[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24953-24954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9913]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XH68


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 will convene a 
joint meeting of The Standing and Special Reef Fish SSCs (SSC).

DATES: The Joint Standing and Special Reef Fish SSC meeting will begin 
at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 and conclude by 3 p.m. on 
Thursday, May 29, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Quorum Hotel, 700 N. 
Westshore Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609; telephone: (813) 289-8200.
    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 Joint Standing and Special Reef Fish SSC 
will meet to review scientific information on the Gulf of Mexico gag 
and red grouper stocks, and to review draft Reef Fish Amendment 29 
dealing with grouper and tilefish effort management. At the April 7-11, 
2008 Council meeting, the Council heard an outside review of the gag 
stock assessment by Dr. Trevor Kenchington, Gadus Associates, in which 
it was suggested that overfishing of gag had ended in 2006. The Council 
also heard a review of the assessment from the Southeast Fisheries 
Science Center (SEFSC), along with updated indices of abundance which 
suggested that, after peaking in 2004, the gag and red grouper stock 
levels are again declining. The SSC will review and discuss the 
information from Dr. Kenchington and the SEFSC, and will advise the 
Council with regard to recent trends in abundance of gag and red 
grouper, current estimates of spawning stock biomass (SSB), current 
estimates of natural mortality, the extent to which reduced effort and/
or reduced SSB are contributing to a reduction in landings, and 
recommendations for appropriate catch levels. The SSC will also review 
the appropriate baseline to use when determining percent reductions 
needed in harvest. If time permits, the SSC will also review a red 
grouper yield per recruit analyses which was prepared last fall by the 
SEFSC but has not yet been reviewed by the SSC.
    The SSC will also review the alternatives in draft Reef Fish 
Amendment 29. This Amendment proposes to rationalize effort and reduce 
overcapacity in the commercial Gulf of Mexico grouper and tilefish 
fisheries in order to achieve and maintain optimum yield. Approaches 
being considered include permit endorsements and individual fishing 
quotas.
    Copies of the agenda and other related materials can be obtained by 
calling (813) 348-1630.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come 
before the SSCs 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 this meeting. 
Actions of the SSCs will be restricted to those issues specifically 
identified in the agenda 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.

[[Page 24954]]

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: May 1, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-9913 Filed 5-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S