[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 75 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 19699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7418]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 041207E]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
convene a meeting of its Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee 
(SSC) in St. Petersburg, FL.

DATES: The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 and 
conclude by 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Florida Fish & Wildlife 
Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue, SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 
North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 
(813) 348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management 
Council (Council) will convene its Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC), along with other invited ecosystem modeling experts, 
in St. Petersburg, FL, to conduct a three day workshop to demonstrate 
the feasibility of using ecosystem modeling as a tool to address 
fishery management issues. While there are numerous fishery related 
issues that could potentially be addressed through an ecosystem 
modeling approach, the SSC identified three primary issues to be the 
focus of the workshop: (1) Red snapper-shrimp interactions; (2) multi-
species (MPA) effects on snapper-grouper; and (3) Gulf of Mexico 
hypoxic area from drainage from the Mississippi River effects on 
demersal and pelagic ecosystems. Other issues identified by the 
Ecosystem SSC as that could also be selected for evaluation at the 
workshop, include: (4) the role menhaden as a forage base in the Gulf; 
(5) impacts of red tide on Gulf of Mexico ecosystem; and (6) impacts of 
artificial reefs on Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.
    Utilizing a preliminary ecosystem model recently developed for the 
Gulf of Mexico, the workshop will address as many of the issues 
identified above as is practicable within the time and data constraints 
of the workshop. Additional issues may also be addressed if time and 
available data permit. The workshop participants will work with Council 
staff subsequent to the workshop to develop final reports to the Gulf 
Council, and a presentation of the results of the workshop will be 
given to the Gulf Council at one of the Council's regularly scheduled 
meetings.
    Copies of the agenda and other related materials can be obtained by 
calling (813) 348-1630.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come 
before the SSC for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), those 
issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. 
Actions of the SSC 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 Tina Trezza at the Council (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: April 16, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-7418 Filed 4-18-07; 8:45 am]
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