The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet April 15 - 18, 2013, at the Courtyard Marriott, 1600 East Beach Boulevard in Gulfport, Mississippi. After spending most of Monday in closed session to make appointments to the Science Committees and Advisory Panels, the Council Committees will convene Monday afternoon beginning at 2:30. 

The full Council will convene at 1:30 pm Wednesday and is expected to adjourn by 4:30 pm Thursday. Agenda highlights are summarized below.  

Committee meetings will open Monday with the Budget/Personnel Committee review of the 2013 Budget. The Shrimp Management Committee will then meet to review a Framework Action to Fund an Electronic Logbook Program for the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery. The day will conclude with a meeting of the Red Drum Management Committee, which will review the history of red drum management, along with past meeting discussions, and escapement rates.  The Committee will also:

NMFS issues this emergency rule to authorize NMFS to set the closure date of the recreational red snapper fishing season in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off individual Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) states. At its February 2013 meeting, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) requested an emergency rule to give NMFS this authority. The intent of this rulemaking is to constrain recreational red snapper harvest within the quota while ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of fishing privileges among participants in all the Gulf states.

This emergency rule is effective March 25, 2013, through September 23, 2013.

Based on the expected regulations for Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, and assuming the recreational quota is increased to 4.145 million lb, the closure dates for each state have been tentatively projected as follows: Texas, June 12, 2013; Louisiana, June 9, 2013; Mississippi, June 28, 2013; Alabama, June 28, 2013; and Florida, June 21, 2013. 

The lionfish have invaded, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants the public to join its Lionfish Control Team for the month of April. 

The SEDAR 31 assessment of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery will consist of a series of workshops and supplemental webinars. This notice is for two webinars in the Assessment Workshop portion of the SEDAR process.

The SEDAR 31 Assessment Workshop Webinars 7 and 8 will be held on April 11 and 18, 2013, respectively. The webinars will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude no later than 5 p.m. EDT.

Under federal law, state waters off Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama extend from the coastline out to three nautical miles, and state waters off Texas and the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida extend from the coastline out to nine nautical miles.

Fishermen are reminded that federal waters are closed to recreational red snapper fishing until June 1, 2013. Therefore, the recreational harvest and possession of red snapper in federal waters off all Gulf of Mexico states is prohibited until June 1, 2013. Beginning June 1, 2013, federal waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico will open, with a 2-fish bag limit with a minimum size of 16 inches fork length.

NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Administrator, Dr. Roy Crabtree is hosting a teleconference about the 2013 recreational red snapper fishing season to discuss how we arrived where we are today, short-term and long-term management options and hear from you as to how we can work together moving forward.

 When: Thursday, April 4 from 11am-1pm EST

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council announces the selection of Doug Gregory as its new Executive Director. Gregory will take the helm May 20, 2013.  He replaces Dr. Stephen Bortone, who is retiring in May.

"The Gulf Council has many important issues on its agenda, and I look forward to working with Doug as our new Executive Director," said Doug Boyd, Chairman of the Gulf Council.

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to Convene a Meeting of its Standing, Special Mackerel, and Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC)

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Standing, Special Mackerel, and Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committees will meet March 27 and 28, 2013, at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay Hotel, 2900 Bayport Drive in Tampa, Florida. The meeting will begin at 8:30am Wednesday and will adjourn no later than 5:00pm Thursday.

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Schedules Scoping Workshops to Discuss For-Hire Red Snapper Days-at-Sea Pilot Program

The Gulf Council has scheduled scoping workshops around the Gulf of Mexico to get public input on a proposed amendment that examines a days-at-sea pilot program for the red snapper for-hire fishery. Scoping workshops are the first and best opportunity for you to make suggestions or raise issues and concerns before the Council begins developing an amendment.

Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to the Explosive Removal of Offshore Structures in the Gulf of Mexico

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued one-year LOAs to take marine mammals incidental to the explosive removal of offshore oil and gas structures (EROS) in the Gulf of Mexico.