Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to Convene a Meeting of its Ecosystem Scientific & Statistical Committee

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of its Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee June 28 – 30, 2011. The meeting will be held at the Council office – 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100, Tampa, Florida, and will begin at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, concluding no later than 2:00 p.m. Thursday.

The Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet to discuss the proposed short and long-term work plan and conceptual framework for the Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee.  The Committee will also discuss ecological, fishery, and social indicators; changes to the stock assessment (SEDAR) process; an update on the shallow water grouper model; and the B.P. Oil Spill.

Copies of the agenda and other related materials can be obtained by calling the Council office at 813-348-1630. Materials can also be downloaded from the Council’s ftp site – ftp.gulfcouncil.org <ftp://ftp.gulfcouncil.org> . The ftp server can also be accessed from the Gulf Council’s home page under “Quick Links”. Once on the ftp server, scroll to the Ecosystem folder. In the Ecosystem folder, click on the directory titled “Ecosystem SSC meeting 2011-06”.

The Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee is a committee of biologists, economists, and sociologists knowledgeable about the biological and human aspects of Gulf of Mexico ecosystems. Members are appointed by the Council to provide advice on ways to add ecosystem considerations to the fishery management plans and actions, as well as advice on other ecosystem related issues.

Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come before the Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions of the Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda 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 action to address the emergency.

Meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Kathy Pereira at the Council office at least five days prior to the meeting date.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans designed to manage fishery resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
 

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