[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30779-30780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13222]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XW62


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Stock 
Assessment of Eastern Bering Sea Pollock; Peer Review 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:  NMFS has requested the Center for Independent Experts (CIE) 
to conduct a peer review of the agency's stock assessment of Eastern 
Bering Sea walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma). The CIE, operated 
by Northern Taiga Ventures, Inc., provides independent peer reviews of 
NMFS's fisheries stock assessments. The Eastern Bering Sea pollock 
stock assessment is reviewed annually by the Alaska Fisheries Science 
Center, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Plan Team, 
and the NPFMC Scientific and Statistical Committee. The CIE review will 
examine whether the assessment incorporates the best available 
scientific information and provides a reasonable approach to 
understanding the population dynamics and stock status of Eastern 
Bering Sea pollock. The public is invited to attend and observe the 
presentations and discussions between the CIE panel and the NMFS 
scientists who collected and processed the data, and designed the 
underlying model.

DATES:  The public meeting will be held from June 28 through July 2, 
2010, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: The review will be held at the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science 
Center, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4, Seattle, WA 98115. Photo 
identification is required to enter this facility.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  James Ianelli, 206-526-6510.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CIE panel will consist of three peer 
reviewers who will assess materials related to the topic, participate 
in a review workshop with the NMFS scientists who developed the model 
and the analytical approach, and produce a report. This review will be 
highly technical in nature and will cover mathematical details of the 
analytical approach. More information about the CIE is available on its 
website at www.ciereviews.org.

[[Page 30780]]

    Members of the public are invited to observe, and will be provided 
opportunities to contribute on June 28 and July 2, 2010. The final 
report will be available prior to the September NPFMC Plan Team 
meetings and will consist of individual reports from each panelist and 
a summary report. The results of the review will be presented during 
the September 2010 NPFMC Plan Team meeting, which will be announced at 
a later time in the Federal Register.

Special Accommodations

    These workshops will be physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Pat Livingston, 206-526-4172, at 
least 10 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: May 26, 2010.
Carrie Selberg,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-13222 Filed 6-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S