[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12341-12342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5026]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA267


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.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a 
meeting of the Standing, Special Mackerel and Special Reef Fish 
Scientific and Statistical Committees.

DATES: The meeting will convene at 1 pm on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 and 
conclude by noon on Friday, March 25, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel, 
739 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130; telephone: (504) 962-0500.
    Council address: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 2203 N. 
Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, FL 33607.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician; Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; telephone: 
(813) 348-1630.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Standing and Special Mackerel SSC will 
meet jointly on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 to review the Council's 
preferred alternative for an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control 
rule, and then to review available biological information and recommend 
an overfishing limit (OFL) and ABC for Gulf group king mackerel, Gulf 
group Spanish mackerel and cobia based on the ABC control rule. The 
remainder of the meeting will be a joint meeting of the Standing and 
Special Reef Fish SSC. The Standing and Special Reef Fish SSC will 
review an update assessment for greater amberjack and recommend an OFL 
and ABC based on the assessment and the ABC control rule. The SSC will 
also reconsider its previous recommendation for an ABC for red grouper 
in light of new analyses that was reviewed by the SSC in January.
    The SSC will also recommend OFL and ABC for several data-poor 
stocks using the ABC control rule, including scamp, yellowedge grouper, 
yellowtail snapper, hogfish, golden tilefish, mid-water snapper complex 
(blackfin snapper, silk snapper, Queen snapper, and Wenchman), deep-
water grouper

[[Page 12342]]

complex (warsaw grouper, snowy grouper, misty grouper, and speckled 
hind), and will reconsider previous recommendations made using an 
earlier draft of the ABC control rule for lane snapper, tilefish 
complex (blueline tilefish, anchor tilefish, blackline tilefish, and 
goldface tilefish), and the amberjacks complex (Almaco jack, banded 
rudderfish, and lesser amberjack). The SSC will also review potential 
criteria for removal of selected species from the Reef Fish Fishery 
Management Plan. The above actions are to assist the Council in 
preparing a generic amendment to set annual catch limits and 
accountability measures for stocks under its management. The SSC will 
also review its previous comments on proposed revisions to the SEDAR 
stock assessment process and may submit those comments to the SEDAR 
Steering Committee. The SSC will also review and may recommend changes 
to the schedule of upcoming SEDAR stock assessments. Finally, the SSC 
will review proposed dates for scheduling SSC meetings for the 
remainder of 2011.
    Copies of the agenda and other related materials can be obtained by 
calling (813) 348-1630 or can be downloaded from the Council's ftp 
site, ftp.gulfcouncil.org.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come 
before the Scientific and Statistical Committees 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 Scientific and Statistical 
Committees 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

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Kathy Pereira at the Council (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: March 2, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-5026 Filed 3-4-11; 8:45 am]
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