[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 46 (Friday, March 8, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14983-14984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05426]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC539


Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Spanish 
Mackerel and Cobia Stock Assessment Review Workshop.

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SUMMARY: Independent peer review of Gulf of Mexico Spanish Mackerel and 
Cobia stocks will be accomplished through written reviews because 
delays in completing the assessments prevented their consideration at 
the SEDAR 28 Review Workshop. This workshop is being held by the Gulf 
of Mexico Fishery Management Council to consider recommendations from 
the written reviews and develop recommendations for the Gulf Council 
Scientific and Statistical Committee. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: The Stock Assessment Review Workshop for Gulf of Mexico Spanish 
Mackerel and Cobia will be held on March 25-26, 2013, from 8 a.m. to 5 
p.m. on both days. The established time may be adjusted as necessary to 
accommodate the timely completion of discussion relevant to the 
assessment process. Such adjustments may result in the meeting being 
extended from, or completed prior to the times established by this 
notice.

ADDRESSES: The Review Workshop will take place in the conference room 
of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's office at 2203 North 
Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa FL 33607. The workshop is open to 
members of the public. Those interested in participating should contact 
Ryan Rindone at SEDAR (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Please 
request meeting information at least 24 hours in advance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Rindone, SEDAR Coordinator, 2203 
N Lois Ave, Suite 1100, Tampa FL 33607; telephone: (813) 348-1630; 
email: [email protected]

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,

[[Page 14984]]

have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) 
process for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast 
Region. SEDAR is a three-step process including: (1) Data Workshop, (2) 
Assessment Process including a workshop and webinars, 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 Assessment 
Process 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 Summary 
documenting Panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of 
the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops 
are appointed by the Councils having jurisdiction over the stocks 
assessed, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management 
Division, and NOAA 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 (Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review) 28 addressed 
assessments of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Spanish mackerel and 
Cobia. During the stock assessment process, Assessment Workshop 
Panelists determined that assessments of the Gulf stocks of cobia and 
Spanish mackerel were not complete by the deadline for consideration at 
the SEDAR 28 Review Workshop. Therefore, the SEDAR Steering Committee 
modified the approach for these assessments and requested that the 
Center for Independent Experts (CIE) provide formal written reviews of 
these stocks conducted by 3 independent experts. The findings of the 3 
independent reviewers will be considered by a panel of Gulf Council SSC 
representatives, which will develop recommendations for consideration 
by the Gulf Council SSC. The Desk reviews for these species will be 
provided to the Gulf Council SSC Review Panel approximately one month 
prior to the workshop.

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Review Workshop for Spanish 
Mackerel and Cobia

    Panelists will review modeling methodologies and results for the 
Gulf of Mexico Spanish Mackerel and Cobia fisheries.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests 
for auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 10 business days prior to the 
meeting.

    Dated: March 5, 2013.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-05426 Filed 3-7-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P