[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 27786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12741]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051403D]


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 (Gulf Council) 
and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) 
in cooperation with the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) of the 
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) and the 
Southeast Fisheries Science Center of the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NOAA Fisheries) will convene a yellowtail snapper Stock 
Assessment Workshop as part of the 2003 Southeast Data Assessment and 
Review (SEDAR) process. The workshop will be held from Monday June 9, 
2003 through Friday, June 13, 2003.

DATES: The workshop will be held from Monday June 9, 2003 through 
Friday, June 13, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Florida Marine Research 
Institute, 100 Eighth Avenue, Southeast, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5095; 
telephone: 727-896-8626.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Phil Steele, NMFS Southeast 
Regional Office, 9721 North Executive Center Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 
33702; telephone: 727-570-5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Stock Assessment Workshop will focus on 
the single yellowtail snapper stock off the U.S. mainland that falls 
within the jurisdictional boundaries of the Gulf Council, South 
Atlantic Council, and FFWCC. Yellowtail snapper in the Caribbean appear 
to be a different population based on preliminary genetic analyses, and 
will not be included in this assessment.
    The Stock Assessment Workshop is the second step in the three-part 
SEDAR process. The first step was the Data Review Workshop (held March 
3-7, 2003) and involved the assembly and review of available fishery 
data, life history information, analytical techniques and models for 
the stock assessment. The second step is the Stock Assessment Workshop, 
where data sets from the Data Review Workshop are used with population 
dynamics modeling techniques to determine the status of stocks. The 
third step of SEDAR is the Stock Assessment Review Workshop (to be 
scheduled in July, 2003), where the stock assessment is reviewed by an 
independent peer review panel.
    The Stock Assessment Workshop will convene a select group of 
scientists, industry representatives, and other knowledgeable persons 
to review the available data and the yellowtail snapper stock 
assessment presented by FFWCC biologists. The workshop participants 
will prepare a written Workshop report that provides an overview of the 
analyses, general findings, and recommendations of the workshop. As 
part of the Stock Assessment Workshop, the Gulf Council will convene a 
meeting of its Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel (RFSAP). The RFSAP is 
composed of biologists who are trained in the specialized field of 
population dynamics. Based on its review of the yellowtail snapper 
stock assessment, 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 2004. The RFSAP may also 
recommend management measures to achieve the ABC. The RFSAP may also 
make recommendations pertaining to its role in future SEDAR meetings.
    The RFSAP will hold it's own session in conjunction with the Stock 
Assessment Workshop to review the following issues: (1) role of the 
RFSAP in the SEDAR process; (2) review of alternatives for revision of 
the rebuilding plan for Gulf red snapper, and; (3) new information on 
Goliath grouper if that data is available.
    Both the Stock Assessment Workshop report and the conclusions of 
the RFSAP will be reviewed by the Stock Assessment Review Workshop, the 
Council's Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC), (which will be convened as part of the Stock 
Assessment Review Workshop), the Socioeconomic Panel (SEP), and the 
Reef Fish Advisory Panel (AP). The reports and recommendations of these 
groups will then be presented to the Gulf Council, which may set year a 
2004 total allowable catch (TAC) as well as other management measures 
for the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone component of the 
yellowtail snapper stock.
    A copy of the agenda for the RFSAP portion of the meeting can be 
obtained by calling 813-228-2815.
    Although other issues not on the agenda 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 this meeting. Actions of the RFSAP will be 
restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda listed 
as available by this notice.
    The RFSAP 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 (see ADDRESSES)by June 30, 2003.

    Dated: May 15, 2003.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-12741 Filed 5-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S