[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12784-12785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6600]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 031098B]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene public meetings of its Special Crustacean and Finfish Stock 
Assessment Panels (SAP).

DATES: A meeting of the Crustacean SAP will be held beginning at 8:00 
a.m. on Monday, March 30, and will conclude by 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 
April 1, 1998. A meeting of the Finfish SAP will be held beginning at 
1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 6, 1998, and will conclude by 5:00 p.m. on 
Thursday, April 9, 1998.


[[Page 12785]]


ADDRESSES: The Crustacean SAP meeting will be held at the Wyndham 
Riverfront Hotel, 701 Convention Center Boulevard, New Orleans, LA. The 
Finfish SAP meeting will be held at NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science 
Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Leard, Senior Fishery 
Biologist; telephone: 813-228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SAPs will be convened to develop 
alternatives for the overfishing criteria as required by the 
Sustainable Fisheries Act. Separate criteria will be considered for 
each of the stocks or stock-complexes managed under the Council's 
existing Fishery Management Plans for shrimp, stone crab, and spiny 
lobster (Crustacean SAP), and for migratory coastal pelagics, reef 
fish, and red drum (Finfish SAP).
    The SAPs will develop proxies for expressing maximum sustainable 
yield and optimum yield in terms of spawning potential ratio, spawning 
stock biomass per recruit, or other credible analyses as appropriate 
for the stocks or stock complexes of each FMP. The SAPs will also 
develop alternatives for rebuilding periods for stocks that have been 
classified as overfished by NMFS. The SAPs may suggest modifications to 
the framework procedures for specifying acceptable biological catch 
(ABC) and total allowable catch (TAC) where appropriate. Each SAP will 
develop a report to the Council setting forth their recommendations.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
these SAPs for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal 
action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to those issues 
specifically identified in the agenda listed in this notice.
    A copy of the agenda can be obtained by contacting the Council (see 
ADDRESSES).

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Anne Alford at the Council (see 
ADDRESSES) by March 23, 1998.

    Dated: March 10, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-6600 Filed 3-13-98; 8:45 am]

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