Oyster Radio: News from Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

May 16, 2012

Below is a Southeast Fishery Bulletin recently distributed by NOAA Fisheries Service seeking public comment on Gulf of Mexico Gray Triggerfish Catch Limit Reduction.

SOUTHEAST FISHERY BULLETIN
(Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic)

FB12-036
Susan Gerhart
727-551-5602
May 15, 2012

NOAA Fisheries Service Seeks Public Comment on a Proposed Rule for Spiny Lobster in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic

Comment period ends June 14, 2012

NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on a proposed rule for the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic spiny lobster fishery. The rule would prohibit commercial spiny lobster trap fishing in certain areas of the Florida Keys to protect threatened corals. The proposed rule published in the Federal Register on May 15, 2012 (76 FR 59102).

The Fishery Management Plan for Spiny Lobster in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic is jointly managed by the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils (Councils). NOAA Fisheries Service and the Councils developed Amendment 11 to address requirements listed in a biological opinion on the spiny lobster fishery developed under the Endangered Species Act. These requirements include creation of new or expansion of existing closed areas to protect threatened species of coral. Staff from NOAA Fisheries Service and the Councils worked with fishermen, scientists, and managers to choose areas that would protect the most coral without overly restricting fishing. In total, 60 closed areas are proposed that cover 5.9 square miles. Maps of the proposed closed areas can be found in Amendment 11 and at http://gulfcouncil.org/resources/Spiny_Maps.php.

The Councils also considered trap line marking requirements but decided to wait for the results of a study on methods for marking trap lines that should be completed in 2013.

Request for Comments
Written comments on this proposed rule must be received no later than June 14, 2012, to be considered by NOAA Fisheries Service. All comments received by NOAA Fisheries Service, whether specifically directed to the amendment or the proposed rule, will be addressed in the final rule. Electronic copies of the proposed rule and the amendment may be obtained from the NOAA Fisheries Service Web site sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/SpinyLobsterAmendment.htm or the e-Rule Making Portal www.regulation.gov.

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-2011-0223.
Select the appropriate title, and click "Submit a Comment." This will display the comment webform.
Attachments to electronic comments (up to 10 MB) will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

Mail: Susan Gerhart, 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 to http://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.

For more information on Amendment 11 please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on the NOAA Fisheries Service Web site.

Consider signing up for fishery bulletins via email.
NOAA Fisheries Service will begin using a third party as a means to distribute fisheries information by way of our electronic fishery bulletins. To receive fishery bulletins electronically, via email, you must sign up through Constant Contact. Constant Contact is an internet-based distribution service. This service allows you to subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. The electronic copy of the bulletin will be delivered to you faster than the paper copy, is in color, features informational links, and reduces paper use.

To receive fishery bulletins via email using Constant Contact, please sign up at http://bit.ly/HQDUEU. You may also sign up for Constant Contact by visiting our website http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ (sign-up option is located on the left side of the page).

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.