[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 147 (Monday, August 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38404-38405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18403]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XQ68


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 ABC Control Rule Workgroup.

DATES: The meeting will convene at 1 p.m. on Monday, August 17, 2009 
and conclude by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Quorum, 700 N. Westshore 
Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609, telephone: (813) 289-8200.
    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 ABC Control Rule Workgroup will meet to 
begin the process of developing a structured decision making framework 
to assist in assessing scientific uncertainty, the probability of 
overfishing, and acceptable levels of risk when setting acceptable 
biological catch (ABC). The working group includes Council members, 
Council staff, NOAA staff, and members of the Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC). Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006, the SSC is 
charged with setting ABC levels for managed stocks that account for 
scientific uncertainty in the estimate of the overfishing limit (OFL) 
and any other scientific uncertainty. Determining an acceptable level 
of risk of overfishing when setting ABC is a policy issue that requires 
input from both scientists and managers. The meeting will include 
discussions on the Magnuson-Stevens Act National Standard 1 guidelines, 
sources of scientific uncertainty, approaches to developing control 
rules for setting ABC including decision trees and analytical methods, 
and scheduling of future actions by the working group.
    Copies of the agenda and other related materials can be obtained by 
calling (813) 348-1630.
    Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come 
before the ABC Control Rule Workgroup 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 ABC Control Rule Workgroup 
will be

[[Page 38405]]

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 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 Tina O'Hern at the Council (see ADDRESSES) at 
least 5 working days prior to the meeting.

    Dated: July 29, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-18403 Filed 7-31-09; 8:45 am]
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