[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 129 (Monday, July 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 36261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17624]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 062797A]


Billfish Advisory Panel; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Advisory Panel (AP) for Atlantic billfish will hold its 
first meeting on July 22-23, 1997, in Silver Spring, MD.

DATES: The meeting will begin on July 22, 1997 at 1:00 p.m. and will 
continue on July 23, 1997, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at NMFS, SSMC IV, Room 1W611, 1325 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Stevenson, telephone: (301) 713-
2347, Fax (301) 713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The billfish AP is established under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. The billfish AP will assist the Secretary 
of Commerce in collecting information related to the amendment of the 
Billfish Fishery Management Plan. The billfish AP meeting is open to 
the public and will be attended by members of the AP, including 
appointed members, representatives of the five fishery management 
councils that work with highly migratory species (HMS), the Atlantic 
and Gulf states that work with HMS, the Atlantic and Gulf states marine 
fisheries commissions, and the Chair of the U.S. Advisory Committee to 
the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
(ICCAT). Potential agenda items include:
    (1) The role of the AP in the HMS management process.
    (2) Operating practices and procedures for the AP.
    (3) Status of the stocks, research priorities
    (4) Initial scoping by the AP for issues related to Amendment 1 of 
the billfish FMP including a definition for overfishing, time/area 
closures, tournament reporting, and permitting.
    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
    Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Jill Stevenson, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910, phone (301) 713-2347 at least 5 days prior to the 
meeting date.

    Dated: June 30, 1997.
Gary Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-17624 Filed 7-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F