This is a publication of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Award No. NA07FC0015.

NEWS RELEASE
RELEASE: IMMEDIATELY
CONTACT: RICHARD L. LEARD

LAW ENFORCEMENT ADVISORY PANEL TO DISCUSS SALE OF RECREATIONALLY CAUGHT FISH, MARINE ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES AND NEEDS, AND A 5-YEAR STRATEGIC LAW ENFORCEMENT PLAN FOR THE GULF

Tampa, Florida - September 27, 2000 - The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene the Law Enforcement Advisory Panel (LEAP) to discuss possible actions to prohibit the sale of recreationally caught fish and to review current state and federal marine enforcement resources, capabilities, and needs. The LEAP and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (GSMFC) Law Enforcement Committee (LEC), which are made up of mostly the same individuals, have been developing a 5-year "Gulf of Mexico Cooperative Law Enforcement Strategic Plan - 2001-2006." This document contains a set of goals and objectives that the LEAP/LEC would like to accomplish during this 5-year period. Once finalized, the 5-year strategic plan will be submitted to the GSMFC and the Council. The LEAP will also review Draft Amendment 7 to the Stone Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that includes options for a trap certificate program in state and federal waters, and Draft Amendment 11 to the Shrimp FMP that includes options for vessel permits, vessel registrations, operator permits, and a prohibition on the use of trap gear in the royal red shrimp fishery. The status of the Council’s other FMPs, amendments, and regulatory actions will also be reviewed.

The LEAP consists of principal law enforcement officers in each of the Gulf states, as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) General Counsel. The LEC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18, 2000 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by the LEAP meeting from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Discussions of the 5-year Strategic Plan and an Operations Plan will probably occur during both meetings, as well as reports by LEC and LEAP members. The meetings will be held at the Adam’s Mark Clearwater Beach Resort, 430 South Gulfview Boulevard, Clearwater, Florida 33767. A copy of the agenda and related materials can be obtained by calling the Council office at 813-228-2815.

The meetings are open to the public and physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office by October 11, 2000. Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come before the LEAP for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (M-SFCMA), those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Actions of the LEAP will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the M-SFCMA, provided that the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address such emergency.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is 1 of 8 regional fishery management councils that were established by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council prepares fishery management plans, amendments, and other regulatory actions that are designed to manage fishery resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

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