[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 184 (Wednesday, September 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 50885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25458]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 091798B]


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 meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene a public meeting of the Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel 
(RFSAP).

DATES: A meeting of the RFSAP will be held beginning at 1:00 p.m. on 
Monday, October 5, 1998 and will conclude by 12:00 noon on Thursday, 
October 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the NMFS Southeast Fisheries 
Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. 
Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: 813-228-
2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RFSAP will meet to review a stock 
assessment on the status of the red snapper stock in the Gulf of Mexico 
prepared by the NMFS.
    Based on its review of the red snapper stock assessment, the RFSAP 
will recommend a range of allowable biological catch (ABC) for 1999, 
and may recommend management measures to achieve the ABC. In addition, 
the RFSAP will review the scientific information behind selection of 
specific values for the red snapper control rule parameters. These 
parameters will be used by the Council to define new criteria for 
establishing overfishing and overfished thresholds, and a rebuilding 
schedule that complies with new provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act for preventing overfishing and 
rebuilding overfished stocks that were incorporated into the Act in 
1996.
    The RFSAP is composed of biologists who are trained in the 
specialized field of population dynamics. They advise the Council on 
the status of stocks and, when necessary, recommend a level of ABC 
needed to prevent overfishing or to effect a recovery of an overfished 
stock. They may also recommend catch restrictions needed to attain 
management goals.
    The conclusions of the RFSAP will be reviewed by the Council's 
Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee 
(SSC) and by the Red Snapper Advisory Panel (RSAP) at meetings to be 
held in early November. The Council will set a 1999 red snapper total 
allowable catch (TAC) and associated management measures at its meeting 
in Galveston, TX on November 9-12, 1998, based on the recommendations 
of the RFSAP, SSC, and public testimony that will be taken at the 
Council meeting.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the RFSAP for discussion, in accordance with the MagnusonStevens 
Fishery Conservation Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal 
action during this meeting. 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 Gulf Council 
(see ADDRESSES).

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is 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 
September 28, 1998.

    Dated: September 18, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-25458 Filed 9-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F