[Federal Register: September 15, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 179)]
[Notices]
[Page 53196-53197]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15se08-41]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XK52
Fisheries of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; SEDAR; Public
Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Southeastern Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR)
Procedural workshop - Caribbean Data Evaluation.
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SUMMARY: The Council-Federal cooperative SEDAR process provides stock
assessments for fisheries resources of the Southeast Region. Assessment
priorities are typically established by management need or perceptions
of management or population problems, and often do not consider data
availability. As a result, despite several attempts by SEDAR, no
acceptable quantitative assessments have been developed for Caribbean
stocks because data to support traditional stock assessment methods
simply do not exist. It is clear that alternative methods need to be
developed that will allow assessing Caribbean fisheries resources in a
manner that will withstand independent peer review. Identifying and
evaluating available data sources across all managed species is a
strong first step that is consistent with peer review and assessment
report recommendations.
SEDAR will convene a workshop including representatives from
Federal agencies, territorial governments, non-governmental
organizations, Council technical and constituent advisors, and
university researchers. Participants will catalog and evaluate basic
data, address alternative assessment methods that will accommodate the
available data, and recommend assessment priorities that are consistent
with available data and methods.
DATES: The SEDAR Caribbean Data Evaluation Workshop will take place
January 26-29, 2009; SEDAR Catchability Procedural Workshop Schedule:
January 26, 2009: 1 p.m. - 8 p.m.; January 27-28, 2009: 8 a.m. - 8
p.m.; January 29, 2009: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The SEDAR Caribbean Data Evaluation Workshop will be held at
the Hotel El Convento, 100 Cristo Street, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
00901; telephone: (787) 723-9036.
Council address: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055
Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Neer, SEDAR Coordinator, 4055
Faber Place Drive, 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 includes three
workshops: (1) Data Workshop, (2) Stock Assessment Workshop 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
Stock Assessment Workshop 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 Consensus 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 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 (NGO's); International experts; and staff of Councils,
Commissions, and state and federal agencies.
Each SEDAR workshop panel is asked to provide research and
monitoring recommendations to improve future assessments and feedback
on the process to help improve SEDAR itself. Over time, certain key
topics emerge that reveal a research need or procedural suggestion that
is common to multiple assessments. The SEDAR Steering Committee
endorses procedural workshops such as that noticed here to address
those issues that affect multiple assessments and require more time and
resources to resolve than are typically available during the normal
assessment
[[Page 53197]]
development process. The goal of these workshops is to develop
guidelines and practices that will increase the efficiency of
subsequent SEDAR assessments.
Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come
before these groups 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 these
meetings. Actions 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 Act, provided the public has been notified of the
Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency.
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: September 10, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-21471 Filed 9-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S