[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 32 (Thursday, February 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8178-8179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03272]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XE421
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of the Atlantic Highly
Migratory Species Advisory Panel
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and webinar/conference call.
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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS)
Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in March 2016. The intent of the meeting is
to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic
HMS. The meeting is open to the public.
DATES: The AP meeting and webinar will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 6
p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2016; from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday,
March 30, 2016; and from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, March 31,
2016. There will be an introduction for new AP members at 9 a.m. on
Tuesday, March 29, 2016.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel,
8120 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. The meeting presentations
will also be available via WebEx webinar/conference call.
On Tuesday, March 29, 2016, the conference call information is
phone number 1-888-566-6157; Participant Code: 5998985; and the webinar
event address is: https://noaaevents2.webex.com/noaaevents2/onstage/g.php?MTID=ee08141a7a0cf50251a257df9d3b931fa; event password: NOAA.
On Wednesday, March 30, 2016, the conference call information is
phone
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number 1-888-282-0431; Participant Code: 9825698; and the webinar event
address is: https://noaaevents2.webex.com/noaaevents2/onstage/g.php?MTID=ee29585c757454c5e48b292d7dc2fc95f; event password: NOAA.
On Thursday, March 31, 2016, the conference call information is
phone number 1-800-593-9960; Participant Code: 5039500; and the webinar
event address is: https://noaaevents2.webex.com/noaaevents2/onstage/g.php?MTID=e9dc5e094b476fc2b3621dfbe73e9cd6c; event password: NOAA.
Participants are strongly encouraged to log/dial in fifteen minutes
prior to the meeting. NMFS will show the presentations via webinar and
allow public comment during identified times on the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Guy DuBeck or Margo Schulze-Haugen at
(301) 427-8503.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., as amended by the
Sustainable Fisheries Act, Public Law 104-297, provided for the
establishment of an AP to assist in the collection and evaluation of
information relevant to the development of any Fishery Management Plan
(FMP) or FMP amendment for Atlantic HMS. NMFS consults with and
considers the comments and views of AP members when preparing and
implementing FMPs or FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, swordfish,
billfish, and sharks.
The AP has previously consulted with NMFS on: Amendment 1 to the
Billfish FMP (April 1999); the HMS FMP (April 1999); Amendment 1 to the
HMS FMP (December 2003); the Consolidated HMS FMP (October 2006); and
Amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6, 7, 8, and 9 to the 2006 Consolidated
HMS FMP (April and October 2008, February and September 2009, May and
September 2010, April and September 2011, March and September 2012,
January and September 2013, April and September 2014, March and
September 2015), among other things.
The intent of this meeting is to consider alternatives for the
conservation and management of all Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish,
and shark fisheries. We anticipate discussing the upcoming Amendments
5b on dusky sharks and 10 on Essential Fish Habitat, including lemon
shark aggregations off southeast Florida; reviewing implementation of
Final Amendment 9 on smoothhound sharks and Final Amendment 7 on
bluefin tuna management; and progress updates on the final rule to
implement the electronic bluefin tuna documentation system and the
various other rulemakings. We also anticipate discussing a survey of
Atlantic HMS tournaments that is in development, a request from the
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to consider management
changes regarding blacknose sharks, and domestic implementation of
recommendations from the 2015 meeting of the International Commission
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. We also intend to invite other
NMFS offices to provide updates on their activities relevant to HMS
fisheries such as the IUU Task Force implementation and international
trade, and DeepWater Horizon Pelagic Longline Project.
Additional information on the meeting and a copy of the draft
agenda will be posted prior to the meeting at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/advisory_panels/hms_ap/meetings/ap_meetings.html.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Guy DuBeck at (301) 427-8503 at least 7 days
prior to the meeting.
Dated: February 11, 2016.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-03272 Filed 2-17-16; 8:45 am]
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