[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30878-30879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11463]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 050102B]


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 will convene a 
public meeting for a stakeholders workshop.

DATES: A stakeholders workshop on bioeconomic modeling will be held 
beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2002, and will conclude at 
4 p.m. on Friday, May 24, 2002.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Tampa Airport Hilton Hotel, 
2225 Lois Avenue, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone 813-877-6688.

[[Page 30879]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Antonio B. Lamberte, Economist, Gulf 
of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 813-228-2815.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A stakeholders workshop on bioeconomic 
modeling will be convened to address the economic impacts of 
regulations proposed for red grouper under Secretarial Amendment 1 to 
the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan. A bioeconomic modeling group 
composed of some members of the Socioeconomic Panel (SEP), a member of 
the Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel, and NMFS economists will lead the 
workshop. The modeling group will be assisted by NMFS stock assessment 
experts on the biological portion of the model. Dr. Walter Keithly, a 
SEP member, will act as the moderator for the workshop.
    The main goal of the workshop is to adapt a bioeconomic model 
developed by Dr. Lee Anderson to the red grouper fishery in the Gulf. 
The public is strongly encouraged to attend and assist the modeling 
group in assessing the reasonableness of various parameters that would 
be used in the bioeconomic model. It should be understood by the 
attending public that while their active participation in the 
discussion is encouraged, the workshop is not a public hearing on the 
red grouper Secretarial amendment. A copy of the agenda can be obtained 
by calling 813-228-2815.
    Upon successful adaptation of Dr. Anderson's bioeconomic model to 
the Gulf red grouper fishery, the SEP will employ the model to address 
the economic implications of various measures proposed for the red 
grouper Secretarial amendment. The SEP will meet on June 12-14, 2002, 
to evaluate the results of the model and prepare a report for review by 
the Reef Fish Advisory Panel and the Standing Scientific and 
Statistical Committee. The SEP report and its various reviews will be 
presented to the Council at their July 8-12, 2002, meeting when they 
will make final decisions on the red grouper Secretarial amendment.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the workgroup for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not 
be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions of the 
workgroup will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in 
the agendas and any issues arising after publication of this notice 
that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is open to the public and is physically accessible to 
people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or 
other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office by May 
15, 2002.

    Dated: May 2, 2002.
Virginia M. Fay,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-11463 Filed 5-7-02; 8:45 am]
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