The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet April 16 - 19, 2012, at the Omni Bayfront Hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Council Committees will begin meeting Monday at 1:00 p.m. and will meet through noon Thursday. The full Council will convene at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, and is expected to adjourn by 3:00 p.m. Thursday. Agenda highlights are summarized below.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council reminds anglers that the recreational harvest of shallow-water groupers - except for gag - reopens April 1 within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of Mexico federal waters.

The SEDAR 29 assessment of HMS blacktip shark will consist of a workshop and series of webinars. This notice is for webinars associated with the workshop portion of the SEDAR process.

Mackerel Amendments
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has scheduled scoping meetings around the Gulf coast to discuss a proposed generic amendment addressing dealer permits and electronic logbook reporting, as well as two amendments to the Mackerel Fishery Management Plan.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of its Socioeconomic Scientific and Statistical Committee to discuss socioeconomic issues related to grouper allocation and the application of social indicators to coastal communities. The Committee will also discuss issues related to the red snapper individual fishing quota five-year review.

Copies of the meeting materials can be obtained by calling 813-348-1630. Materials will also be posted on the Council's FTP site at ftp.gulfcouncil.org.