This document contains the full chronology of motions made at the full Council session of the Gulf Council meeting held July 14-15, 2004 in Houston, Texas. This includes failed, substituted, and amended motions as well as those that passed. Motions that passed (excluding motions to amend) are indicated in bold.
Motion: that the Council direct staff to prepare a letter requesting the extension of the comment period through September 24, 2004 in order for the Gulf Council’s Billfish AP, HMS AP, Appropriate SSCs, the Highly Migratory Management Committee, and the Council itself to develop and forward comments to the HMS Management Division of NOAA Fisheries.
Motion carried by a vote of 9 to 4.
Motion: to immediately implement the changes to the SOPPs that the Council approved yesterday (July 13, 2004).
Motion carried with no objection.
Draft Amendment 15 to the CMP FMP and Amendment 24 to the Reef Fish FMP
Motion: to adopt the following public hearing locations: Key West FL, Port Isabel TX, Port Aransas TX, Galveston TX, Grand Isle LA, Biloxi MS, Orange Beach AL, Destin FL, St. Petersburg FL, and Naples FL.
Motion carried with no objection.
Scoping Document for Extension of the Charterboat Permit Moratorium
Motion: to approve of adding alternatives to allow for disaggregation [segregation] of passenger capacity for permitted vessels.
Motion carried by a vote of 9 to 8.
Options Paper and Decision Document for Amendment 16
Motion: that Actions 1 through 16 of the Decision Document be revised into a scoping document.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: to add to Amendment 16 a provision to where a commercial permit holder must declare which zone or area he wishes to fish prior to the fishing season.
Motion carried by a vote of 13 to 4.
Mackerel Other Business
Motion: to approve sending the letter to Dr. Hogarth (Handout) objecting to the classification of Gulf group king mackerel as overfished in the 2003 Report to Congress.
Motion failed by a vote of 2 to 12
Amendment 23 (Vermilion Snapper Rebuilding Plan)
Motion: that in Section 4.2.3.2 modify all bag limit alternatives to specify that vermilion snapper will remain in the 20 reef fish aggregate bag limit.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: that Alternative 1 from the Reef Fish Handout be added as the single preferred alternative in Section 4.2.3.3 (Commercial Harvest Reduction Alternatives) - "A commercial minimum size limit of 11-inches and a closed season of April 22 through May 31"
Motion carried by a vote of 13 to 2.
Reef Fish Other Business
Motion: to allow public testimony to the Reef Fish Committee at the Panama City meeting in September 2004 to address the grouper quota closures and to consider trip limits.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: to immediately request that an IPT group and an Ad Hoc Reef Fish IFQ Panel be formed to begin work on a Reef Fish IFQ Plan.
Motion carried with no objection.
Draft Amendment 13 to the Shrimp FMP
Motion: that the alternatives under Action 10 for a moratorium on the issuance of commercial shrimp vessel permits be added to Amendment 13.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: to adopt as its intent that the details [of a moratorium] be worked out under the principle that the qualifications for the vessel permit would be retained with the vessel so long as the vessel remains in the shrimp fishery.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: to reconsider the motion.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: to strike "so long as the vessel remains in the shrimp fishery."
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion as amended: to adopt as its intent that the details [of a moratorium] be worked out under the principle that the qualifications for the vessel permit would be retained with the vessel.
Motion as amended carried by consensus.
Motion: to include alternatives in Shrimp Amendment 13 regarding vessel replacement.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: adopt a provision that permittees report and certify their landings on their permitted vessel(s). (Note: the IPT would address the proper place to include this requirement).
Motion carried with one opposed.
Motion: to invite Bill Gazey as a substitute for Dr. Benny Gallaway on the SEDAR Red Snapper Stock Assessment Panel.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: to invite Sandra Diamond to participate in the SEDAR Red Snapper Assessment Workshop.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: that staff draft a letter to respond to the Oceana petition and submit it to the Habitat Protection Committee for review and comment and then to the Chairman for review and approval.
Motion carried by consensus.
Motion: Request an extension from Dr. Hogarth on addressing the Oceana petition. Immediately submit petition and background documents to Coral AP and SSC for comment.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: Schedule the Ecosystem Management Committee in September to hear NMFS’ presentation on ecosystem management and to select members for an Ad Hoc Ecosystem SSC.
Motion carried with no objection.
Motion: to attend the Regional Council meeting, have a backdrop created for that meeting, and that each Council member will contact Wayne Swingle via telephone or email with agenda item ideas.
Motion carried by consensus.
Motion: that the AdHoc Sustainable Fisheries Committee meet to discuss National Standard 1 Guidelines instead of the Administrative Policy Committee.
Substitute Motion: that the AdHoc Sustainable Fisheries Committee meet jointly with the Administrative Policy Committee to discuss National Standard 1 Guidelines.
Subtitute Motion failed by a vote of 3 to 7.
Motion carried by consensus.
Motion: that the Council write a letter to the US Fish & Wildlife Director requesting that funding continue for the Rancho Nuevo Sea Turtle Project next year (2005), and noting that the newly passed Marine Turtle Conservation Act enables funding for sea turtle projects to come from the Multi-National Species Fund.
Motion carried by consensus.