[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 9727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04571]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG069


Surveys of Marine Recreational Fishing Effort on the U.S. 
Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico; Marine Recreational 
Information Program (MRIP); Center for Independent Experts; 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: The Access-Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS), which 
collects information on angler catch from Maine to Louisiana, was 
redesigned prior to implementation in 2013. A conversion factor is 
needed to account for any consistent effects of the redesign on catch 
rate estimates produced by the APAIS. NMFS is convening a peer review 
of a statistical approach proposed for the conversion by the Marine 
Recreational Information Program (MRIP). Applying the conversion factor 
to APAIS estimates produced prior to 2013 will provide revised 
historical catch statistics that are comparable to those produced by 
the new APAIS. The revised estimates will be used in fisheries science 
and management.
    The peer review includes reviewers appointed by the Center for 
Independent Experts (CIE), as well as reviewers recommended by the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), and the New 
England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico Regional 
Fishery Management Councils. This notice lists the time and place of 
the Peer Review Workshop.

DATES: The Workshop will be held from 9 a.m. on March 20, 2018, until 
12 p.m. on March 22, 2018.

ADDRESSES: The Workshop will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, 8777 
Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone: 301/589-0800.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. David Van Voorhees, Chief of 
Fisheries Statistics Division of NMFS Office of Science and Technology; 
phone 301/427-8189; FAX 301/427-4520; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  On the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, APAIS is 
conducted at public marine fishing access points (boat ramps, marinas, 
piers, beaches, jetties, and bridges) to collect representative data on 
individual angler fishing trips. The catch data collected include: 
Species identification, total number of each species caught, length and 
weight measurements of individual fish, as well as the numbers and 
disposition of fish caught. Catch data are combined with information 
from MRIP effort surveys to produce an estimate of total recreational 
catch. This estimate is then combined with other sources of information 
to assess the health of U.S. fish stocks, set catch limits, and inform 
the regulatory process.
    The Peer Review Workshop will provide an assessment of the 
statistical approach developed by MRIP for this purpose. The product of 
the Workshop will be a summary report documenting panel opinions 
regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed conversion 
approach. The panel of reviewers will include individuals selected by 
the Center for Independent Experts (CIE) as well as individuals 
selected by the Regional Fishery Management Councils and ASMFC. The 
panel will be chaired by an individual also selected by the Councils 
and ASMFC. The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will 
be posted at http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov. The workshop will also be 
accessible by webinar in listen-only mode. Requests for webinar access 
should be directed to NMFS (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) three 
days prior to the workshop.

Special Accommodations

    This workshop will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to NMFS 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) three (3) days prior to the 
meeting.

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


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

    Dated: March 1, 2018.
Edward C. Cyr,
Director, Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-04571 Filed 3-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P