[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9931-9932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3849]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 030107D]


Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 
Southeastern Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Gulf of Mexico gag 
grouper; South Atlantic gag grouper; Gulf of Mexico red grouper; Public 
Meetings.

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

ACTION: Notice of SEDAR Workshops for Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic 
gag grouper and Gulf of Mexico red grouper.

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SUMMARY: The SEDAR assessments of the Gulf of Mexico stock of gag 
grouper, the South Atlantic stock of gag grouper, and the Gulf of 
Mexico stock of red grouper will receive additional scientific scrutiny 
through a supplemental SEDAR Review Workshop and Evaluation Workshop.

DATES: The Evaluation Workshop will take place March 19 - 22, 2007. The 
Review Workshop will take place May 8 - 10, 2007. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The Evaluation Workshop will be held at the Southeast 
Fisheries Science Center, Miami Laboratory, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, 
Miami, FL 33149. The Review Workshop will be held in the Tampa, FL area 
at a location to be provided in a later notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Carmichael, SEDAR Coordinator, 
4055 Faber Place, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; telephone: 
(843) 571-4366.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and 
Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA 
Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions 
have implemented the SEDAR process, a multi-step method for determining 
the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR assessments 
are developed through an open workshop process that involves a variety 
of participants. Participants for SEDAR Workshops, appointed by the 
regional Fishery Management Councils, the Southeast Regional Office 
(SERO), and the Southeast Fishery Science Center (SEFSC), include data 
collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, 
biologists, and researchers;

[[Page 9932]]

constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, 
and non-governmental organization (NGO's); International experts; and 
staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and Federal agencies.
    Assessments of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic stocks of gag 
grouper were developed through SEDAR 10, completed in July 2006. The 
assessment of Gulf of Mexico red grouper was developed through SEDAR 
12, completed in February 2007. It is acknowledged that methods of 
assessing Southeastern fish stocks and addressing issues within 
available datasets improve with each SEDAR assessment, and recent 
assessment updates have allowed incorporation of such changes. There 
are similarities in the data sources used to develop SEDAR 10 and 12 
assessments, potential similarities in basic species biology, and 
considerable overlap in fisheries that harvest these species within the 
respective Council areas of jurisdiction. Therefore, the Steering 
Committee has determined that a special review of these recent grouper 
assessments is required to ensure that uncertainties are treated 
appropriately and that any potential differences in methods or data 
treatments are thoroughly justified.
    This special inquiry will be prepared through 2 SEDAR workshops: an 
evaluation workshop and review workshop. The evaluation workshop will 
consist of SEFSC and Council appointees familiar with the assessments 
and the fisheries which will be convened to review the assessments and 
possibly recommend additional sensitivity analyses. The Review Workshop 
will consist of an SEFSC appointed Chair, two independent reviewers 
appointed through the Center for Independent Experts (CIE), and up to 
two additional representatives appointed by the Gulf and South Atlantic 
Councils. The product of the Evaluation Workshop will be a report 
addressing key assessment uncertainties and recommending potential 
additional assessment analyses for consideration by the Review panel. 
The product of the Review Panel will be an independent evaluation of 
the recommendations and conclusions of the Evaluation Panel and any 
subsequent assessment analyses.

SEDAR Grouper Review Schedule:

March 19 - 22, 2007: Grouper Evaluation Workshop

March 19, 2007: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.; March 20 - 21, 2007: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; 
March 22, 2007: 8 a.m. - 12 noon.

    An appointed panel will review the SEDAR 10 assessments of Gulf of 
Mexico and South Atlantic gag grouper and the SEDAR 12 assessment of 
Gulf of Mexico red grouper. Participants will evaluate key data and 
methodological decisions and the justifications of those decisions as 
provided in the SEDAR 10 and 12 assessment reports. The panel will 
prepare a written report addressing Terms of Reference approved by the 
SEDAR Steering Committee.

May 8 - 10, 2007: SEDAR Grouper Review Workshop

May 8, 2007: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.; May 9, 2007: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; May 10, 
2007: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

    The Review Workshop is an independent peer review of the 
recommendations of the Evaluation Panel and any subsequent analyses 
recommended by the Evaluation Panel. Workshop Panelists will review the 
SEDAR 10 and 12 assessments and the findings of the Evaluation Panel 
and document their comments and recommendations in a Consensus Summary 
Report.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office (see ADDRESSES) 
at least 10 business days prior to each workshop.

    Dated: March 1, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-3849 Filed 3-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S