Contact: Scott Smullen                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                           5/5/97

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is again searching for experts to serve on scientific peer review panels that will analyze current research and management of the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico, the Commerce Department agency announced today. In addition, the agency is seeking individuals to present red snapper research to these panels. The deadline for nominations is June 4.

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is accepting nominations for independent experts who are not currently involved in the management of red snapper or have financial interest in the outcome of the reviews. The agency will select three qualified people to serve on the statistics review panel, three on the economics review panel, and four people for the science and management review panel.

The statistics review panel will examine the accuracy, precision, and adequacy of the commercial, recreational, and charter boat red snapper catch and fishing effort statistics along with procedures for estimating bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery. The economics review panel will study the cost and benefit analyses conducted in preparation of Amendment 8 to the federal Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan, including a review of all reasonable alternatives to an individual fishing quota program for the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. The science and management review panel will examine the scientific and management basis for managing the red snapper stock along with the results of the statistics and economics reviews.

Each review panel will meet at least once with scientists, fishery managers, and industry representatives to collect information that will help each member prepare independent reports on their findings and recommendations. The National Marine Fisheries Service will pay for travel costs and compensate members for their time on the panel at a fixed, predetermined level. These reviews comply with provisions of the newly reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act as mandated by the U.S. Congress.

Interested members of the public or of organizations should submit nominations along with detailed information on the qualifications of the nominee to the Director of the Office of Science and Technology, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Nominations should include the name and affiliation of the person submitting the nomination along with a detailed listing of each nominee's background, experience and credentials. Nominees for any of the review panels must have outstanding scientific or management credentials relevant to the charge to the panel, and may come from international as well as national scientific bodies, fishery management organizations, academia, or similar groups. For more information on each of the reviews, contact the Director of the Office of Science and Technology at the above address.

To avoid conflicts of interest and ensure an independent review, the agency will not accept nominations of individuals who have been directly involved in the collection, evaluation, and interpretation of information used in red snapper or shrimp management in the Gulf of Mexico, or who have been involved in Gulf of Mexico red snapper management during the past four years. Also ineligible are those who may gain financially from the outcome of this review, or whose immediate family, organization, or company may gain financially from the outcome of these reviews.

NOAA also seeks recommendations of individuals or representatives of organizations to present information to the review panels. When submitting recommendations for presentations, include the person or organization's name and affiliation along with a brief listing of each person's background, experience, and the type of information to be presented. Unlike panel members, individuals recommended for presentations may have previous involvement in the assessment or management of the red snapper fishery, may have a financial interest in fisheries affected by the outcome of these reviews, or may represent other interested parties. A wide range of presenters will be selected to ensure that representatives from all sectors affected by management of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico have an opportunity to present information to the review panels.