2021-19949. Management Track Assessment for Georges Bank Atlantic Cod and Gulf of Maine Atlantic Cod

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

NMFS and the Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP) will convene the Management Track Assessment Peer Review Meeting for the purpose of reviewing both Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine Atlantic cod stocks. The Management Track Assessment Peer Review 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 the lead stock assessment analyst and reviewed by an independent panel of stock assessment experts called the AOP. 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 Management Track Assessment Peer Review Meeting will be held from September 13, 2021—September 15, 2021. The meeting will conclude on September 15, 2021 at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Please see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the daily meeting agenda.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held via Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/​bqy-awcd-kqv).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michele Traver, phone: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

For further information, please visit the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/​new-england-mid-atlantic/​population-assessments/​fishery-stock-assessments-new-england-and-mid-atlantic. For additional information about the AOP meeting and the stock assessment peer review, please visit the NMFS/NEFSC web page at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/​new-england-mid-atlantic/​population-assessments/​management-track-stock-assessments.

Daily Meeting Agenda—Management Track Peer Review Meeting

The agenda is subject to change; all times are approximate and may be changed at the discretion of the Peer Review Chair.

Monday, September 13, 2021

Time	Activity	Lead
10 a.m.-9:15 a.m	Welcome/Logistics/Introductions/Process	Russ Brown/Michele Traver.
10:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m	Background/AOP Review	Russ Brown.
10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m	Gulf of Maine Cod	Charles Perretti.
11:45 a.m. -12:15 p.m	Discussion/Review/Summary	Review Panel.
12:15 p.m.-12:30 p.m	Public Comment	Public.
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m	Lunch
1:30 p.m.-3 p.m	Gulf of Maine Cod cont.	Charles Perretti.
3 p.m.-3:15 p.m	Break
3:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m	Gulf of Maine Cod cont.	Charles Perretti.
3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m	Discussion/Review/Summary	Review Panel.
4:15 p.m.-4:30 p.m	Public Comment	Public.
4:30 p.m	Adjourn

Tuesday September 14, 2021

Time	Activity	Lead
9 a.m.-9:15 a.m	Brief Overview and Logistics	Michele Traver/Richard Merrick (Chair).
9:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m	Georges Bank Cod	Kathy Sosebee.
10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m	Break
10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m	Georges Bank Cod cont.	Kathy Sosebee.
11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m	Discussion/Review/Summary	Review Panel.
12:15 p.m.-12:30 p.m	Public Comment	Public.
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m	Lunch
1:30 p.m.-2 p.m	Key Points/Wrap Up	Review Panel.
2 p.m.-4:30 p.m	Report Writing	Review Panel.
4:30 p.m	Adjourn

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Time	Activity	Lead
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m	Report Writing	Review Panel.
4:30 p.m	Adjourn

The meeting is open to the public; however, during the `Report Writing' session on Tuesday, September 14th, and Wednesday, September 15th, the public should not engage in discussion with the Peer Review Panel.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Special requests should be directed to Michele Traver, via email.

Dated: September 10, 2021.

Jennifer M. Wallace,

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