2023-06512. 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.

SUMMARY:

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a two-day in-person meeting of its Ecosystem Technical Committee (ETC).

DATES:

The meeting will be held Wednesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT, daily.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will take place at the Gulf Council office. Registration information will be available on the Council's website by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org and clicking on the “meeting tab”.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 4107 W Spruce Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33607; telephone: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Natasha Mendez, Fishery Biologist, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; [e-mail], telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Wednesday, April 19, 2023; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., EDT

The meeting will begin with Introductions and Adoption of Agenda, Approval of Minutes and Meeting Summary from the December 2021 meeting and a review of the Scope of Work. The ETC will receive a status update on Gulf Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP), including background material and direction from the Council.

Following, the ETC will hold discussions on the next steps to Operationalize the Gulf FEP; its Goals and Objectives and Mission Statement, a discussion on how to integrate Fishery Ecosystem Issues (FEIs) into the Gulf FEP Process, FEI Loop with Red Tide as an Example, and provide recommendations on Draft Updates to the FEI Loop. The ETC will discuss Potential FEIs for the Gulf FEP and Prioritization Metrics. The Committee will receive public comment at the end of the day.

Thursday, April 20, 2023; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., EDT

The Committee will review and discuss the ranking and selection of Top Four FEIs and continue discussion on Next Steps for FEIs in the Gulf FEP or Management Process.

The Committee will receive a stakeholder engagement update from the Outreach & Education Technical Committee recommendations, discuss updating the 2017 Ecosystem Status Report for the Gulf of Mexico, and any items under Other Business.

—Meeting Adjourns

The meeting will also be broadcast via webinar. You may register for the webinar by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org and clicking on the Technical 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 Committee 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 Committee will be restricted to those 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, [phone], at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Authority:16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: March 24, 2023.

Rey Israel Marquez,

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