[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78402-78403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30281]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD662


Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; Southeast 
Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of SEDAR 39 assessment webinars for HMS Smoothhound 
Sharks.

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SUMMARY: The SEDAR 39 assessment of HMS Smoothhound Sharks will consist 
of a series of webinars. This notice is for a webinar associated with 
the Assessment portion of the SEDAR process. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

DATES: The assessment webinar for SEDAR 39 will be held on Friday, 
January 16, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., central time.

ADDRESSES:
    Meeting address: The meeting will be held via webinar. The webinar 
is open to the public. Those interested in participating should contact 
Julie A. Neer at SEDAR (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT below) to 
request an invitation providing webinar access information. Please 
request webinar invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each 
webinar.
    SEDAR address: 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 
29405.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie A. Neer, SEDAR Coordinator; 
phone: (843) 571-4366; 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, 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 is a multi-step process 
including: (1) Data

[[Page 78403]]

Workshop; and (2) a series of assessment webinars; and (3) Review 
Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a report which compiles 
and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are 
appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Assessment 
Webinar Process is a report which compiles and evaluates potential 
datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment 
analyses; and 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 Gulf 
of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils 
and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, Highly Migratory Species 
Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. 
Participants include: data collectors and database managers; stock 
assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency 
representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs); international experts; and staff of 
Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.
    The items of discussion in the Assessment Process webinars are as 
follows:
    1. Using datasets and initial assessment analysis recommended from 
the Data Workshop, panelists will employ assessment models to evaluate 
stock status, estimate population benchmarks and management criteria, 
and project future conditions.
    2. Panelists will recommend the most appropriate methods and 
configurations for determining stock status and estimating population 
parameters.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. 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 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 Council office (see ADDRESSES) 
at least 10 business days prior to the meeting.

    Note:  The times and sequence specified in this agenda are 
subject to change.


    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: December 22, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-30281 Filed 12-29-14; 8:45 am]
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