[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48605-48606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23223]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 082699D]
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will
[[Page 48606]]
convene a public meeting of the Reef Fish Stock Assessment Panel
(RFSAP).
DATES: This meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 20,
and conclude by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 24, 1999.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science
Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL.
Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018
U.S. Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Atran, Population Dynamics
Statistician; telephone: 813-228-2815.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RFSAP will convene to review stock
assessments on the status of the red snapper stock and the red grouper
stock in the Gulf of Mexico prepared by NMFS. The RFSAP will also
evaluate new information on gag biology that had been presented to the
Council during its development of the revised Regulatory Amendment to
Set 1999 Gag/Black Grouper Management Measures. This new information
includes reports prepared by Dr. Chris Koenig (Florida State
University, Dr. Robert Chapman (South Carolina Department of Natural
Resources) and other academic and state scientists, plus an evaluation
and response to the analyses prepared for Southeastern Fisheries
Association by Dr. Trevor Kenchington (Gadus Associates) and other
independent scientists retained by Dr. Kenchington.
Based on its review of the red snapper and red grouper stock
assessments, the RFSAP may recommend a range of allowable biological
catch (ABC) for 2000, and may recommend management measures to achieve
the ABC. In addition, the RFSAP will review the adequacy of recent
biological information presented to the Council on gag that was used by
the Council in its recent management decisions.
The RFSAP is composed of biologists who are trained in the
specialized field of population dynamics. They advise the Council on
the status of stocks and, when necessary, recommend a level of ABC
needed to prevent overfishing or to effect a recovery of an overfished
stock. They may also recommend catch restrictions needed to attain
management goals.
The conclusions of the RFSAP will be reviewed by the Council's
Standing and Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committee
(SSC), Red Snapper Advisory Panel (RSAP), and Reef Fish Advisory Panel
(RFAP) at meetings to be held in late October, 1999. Red grouper is a
component of the shallow-water grouper complex (which consists of red
grouper, gag, yellowfin grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowmouth
grouper, rock hind, and red hind). The Council may set a year 2000
total allowable catch (TAC) for the red grouper component of the
shallow-water grouper complex and red snapper. The Council may also
consider other management measures at its meeting in Lake Buena Vista,
FL on November 8-11, 1999.
Although other issues not on the agenda may come before the Panel
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. Action will be restricted to those
issues specifically identified in the agenda listed as available by
this notice.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Anne Alford at the Council (see ADDRESSES) by
September 13, 1999.
Dated: August 31, 1999.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-23223 Filed 9-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
