02-1897. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a public meeting of the Socioeconomic Panel (SEP).

DATES:

A meeting of the SEP will be held beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 7, 2002, and will conclude at 4 p.m. on Friday, February 8, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Tampa Airport Hilton Hotel, 2225 Lois Avenue, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Antonio B. Lamberte, Economist, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The SEP will meet to review a regulatory amendment on rebuilding the red grouper stock and to review a study of the charter and party boat fishing industry of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The SEP will also discuss bioeconomic modeling as an approach to future economic assessments.

A report will be prepared by the SEP containing their conclusions and recommendations. This report will be presented for review to the Council's Reef Fish Advisory Panel and Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee at meetings to be held on the week of February 25th, 2002. Also, the SEP report will be presented to the Council at its meeting on the week of March 11th, 2002 in Mobile, AL.

Composing the SEP membership are economists, sociologists, and anthropologists from various universities and state fishery agencies throughout the Gulf. They advise the Council on the social and economic implications of certain fishery management measures.

A copy of the agenda can be obtained by calling 813-228-2815.

Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come before the SEP for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions of the SEP will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agendas and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address the emergency.

The meeting is open to the public and is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office by January 31, 2002.

Dated: January 22, 2002.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.