[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81479-81480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33159]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA897


Fisheries of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; Southeast 
Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Spanish Mackerel and Cobia

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

ACTION: Notice of SEDAR Workshops for South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico 
Spanish mackerel and cobia.

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SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessments of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico 
stocks of Spanish mackerel and cobia will consist of a series of 
workshops and webinars: a Data Workshop and webinar, an Assessment 
Workshop and webinars, and a Review Workshop. The data and assessment 
webinars will be announced in a separate notice. This is the twenty-
eighth SEDAR.

DATES: The Data Workshop will take place February 6-10, 2012. The 
Assessment Workshop will take place May 7-11, 2012. The Review Workshop 
will take place August 6-10, 2012. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The Data Workshop will be held at the Marriott Charleston, 
170 Lockwood Blvd., Charleston, SC 29403; telephone: (843) 723-3000. 
The Assessment Workshop will be held at the Courtyard Miami Coconut 
Grove, 2649 South Bayshore Drive, Miami, FL 33133; telephone: (305) 
858-2500. The Review Workshop will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton 
Atlanta--Buckhead, 3342 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326; telephone: 
(404) 231-1234.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kari Fenske, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055 
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: 
(843) 571-4366.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (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) Stock Assessment Workshop and (3) Review Workshop. The 
product of the Data Workshop is a data report which compiles and 
evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are 
appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Stock 
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 is independently peer 
reviewed at the Review Workshop. The product of the Review Workshop is 
a Consensus Summary documenting Panel opinions regarding the strengths 
and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for 
SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, 
and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast 
Regional Office and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants 
include data collectors and database managers; stock assessment 
scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives 
including fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO's; International 
experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and Federal 
agencies. SEDAR 28 Workshop Schedule:

February 6-10, 2012; SEDAR 28 Data Workshop

    February 6, 2012: 1 p.m.-8 p.m.; February 7-9, 2012: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; 
February 10, 2012: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
    An assessment data set and associated documentation will be 
developed during the Data Workshop. Participants will evaluate all 
available data and select appropriate sources for providing information 
on life history characteristics, catch statistics, discard estimates, 
length and age composition, and fishery dependent and fishery 
independent measures of stock abundance.

May 7-11, 2012; SEDAR 28 Assessment Workshop

    May 7, 2012: 1 p.m.-8 p.m.; May 8-10, 2012: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; May 11, 
2012: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
    Using datasets provided by the Data Workshop, participants will 
develop population models to evaluate stock status, estimate population 
benchmarks and Sustainable Fisheries Act criteria, and project future 
conditions. Participants will recommend the most appropriate methods 
and configurations for determining stock status and estimating 
population parameters. Participants will prepare a workshop report, 
compare and contrast various assessment approaches, and determine 
whether the assessments are adequate for submission to the review 
panel.

August 6-10, 2012; SEDAR 28 Data Workshop

    August 6, 2012: 1 p.m.-8 p.m.; August 7-9, 2012: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; 
August 10, 2012: 8 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 comments and 
recommendations in a Consensus Summary.

[[Page 81480]]

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 Council office (see ADDRESSES) 
at least 10 business days prior to each workshop.

    Dated: December 21, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-33159 Filed 12-27-11; 8:45 am]
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