E9-18744. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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 convene the SEDAR Red Snapper Update Workshop (SEDAR).

DATES:

The meeting will convene at 1 p.m. on Monday, August 24, 2009 and conclude no later than 1 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2009.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the NMFS, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149.

Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Steven Atran, Population Dynamic Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene the SEDAR Red Snapper Update Workshop (SEDAR) to conduct an update assessment of the SEDAR 7 red snapper benchmark stock assessment. An update assessment is a single workshop that utilizes the assessment models and input parameters from the previous full SEDAR benchmark assessment, with minor modifications if any, and updated data streams to update the results of the previous full assessment. The previous SEDAR 7 red snapper benchmark assessment was completed in 2004 with supplemental analyses in 2005. That assessment concluded that, as of 2003 (the final year of available catch data), the red snapper stock was overfished and was undergoing overfishing. In addition to updating the data streams previously used, the update assessment workshop will include a discussion on age distribution, growth and density dependent mortality of juvenile red snapper, and composition and changes of red snapper in shrimp trawl bycatch. The workshop will also include a review of the data inputs with respect to life history, indices of abundance, commercial and recreational fisheries statistics, and fishery independent data.

A copy of the agenda and related materials can be obtained by calling the Council office at [phone].

Although other non-emergency issues not on the agendas may come before the SEDAR 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 this meeting. Actions of the SEDAR 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.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Tina O'Hern at the Council (see ADDRESSES) 5 working days prior to the meeting.

Dated: July 31, 2009.

Tracey L. Thompson,

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