According to the press communiqué the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting will convene the Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee to begin developing a conceptual framework for advancing an ecosystem approach for fishery management. The committee is said to also explore the use of ecological attributes in the Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rule.
It is informed that the committee will conduct an evaluation on the efficacy of the various models and approaches proposed to determine how recovering red snapper interact with vermilion snapper and groupers, as well as future data and research needs for these models. 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.
The ecosystem approach to fishery management takes into account the protection of marine ecosystems and fosters the long-term sustainable use of marine resources in an ecologically and culturally sensitive manner through the use of a science-based ecosystem approach to resource management. 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.
