[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 134 (Monday, July 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41562-41563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17752]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 070803D]


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 an Assessment Review Workshop as 
part of the 2003 Southeast Data Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process. 
The Gulf Council's Standing Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 
will also be convened as a component of the Assessment Review Workshop.

DATES:  The workshop will be held beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Monday July 
28, 2003 through noon on Thursday, July 31, 2003.

ADDRESSES:  The meeting will be held at the Hilton Tampa Airport 
Westshore, 2225 Lois Avenue, Tampa, FL; telephone: 813-877-6688.
    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 purpose of the Assessment Review 
Workshop will be to evaluate the results of a SEDAR Yellowtail Snapper 
Stock Assessment Workshop that was held June 9-13, 2003. Yellowtail 
snapper off the U.S. mainland straddle the jurisdictional boundaries of 
the Gulf Council, South Atlantic Council and FFWCC, and are considered 
to be a single stock. Yellowtail snapper in the Caribbean appear to be 
a different population, based on preliminary genetic analyses, and are 
not included in this assessment.
    The Assessment Review Workshop is the third of three meetings held 
as part of the SEDAR process. A Data Review Workshop was held March 3-
7, 2003, to review available data on yellowtail snapper. A Stock 
Assessment Workshop was held June 9-13, 2003, to analyze the data and 
prepare a preliminary stock assessment for review by the Assessment 
Review Workshop.
    The Assessment Review Workshop will consist of representatives of 
the Gulf Council's and South Atlantic Council's SSCs, staff from the 
Gulf Council, South Atlantic Council, FFWCC and NMFS, representatives 
of recreational and commercial fishing communities, representatives of 
environmental organizations, outside stock assessment biologists who 
were not involved in the Stock Assessment Workshop, and scientists from 
the University of Miami's Center of Independent Experts.
    The preliminary yellowtail snapper stock assessment will be 
available from the Gulf Council's website (http://www.gulfcouncil.org) 
prior to the meeting, and a final stock assessment will be prepared 
following the meeting. The Assessment Review Workshop reports and 
recommendations will be presented to the Gulf Council, South Atlantic 
Council and FFWCC, which may set year a 2004 total allowable catch 
(TAC) as well as other management measures for the yellowtail snapper 
stock within the respective jurisdictions of each management agency.

[[Page 41563]]

    A copy of the agenda for the SSC portion of the meeting can be 
obtained by calling 813-228-2815.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action 
under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final 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 July 
11, 2003.

    Dated: July 8, 2003.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-17752 Filed 7-11-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S