Gulf Council Motions: November 15, 2006

San Louis Resort - Galveston, Texas

 

This document contains the full chronology of motions made at the full Council session of the Gulf Council , including failed, substituted, and amended motions.


 

Administrative Policy

 

Motion:  ask the SEDAR Steering Committee to revise the requirement that the review panel be only comprised of CIE members, and to allow the Council to appoint an additional SAP member.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 


 

Budget/Personnel

 

Motion:  that the Budget/Personnel Committee meet in January to review the 2007 operating budget and address the issue of increasing state liaison funding.  Staff is to compile a report showing the various state expenditures as reported in the semi-annual liaison reports.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 


 

Habitat Protection

 

Motion:  to send a letter to the Corps of Engineers to address the two projects concerning Matagorda Ship Channel and Lavaca Bay Channel expansion

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  that prior to requesting Congressional authorization for specific features under the LACPR Plan, the Council recommends that the Corps undertake all measures necessary to fully quantify likely direct and indirect impacts to habitat and resources of concern.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion: to recommend the Council urge the Corps to include environmental restoration features in the plan to close the MRGO to deep draft navigation.  The goal of the environmental features should be to restore the affected system to a naturally sustainable level and include freshwater introduction, marsh creation, and ridge and barrier island restoration.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  that in evaluating plans to provide hurricane protection to New Orleans, which were funded under the fourth supplemental WRDA appropriation, the Council urge that the Corps and Congress not take actions which would later need to be replaced by features funded under the LACPR Plan.  Lacking certainty of LACPR funding, any interim measures to provide hurricane protection should include stand alone mitigation necessary to offset the impacts of that action

 

Substitute Motion:  Thank Congress for the 4th supplemental WRDA funding and urge the Corps to not take actions which would later need to be replaced by features funded under the LACPR Plan if it is funded.  Lacking certainty of LACPR funding, any interim measures to provide hurricane protection should include stand alone mitigation necessary to offset the impacts of that action

 

Substitute motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  that prior to requesting Congressional authorization for specific features under the LACPR Plan, the Council recommends the Corps undertake all measures necessary to fully quantify likely direct and indirect impacts to habitat and resources of concern.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion: recommend to the Corps that as much dredge material as possible should be used beneficially. 

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  Regarding the proposed deepening of the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel:  that the Council urges the Corps to include the value added economic benefit of using dredged material beneficially to create marsh in the quantification of the federal standard for any navigation channel. 

 

Motion carried with no objection

 


 

Joint Reef Fish/Shrimp

 

Motion:  to appoint a Select Committee of the SSC members to monitor the activities and progress of the Design and Analysis Group.  The Select Committee will report periodically to the Council.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 


 

Law Enforcement

 

Motion:  To approve the LEAP 2007-2008 Operations Plan

 

Motion carried with no opposition

 


 

Red Drum

 

Motion: To have the Council seek funding to replicate the tag and recapture study done in the late 80s or any other means or studies to determine the status of the offshore red drum stock.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  to ask the SSC to review the data on red drum and determine if a benchmark assessment is appropriate

 

Motion carried with no opposition

 


 

Reef Fish

 

Motion:  that (grouper) allocations be evaluated under both status quo options of current management and IFQ system.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  Regarding grouper allocations:  that it is important to consider discards in the allocation process.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  That tilefish be considered along with grouper in the IFQ system.

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  To remove Action 5 (allocation alternatives) from the scoping document.

 

Motion carried by a hand vote of 8 to 7

 

Motion:  That the minimum size limit for gray triggerfish be changed from total length to fork length.

 

Motion carried by voice vote

 

Motion:  To initiate a framework amendment to address size limits, bag limits, and closed seasons for the vermilion snapper fishery

 

Motion carried with no objection

 

Motion:  To request that NMFS postpone the implementation of the VMS portion of Amendment 18a for 90 days after December 7

 

Motion carried with no objection

 


 

Shrimp

 

Motion:        The Charge of the Ad Hoc Shrimp Effort AP is to develop management recommendations for the shrimp fishery to:

          a)       manage effort to reduce red snapper bycatch mortality in the shrimp fishery by 50% from the 2001-2003 base line in 2007

b)       develop additional measures to reach the red snapper bycatch mortality reduction goals for the shrimp fishery established in the red snapper rebuilding plan

 

Motion carried with no objection

 


 

SEDAR Selection

 

Motion:  to appoint the following persons to the SEDAR 12 Review Workshop:

 

Bill Teehan

Will Patterson

Bob Muller

Dale Perkins

Tom Marvel

Martin Fischer

Aaron Viles

 

Motion carried with no objection

 


 

Other

 

Motion:  to nominate Ms. Bobbi Walker and Dr. Rich Aronson to the Marine Protected Areas Advisory Committee

 

Motion carried with no opposition