[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 250 (Thursday, December 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95965-95966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31087]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

RIN 0648-XE477


SAW-SARC 63 Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS and the Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop 
(SAW) will convene the 63rd SAW Stock Assessment Review Committee for 
the purpose of reviewing the stock assessment of Ocean Quahog. The 
Northeast Regional SAW is a formal scientific peer-review process for 
evaluating and presenting stock assessment results to managers for fish 
stocks in the offshore U.S. waters of the northwest Atlantic. 
Assessments are prepared by SAW working groups and reviewed by an 
independent panel of stock assessment experts called the Stock 
Assessment Review Committee, or SARC. The public is invited to attend 
the presentations and discussions between the review panel and the 
scientists who have participated in the stock assessment process.

DATES: The public portion of the Stock Assessment Review Committee 
Meeting will be held from February 21, 2017-February 23, 2017. The 
meeting will commence on February 21, 2017 at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard 
Time. Please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the daily meeting 
agenda.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the S.H. Clark Conference Room 
in the Aquarium Building of the National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), 166 Water Street, Woods 
Hole, MA 02543. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheena Steiner, 508-
495-2177; email: [email protected]; or, James Weinberg, 508-495-
2352; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For further information, please visit the 
NEFSC Web site at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov. For additional information 
about the SARC meeting and the stock assessment review of Ocean Quahog, 
please visit the NMFS/NEFSC SAW Web page at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/saw/.

                  Daily Meeting Agenda--SAW/SARC 63 Benchmark Stock Assessment for Ocean Quahog
      [Subject to change; all times are approximate and may be changed at the discretion of the SARC Chair]
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Tuesday, February 21, 2017:
    10 a.m.-10:30 a.m..................  Welcome Introductions.....  James Weinberg, SAW Chair.
    10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...............  Ocean Quahog (OQ)           Dan Hennen.
                                          Assessment Presentation.
    12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m................  Lunch.
    1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.................  OQ Presentation (cont.)...  Dan Hennen.
    3:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m.................  Break.
    3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.................  OQ SARC Discussion........  Ed Houde, SARC Chair.
    5:45 p.m.-6 p.m....................  Public Comment Period.....
Wednesday, February 22, 2017:
    9:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m................  Revisit with OQ presenters  Ed Houde.
    10:45 a.m.-11:00 a.m...............  Break.
    11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m...............  OQ presentation (cont.)...  Ed Houde.
    11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m...............  Public Comment.
    12:00-1:15 p.m.....................  Lunch.
    1:15-4:00 p.m......................  Review/Edit Assessment      Ed Houde.
                                          Summary Report.
    4:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m.................  Break.
    4:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m.................  SARC Report Writing.
Thursday, February 23, 2017:
    9 a.m.-5 p.m.......................  SARC Report Writing.
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[[Page 95966]]

    The meeting is open to the public; however, during the ``SARC 
Report Writing'' sessions on February 22nd and 23rd, the public should 
not engage in discussion with the SARC.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Special requests should be directed to Sheena Steiner at the NEFSC, 
508-495-2177, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: December 20, 2016.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-31087 Filed 12-28-16; 8:45 am]
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