[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 155 (Wednesday, August 12, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 43141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21534]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 080498F]


Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a 
public meeting of its Ad Hoc Finfish Stock Assessment Panel (Panel).

DATES: The meeting of the Panel will be held beginning at 1:00 p.m. on 
Monday, August 24, 1998 and will conclude by 12:00 noon on Thursday, 
August 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Gulf Coast Research 
Laboratory, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Atran, Population Dynamics 
Statistician, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 3018 U.S. 
Highway 301 North, Suite 1000, Tampa, FL 33619; telephone: 813-228-
2815.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Panel will be re-convened to develop 
additional alternatives for the overfishing criteria as required by the 
Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA). In a previous meeting held June 22-25, 
1998, the Panel developed a generalized procedure for selecting proxies 
for expressing maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and optimum yield (OY) 
in terms of spawning potential ratio (SPR). The Panel discussed, but 
did not come to a consensus on, the use of the ratio of natural 
mortality rate to growth rate coefficients (the M/K ratio) as a scaling 
factor for setting appropriate levels of SPR. When it reconvenes, the 
Panel will re-examine the use of M/K ratios as a basis for resiliency 
of fish to overfishing. In addition, the Panel will examine additional 
alternatives for MSY proxies for red snapper, king mackerel, and red 
drum based on juvenile fish recruitment, stock biomass levels, or other 
relevant indices.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the Panels for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal action during this meeting. Panel action will be 
restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda listed 
in this notice.
    A copy of the agenda can be obtained by contacting the Gulf Council 
(see ADDRESSES).

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Anne Alford at the Council (see ADDRESSES) by 
August 17, 1998.

    Dated: August 5, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-21534 Filed 8-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F