Fisheries of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR); U.S. Gulf of Mexico Data-Limited Species

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The SEDAR 49 assessment of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Data-Limited Species will consist of a Data Workshop; a series of Assessment Webinars; and a Review Workshop, to view the agenda.

DATES:

The SEDAR 49 Review Workshop will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 1, 2016, and end at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2016, to view the agenda see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES:

Meeting address: The SEDAR 49 Review Workshop will be held at the Sonesta Coconut Grove, 2889 McFarlane Road, Miami, FL 33133, 305-529-2828 or 1-800-766-3782.

SEDAR address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. Charleston, SC 29405 or on their Web site, at www.sedarweb.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Julie Neer, SEDAR Coordinator; phone 843-571-4366 or toll free 866-SAFMC-10; FAX 843-769-4520; email: Julie.neer@safmc.net.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

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 Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a three step process including: (1) Data Workshop; (2) Assessment Process utilizing webinars; and (3) Review Workshop. The product of the Data Workshop is a data report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses. The product of the Assessment Process is a stock assessment report which describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. The assessment is independently peer reviewed at the Review Workshop. The product of the Review Workshop is a Summary documenting panel opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the stock assessment and input data. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include: Data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); international experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies.

The items of discussion in the Review Workshop agenda are as follows:

1. The Review Panel participants will review the stock assessment reports to determine if they are scientifically sound.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice 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 intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to the SAFMC office (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 business days prior to the meeting.

Note:

The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.