2016-05800. SAW-SARC 62 Public Meeting

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

NMFS and the Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) will convene the 62nd SAW Stock Assessment Review Committee for the purpose of reviewing the stock assessments of Black Sea Bass and Witch Flounder. The Northeast Regional SAW is a formal scientific peer-review process for evaluating and presenting stock assessment results to managers for fish stocks in the offshore U.S. waters of the northwest Atlantic. Assessments are prepared by SAW working groups and reviewed by an independent panel of stock assessment experts called the Stock Assessment Review Committee, or SARC. The public is invited to attend the presentations and discussions between the review panel and the scientists who have participated in the stock assessment process.

DATES:

The public portion of the Stock Assessment Review Committee Meeting will be held from November 29, 2016-December 2, 2016. The meeting will commence on November 29, 2016 at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the daily meeting agenda.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held in the S.H. Clark Conference Room in the Aquarium Building of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sheena Steiner, 508-495-2177; email: [e-mail]; or, James Weinberg, 508-495-2352; email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

For further information, please visit the NEFSC Web site at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov. For additional information about the SARC meeting and the stock assessment review of Black Sea Bass and Witch Flounder, please visit the NMFS/NEFSC SAW Web page at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/​saw/​.

DAILY MEETING AGENDA—SAW/SARC 62 Benchmark Stock Assessment for Black Sea Bass and Witch Flounder (Subject to Change. All Times Are Approximate, and May Be Changed at the Discretion of the SARC Chair).

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

10 a.m.-10:30 a.m.	Welcome Introductions	James Weinberg, SAW Chair.
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	Black Sea Bass Assessment Presentation	Gary Shepherd.
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.	BSB Presentation (cont.)	Gary Shepherd.
3:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m.	Break
3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.	BSB SARC Discussion	SARC Chair.
5:45 p.m.-6 p.m.	Public Comment Period

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.	Witch Flounder (WF) Assessment Presentation	Susan Wigley.
10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	WF Presentation (cont.)	Susan Wigley.
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.	WF SARC Discussion	SARC Chair.
3:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m.	Public Comment Period
3:45 p.m.-4 p.m.	Break
4 p.m.-6 p.m.	BSB SARC Discussion	SARC Chair.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.	Revisit WF with Presenters	SARC Chair.
10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.	Review/Edit BSB Assessment Summary Report	SARC Chair.
12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m.	Lunch
1:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.	BSB Assessment Summary (cont.)	SARC Chair.
2:45 p.m.-3 p.m.	Break
3 p.m.-6 p.m.	Review/Edit WF Assessment Summary Report	SARC Chair.

Friday, December 2, 2016

9 a.m.-5 p.m.	SARC Report Writing	SARC Chair.

The meeting is open to the public; however, during the `SARC Report Writing' sessions on December 1 and 2, the public should not engage in discussion with the SARC.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Special requests should be directed to Sheena Steiner at the NEFSC, 508-495-2177, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: March 10, 2016.

Emily H. Menashes,

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