[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 49 (Thursday, March 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11844-11845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6386]
[[Page 11844]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[ID. 020497A]
Peer Review Panels; Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Research
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine
Fisheries Service, is accepting nominations from academic institutions,
state fishery management agencies, the fishing industry, other
interested non-governmental organizations, and the public for
membership on three peer review panels. The panels are being convened
under section 407(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Act), to review the basis for management of the red
snapper stock in the Gulf of Mexico.
Three panels of independent experts will be established to conduct
various parts of the review as required by the Act. The Statistics
Review Panel will review the accuracy, precision and adequacy of the
commercial, recreational and charter boat red snapper catch and effort
statistics. The Economics Review Panel will review the costs and
benefits analyses conducted in preparation of Amendment 8 to the Reef
Fish Fishery Management Plan; this will include a review of all
reasonable alternatives to an individual fishing quota program for the
red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. The Science and Management
Review Group will review the scientific and management basis for
managing the red snapper stock in the Gulf of Mexico. The Science and
Management Review Panel will be charged with evaluating the existing
scientific information and management measures for red snapper in the
Gulf of Mexico in toto, and will include the results from the
statistics and economic reviews. In addition, this panel will review
the results from the 1995 assessment and the independent assessments
currently being conducted, the appropriateness of the scientific
methods, information, and models used to assess the status and trends
of the red snapper stock, and the appropriateness and adequacy of the
management measures in the fishery management plan for red snapper for
conserving and managing the fishery. Each reviewer will prepare a
report of his/her findings and recommendations.
DATES: Nominations must be received by close of business on March 28,
1997.
ADDRESSES: Nominations along with a listing of background, experience
and credentials are to be submitted to the Director, Office of Science
and Technology, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Director, Office of Science and
Technology, at (301) 713-2367.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Act requires the Secretary of Commerce
(Secretary) to conduct a thorough and independent evaluation of the
scientific and management basis for conserving and managing the red
snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically section 407(a) of
the Act requires the Secretary to, ``initiate an independent peer
review to evaluate: (A) the accuracy and adequacy of fishery statistics
used by the Secretary for the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico
to account for all commercial, recreational, and charter fishing
harvests and fishing effort on the stock; (B) the appropriateness of
the scientific methods, information, and models used by the Secretary
to assess the status and trends of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock
and as the basis for the fishery management plan for the Gulf of Mexico
red snapper fishery; (C) the appropriateness and adequacy of the
management measures in the fishery management plan for red snapper in
the Gulf of Mexico for conserving and managing the red snapper fishery
under this Act; and (D) the costs and benefits of all reasonable
alternatives to an individual fishing quota program for the red snapper
fishery in the Gulf of Mexico.''
Any person or organization may submit nominations for any of the
panels. When submitting nominations, include the submitting person or
organization's name and affiliation along with a detailed listing of
each nominee's background, experience and credentials. Nominees for any
of the review panels must have outstanding scientific or management
credentials relevant to the charge to the panel. Nominees may be made
from international as well as national scientific bodies, fishery
management organizations, academia or similar organizations. Members
will be selected by a panel of senior NMFS scientists in consultation
with appropriate interested parties.
To avoid conflicts of interest, nominees who have been directly
involved in the collection, evaluation and interpretation of
information used in the management of the red snapper or shrimp fishery
in the Gulf of Mexico or in the management of red the snapper in the
Gulf of Mexico during the last 4 years, who may gain financially from
the outcome of this review, or whose immediate family, organization or
company may gain financially from the outcome of these reviews will not
be accepted.
Each review panel will meet one or two times. At least one of these
meetings will be for the presentation of information to the panel by
scientists, fishery managers, and fishing industry representatives; a
second meeting may be necessary to review results of additional
analyses, or to discuss findings and recommendations. In addition, the
reviewers may caucus by conference call to discuss review plans or the
result of particular analyses. Each panel will have five or six
members. A NMFS scientist will serve as a facilitator/coordinator for
the panels.
Format of the Reviews
The reviews will require that each panel meets for 5 days. The
first 2 days of the reviews will involve scientists from NMFS, fishery
management agencies, academia and the fishing industry that have been
involved in research or management of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico
or as part of the fishing industry. The final 3 days of the review will
be reserved for panel deliberations and preliminary report writing.
Following the panel meeting, the panel will work by correspondence. A
final report will be prepared by each of the reviewers and submitted to
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology. Additional
meetings may be necessary to discuss issues arising during preparation
of the panel report.
Statistics Review
The Statistics Review Panel will consider the accuracy and adequacy
of fishery statistics for the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico
to account for all commercial, recreational, and charter fishing
harvests and fishing effort on the stock. In addition, the Statistics
Review Panel will consider the collection of information on bycatch in
the shrimp trawl fishery in the Gulf of Mexico and the estimation of
total bycatch for the shrimp fishery. The Statistics Review Panel will
consider the current data collection programs conducted by NMFS and
states which are used in the assessment process including the
cooperative commercial fisheries statistics program, the Marine
Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey, the headboat sampling program,
the observer program which collects
[[Page 11845]]
bycatch information for the shrimp fishery, fishery independent surveys
and appropriate state sampling programs such as those conducted by
Texas Parks and Wildlife. The goal of this review is to examine the
fishery information collection programs in the Gulf of Mexico which
provide the scientific data for managing the fishery, setting
regulations, determining allocations and conducting stock assessments.
The report from this review will be part of the information to be
considered during the Science and Management Review.
Economics Review
The Economics Review Panel will consider the data which are
available to conduct economic inquiries and will review and evaluate
the economic analyses which are currently available and which
contribute to the understanding of the economic ramifications of
alternative management strategies for red snapper. The goal of this
review is to examine the analyses conducted in support of establishing
and individual transferable quota system for the red snapper fishery
and determine whether the analyses were sufficient and whether
additional analyses of other alternatives are called for.
Science and Management Review
The Science and Management Review Panel will consider all aspects
of the scientific and management basis for managing the red snapper
stock in the Gulf of Mexico. The review will consider the
appropriateness of the scientific methods, information, and models used
to assess the status and trends of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock
and their usefulness as the basis for the fishery management plan for
the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery, and the appropriateness and
adequacy of the management measures in the fishery management plan for
red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico for conserving and managing the red
snapper fishery under the Act. The goal of this review is to examine
the available scientific data relating to the status of U.S. Gulf of
Mexico red snapper and determine the best scientific advice to be
derived from it and to determine whether the preferred management
options are supported by the scientific advice.
Dated: March 7, 1997.
Charles Karnella,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-6386 Filed 3-12-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
