E8-25906. Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeastern Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Atlantic red drum; Public Meeting

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice of SEDAR Workshops for Atlantic red drum.

SUMMARY:

The SEDAR assessments of the Atlantic stock of red drum will consist of a series of three workshops: a Data Workshop, an Assessment Workshop, and a Review Workshop. This is the eighteenth SEDAR. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES:

The Data Workshop will take place February 9-13, 2009; the Assessment Workshop will take place June 1-5, 2009; the Review Workshop will take place August 24-28, 2009. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES:

The Data Workshop will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Boulevard, North Charleston, SC 29418; telephone: [phone] or [phone]. The Assessment Workshop will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Boulevard, North Charleston, SC 29418; telephone: [phone] or [phone]. The Review Workshop will be held at the Doubletree Buckhead, Atlanta, 3342 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30326; telephone: [phone] or [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dale Theiling, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: [phone].

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 includes three workshops: (1) Data Workshop, (2) Stock Assessment Workshop and (3) Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a data report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Stock Assessment Workshop is a stock assessment report which 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 Peer Review Evaluation Report 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; the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions; and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO's; International experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.

SEDAR 18 Workshop Schedule:

February 9-13, 2009; SEDAR 18 Data Workshop

February 9, 2009: 1 p.m.- 8 p.m.; February 10-12, 2009: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; February 13, 2009: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

An assessment data set and associated documentation will be developed during the Data Workshop. Participants will evaluate all available data and select appropriate sources for providing information on life history characteristics, catch statistics, discard estimates, length and age composition, and fishery dependent and fishery independent measures of stock abundance.

June 1-5, 2009; SEDAR 18 Assessment Workshop

June 1, 2009: 1 p.m. - 8 p.m.; June 2-4, 2009: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; June 5, 2009: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Using datasets provided by the Data Workshop, participants will develop population models to evaluate stock status, estimate population benchmarks and Sustainable Fisheries Act criteria, and project future conditions. Participants will recommend the most appropriate methods and configurations for determining stock status and estimating population parameters. Participants will prepare a workshop report, compare and contrast various assessment approaches, and determine whether the assessments are adequate for submission to the review panel.

August 24-28, 2009; SEDAR 18 Review Workshop

August 24, 2009: 1 p.m. - 8 p.m.; August 25-27, 2009: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; August 28, 2009: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The Review Workshop is an independent peer review of the assessment developed during the Data and Assessment Workshops. Workshop Panelists will review the assessment and document their comments and recommendations in a Peer Review Evaluation Report.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before these groups for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions 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 Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 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 each workshop.

Dated: October 27, 2008.

Tracey L. Thompson

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