[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48605-48606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23223]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 082699D]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will

[[Page 48606]]

convene a public meeting of the Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel 
(RFSAP).

DATES: This meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 20, 
and conclude by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 24, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The 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: Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician; telephone: 813-228-2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RFSAP will convene to review stock 
assessments on the status of the red snapper stock and the red grouper 
stock in the Gulf of Mexico prepared by NMFS. The RFSAP will also 
evaluate new information on gag biology that had been presented to the 
Council during its development of the revised Regulatory Amendment to 
Set 1999 Gag/Black Grouper Management Measures. This new information 
includes reports prepared by Dr. Chris Koenig (Florida State 
University, Dr. Robert Chapman (South Carolina Department of Natural 
Resources) and other academic and state scientists, plus an evaluation 
and response to the analyses prepared for Southeastern Fisheries 
Association by Dr. Trevor Kenchington (Gadus Associates) and other 
independent scientists retained by Dr. Kenchington.
    Based on its review of the red snapper and red grouper stock 
assessments, the RFSAP may recommend a range of allowable biological 
catch (ABC) for 2000, and may recommend management measures to achieve 
the ABC. In addition, the RFSAP will review the adequacy of recent 
biological information presented to the Council on gag that was used by 
the Council in its recent management decisions.
    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), Red Snapper Advisory Panel (RSAP), and Reef Fish Advisory Panel 
(RFAP) at meetings to be held in late October, 1999. Red grouper is a 
component of the shallow-water grouper complex (which consists of red 
grouper, gag, yellowfin grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowmouth 
grouper, rock hind, and red hind). The Council may set a year 2000 
total allowable catch (TAC) for the red grouper component of the 
shallow-water grouper complex and red snapper. The Council may also 
consider other management measures at its meeting in Lake Buena Vista, 
FL on November 8-11, 1999.
    Although other issues not on the agenda may come before the Panel 
for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management 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 as available by 
this notice.

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 13, 1999.

    Dated: August 31, 1999.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-23223 Filed 9-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F