[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 56277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22353]



[[Page 56277]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 082702G]


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.

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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: This meeting will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 17, and 
conclude by 12 noon on Friday, September 20, 2002.

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 convene to review stock 
assessments on the status of the red grouper and yellowedge grouper 
stocks in the Gulf of Mexico. These stock assessments were prepared by 
the NMFS and will be presented to the RFSAP. The last red grouper 
assessment was made in 1999. In October 2000, NMFS declared red grouper 
to be overfished based on the 1999 assessment plus additional analyses 
requested by the RFSAP. In July 2002, the Council approved a red 
grouper rebuilding plan, which is being submitted to NMFS for review, 
approval and implementation. There have been no previous assessments of 
yellowedge grouper, and the status of the stock is unknown.
    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 
acceptable biological catch (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.
    Based on its review of the red grouper and yellowedge grouper stock 
assessments, the RFSAP may recommend whether to declare the stocks 
overfished and/or undergoing overfishing, and may recommend a range of 
acceptable biological catch (ABC) for 2003. The RFSAP may also 
recommend management measures to achieve the ABC.
    The conclusions of the RFSAP will be reviewed by the Council's 
Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee 
(SSC), Socioeconomic Panel (SEP), and Reef Fish Advisory Panel (RFAP) 
at meetings to be held in October, 2002. 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). Yellowedge grouper is a component of the deep-
water grouper complex (which consists of misty grouper, snowy grouper, 
yellowedge grouper, warsaw grouper, speckled hind, and, after the 
shallow-water grouper quota is filled, scamp). The Council may set year 
2003 total allowable catches (TAC) as well as other management measures 
for the red grouper component of the shallow-water grouper complex and 
the yellowedge grouper component of the deep-water grouper complex at 
its meeting in Key Largo, FL on November 12-15, 2002.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the RFSAP 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 
RFSAP 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

    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 above address by September 10, 
2002.

    Dated: August 27, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-22353 Filed 8-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S