 - Income Requirement and Dual-Permitted Crew Size  SOUTHEAST FISHERY BULLETIN   FB12-051     Steve Branstetter 727-824-5305    July 10, 2012    NOAA seeks comments - Amendment 34 Gulf of Mexico: Reef Fish Permit Income Requirement and Dual-permitted Crew Size    NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking comments on Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted Amendment 34 to NOAA Fisheries Service for review, approval, and implementation. The Notice of Availability for public comment on this amendment was published in the Federal Register on July 10, 2012. The amendment and associated rule would: Eliminate the earned income qualification requirement for the renewal of Gulf of Mexico commercial reef fish permits, and Increase the maximum number of crew members for dual-permitted (commercial and charter) vessels. The Council determined the existing earned income requirement in the reef fish fishery is easily circumvented, and no longer necessary. The regulation pertaining to the maximum number of crew stipulates that dual-permitted vessels without a certificate of inspection are limited to a three-person crew when fishing commercially. The proposed increase to four crew members would most directly benefit commercial spear fishermen. This would allow two persons to remain aboard while two divers are in the water, thereby increasing the safety of commercial diving operations. Request for Comments Written comments on this amendment must be received no later than September 10, 2012, to be considered by NOAA Fisheries Service. All comments received by NOAA Fisheries Service will be addressed in the final rule. Electronic copies of the proposed rule or the regulatory amendment may be obtained from the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov, and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Web site at www.gulfcouncil.org.     How to Submit Comments You may submit comments by either of the following methods. Comments received through other means may not be considered. Electronic Submissions:   Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov  Enter the following docket number into the "Search" box: NOAA-NMFS-2012-0025. Select the appropriate title, and click "Submit a Comment." This will display the comment Web form. Attachments to electronic comments (up to 10 MB) will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. Mail:   Steve Branstetter  NOAA Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office   Sustainable Fisheries Division  263 13th Avenue South  St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505 All comments will be part of the public record, and generally posted for public viewing tohttp://www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter, may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. Anonymous comments will be accepted. This summary is not a substitute for the actual regulations. We encourage you to read the full text of the regulations, available at www.sero.noaa.gov. To view a complete list of Fishery Bulletins, visit the NOAA Fisheries' Southeast RegionalOffice website at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov. This announcement is forwarded as a courtesy of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. About Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans, which are designed to manage fishery resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of Mexico.       Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Charlene Ponce Public Information Officer 888-833-1844 ext. 229

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