[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50330-50331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19487]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB397]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a four-day in-person and virtual (hybrid) meeting of its Standing, 
Reef Fish, Socioeconomic, and Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical 
Committees (SSC).

DATES: The meeting will take place Monday, September 27 to Thursday, 
September 30, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EDT daily.

ADDRESSES: The in-person meeting will take place at the Gulf Council 
office. If you are unable to travel, you may attend via webinar. 
Registration information will be available on the Council's website by 
visiting www.gulfcouncil.org and clicking on the SSC meeting on the 
calendar.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 4107 W 
Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone: (813) 348-1630.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ryan Rindone, Lead Fishery 
Biologist, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; 
[email protected], telephone: (813) 348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Monday, September 27, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., EDT

    The meeting will begin with Introductions and Adoption of Agenda, 
Approval of Verbatim Minutes and Meeting Summary from the August 9-11, 
2021 webinar meeting, and review of Scope of Work. The Committees will 
select an SSC Representative for the October 25-28, 2021 Gulf Council 
Meeting, and then briefly discuss the Final Draft of the Scientific and 
Statistic Committee's Best Practices and Voting Procedures. Next, the 
Committees will review and discuss a Decision Tree for Making Informed 
Decisions on Parameters for Yield Projections, along with an Evaluation 
of a Novel Projection Method to Streamline Allocation-informed Yields.
    The Committees will review and discuss SEDAR 70: Gulf of Mexico 
Greater Amberjack Stock Assessment, including presentations, discussion 
of Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) proxies, and projections using the 
updated method. The Committees will then review and discuss the Terms 
of Reference for Gulf of Mexico Migratory Group Spanish Mackerel 
Operational Assessment, followed by the Scope of Work for Gulf of 
Mexico Migratory Group Cobia Operational Assessment.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., EDT

    The Committees will review a presentation and supporting 
documentation for Red Tide Ecosystem Modeling. Next, the Committees 
will review and discuss SEDAR 72: Gulf of Mexico Gag Stock Assessment 
Report, including presentations on the data, analyses, and projections 
used in the assessment. The Committees will then review a presentation 
on Using Field Experiments to Assess Alternative Mechanisms for 
Distributing Fish to the Recreational Sector.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., EDT

    The Committees will spend the day reviewing the LGL Ecological 
Associates absolute abundance study of Red Snapper off Louisiana, 
beginning with the Introduction: Estimating Absolute Abundance of Red 
Snapper off Louisiana. The Committees will review presentations on 
Study Area and Habitats, Habitat Areas and Discrete Structures, and 
Sampling Sites. Next, the Committees will review Field Surveys and 
Sample Processing, with presentations on: Hydroacoustic Field Surveys 
and Initial Data Processing; Hydroacoustic Data Processing Methods; and 
Other Survey Methods, including Camera Surveys, Hook and Line Surveys, 
Mark/Recapture Surveys, and Age Determinations. The Committees will 
then review Statistical Analyses and Modeling, with presentations on 
Mean Site Abundance of Red Snapper, Modeled Abundance of Red Snapper, 
Mark/Recapture Population Estimates, and Growth and Condition. The 
Committees will then review the project Results, with presentations on 
Mean Site Abundance Results; Modeled Site Abundance; and Age, Growth, 
and Condition. Finally, the Committees will have Discussion, with 
presentations on Overall Abundance, Impact on Stock Status, and Summary 
and Conclusions.

Thursday, September 30, 2021; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., EDT

    The Committees will review the Finalized Great Red Snapper Count 
Report, including a presentation on the Response to Reviewer Comments 
and Final Project Outcomes. Next the Committees will receive a 
presentation on the Essential Fish Habitat Consultation Process, 
followed by reviews of the SEDAR Schedule and the Council's Interim 
Analysis Schedule. The Committees will then review the Standardized 
Bycatch Reporting Methodology. Lastly, the Committees will receive 
public comment before addressing any items under Other Business.

--Meeting Adjourns

    The meeting will be also be broadcast via webinar. You may register 
for the webinar by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org and clicking on the SSC 
meeting on the calendar.
    The Agenda is subject to change, and the latest version along with 
other meeting materials will be posted on www.gulfcouncil.org as they 
become available.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come 
before the Scientific and Statistical Committees for discussion, in 
accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action 
during this meeting. Actions of the Scientific and Statistical 
Committee will be restricted to those

[[Page 50331]]

issues specifically identified in the agenda 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 Council's 
intent to take-action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aid should be directed to Kathy Pereira, (813) 348-1630, at 
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 3, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-19487 Filed 9-7-21; 8:45 am]
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