[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 62 (Wednesday, March 31, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16896-16897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7251]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032204C]


Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico, Southeastern Data, Assessment 
and Review (SEDAR) Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Workshops

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

ACTION: Notice of the SEDAR Workshops for Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper.

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

SUMMARY: The SEDAR process for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper will 
consist of a series of three workshops: a data workshop, an assessment 
workshop, and a review workshop.

DATES: The data workshop will take place April 19-23, 2004; the 
assessment workshop will take place August 16-20, 2004; and the review 
workshop will take place October 25-29, 2004. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The data workshop will be held at the International House 
Hotel, 221 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130; telephone: (504)553-
9550. The assessment workshop will be held at NOAA Fisheries Southeast 
Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149; 
telephone: (305) 361-4200. The review workshop will be held at the 
Holiday Inn Chateau Le Moyne, New Orleans, LA 70112; telephone: 
(504)581-1313.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Steven Atran or Mr. Stu Kennedy, 
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC), 3018 North U. S. 
Highway 301, Tampa, FL 33619. The GMFMC phone numbers are 813-228-2815 
or 888-833-1844. Both Mr. Atran and Mr. Kennedy may be reached at the 
GMFMC e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The workshops will take place: April 19-23, 
2004, August 16-20, 2004, and October 25-29,2004.
    The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery 
Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the 
Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions, have implemented 
the SEDAR process, a multi-step method for determining the status of 
fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR includes three workshops: 
(1) data workshop, (2) assessment workshop, and (3) review workshop. 
The product of the data workshop and the assessment workshop is a stock 
assessment report, which describes the fisheries, evaluates the status 
of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future 
population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. 
The assessment report is independently peer reviewed at the review 
workshop. The products of the review workshop are a Consensus Summary 
Report, which reports Panel opinions regarding the strengths and 
weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data, and an Advisory 
Report, which summarizes the status of the stock. Participants for 
SEDAR workshops are appointed by the Regional Fishery Management 
Councils. Participants include data collectors, database managers, 
stock assessment scientists, biologists, fisheries researchers, 
fishermen, environmentalists, Council members, International experts, 
and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and Federal agencies.

Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper SEDAR Workshop Schedule

April 19-23, 2004-SEDAR Data Workshop (New Orleans)

    April 19, 2004, 2 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
    April 20-22, 2004, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
    April 23, 2004, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
    An assessment data set will be developed during the data workshop. 
The assessment data set will include catch statistics, discard 
estimates, length and age composition, fishery descriptions, biological 
sampling intensity, fishery dependent and fishery independent 
monitoring results, and life history characteristics. Workshop 
participants will draft preliminary Assessment Report sections.

[[Page 16897]]

August 16-20, 2004 - SEDAR Assessment Workshop - (Miami)

    August 16, 2004, 2:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
    August 17-19, 2004, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
    August 20, 2004, 8:30 a.m. - - 1:00 p.m.
    Using the data set collected from the data workshop, participants 
will develop population models, evaluate the status of the stock, 
estimate population benchmarks and Sustainable Fisheries Act criteria, 
and complete the Assessment Report.

October 25-29, 2004 - SEDAR Review Workshop - (New Orleans)

    October 25, 2004, 2 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
    October 26 - 28, 2004, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
    October 29, 2004, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    The review workshop is an independent peer review of the assessment 
developed during the data and assessment workshops. Workshop Panelists 
will review the assessment and document their consensus opinions 
regarding assessment issues in a Consensus Summary Report. Panelists 
will summarize the assessment results in an Advisory Report.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before these groups for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during these meetings. 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

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at 
least 5 business days prior to each workshop.

    Dated: March 26, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-7251 Filed 3-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S