National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration March 9, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Combined in a single document, the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) has submitted Amendment 48 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Amendment 5 to the FMP for the Red Drum Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendments 48/5) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendments 48/5 would establish or modify maximum sustainable yield (MSY) proxies, maximum fishing mortality thresholds (MFMTs), minimum stock size thresholds (MSSTs), and optimum yield (OY) for stocks in the Reef Fish and Red Drum FMPs. The need for this action is to have biological reference points that can be used for determining status of the stocks or stock complexes consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a one day in-person and virtual meeting (hybrid) of its Shrimp Advisory Panel (AP).

NMFS will convene the Research Track Assessment Peer Review Meeting for the purpose of reviewing northern shortfin squid and butterfish stocks. The Research Track Assessment Peer Review is a formal scientific peer-review process for evaluating and presenting stock assessment results to managers for fish stocks in the offshore U.S. waters of the northwest Atlantic. Assessments are prepared by the research track working group and reviewed by an independent panel of stock assessment experts from the Center of Independent Experts (CIE). The public is invited to attend the presentations and discussions between the review panel and the scientists who have participated in the stock assessment process.