[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 160 (Wednesday, August 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 44423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22220]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 080598A]


Highly Migratory Species and Billfish Advisory Panels; 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 Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) and Billfish 
Advisory Panels (APs) will each hold a meeting to discuss management 
issues under consideration for inclusion in the draft HMS fishery 
management plan (FMP) and draft Billfish FMP amendment, respectively.

DATES: The HMS AP meeting will be held Thursday, August 27, 1998, and 
Friday, August 28, 1998, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days. A 
public comment period is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 1998, from 
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Public comment is solicited on issues in the 
draft HMS FMP, including the use of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) in 
HMS fisheries. The Billfish AP meeting will be held Wednesday, 
September 2, 1998, and Thursday, September 3, 1998, from 8:00 a.m. to 
5:00 p.m. both days. A public comment period for the Billfish AP 
meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 1998, from 7:00 p.m. to 
10:00 p.m. The Billfish AP public comment period will be held in 
conjunction with and at the site of the regional meeting of the U.S. 
Advisory Committee to the International Commission for the Conservation 
of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

ADDRESSES: The HMS AP will meet at the Radisson Airport Hotel 
Providence, 2081 Post Road, Warwick, Rhode Island 02886; telephone: 
(401) 739-3000. The Billfish AP will meet at the Hotel on the Cay, 
Protestant Cay, P.O. Box 4020, Christiansted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands 
00822; telephone: (340) 773-2035. The Billfish AP public comment period 
will be held at the Buccaneer Hotel, Estate Shoys, St. Croix, Virgin 
Islands 00824; telephone: (340) 773-2100. Written comments should be 
submitted to, and informational materials related to the AP meetings 
are available from, Liz Lauck, Highly Migratory Species Management 
Division, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Wilbert or Liz Lauck, telephone: 
(301) 713-2347, fax: (301) 713-1917.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The HMS and Billfish APs were established 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1901 et seq. The APs will assist the 
Secretary of Commerce in collecting and evaluating information relevant 
to the development of an FMP for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, and sharks, 
and an amendment to the Billfish FMP. All AP meetings are 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 Atlantic HMS, and the Chair, or his or her representative, of 
the U.S. Advisory Committee to ICCAT.
    The agendas for the AP meetings will include discussion of draft 
documents for the HMS FMP and the Billfish FMP amendment, respectively, 
and the draft HMS Essential Fish Habitat document. Topics will include:
    1. Rebuilding alternatives;
    2. Bycatch reduction alternatives;
    3. Permitting and reporting alternatives;
    4. VMS (HMS AP meeting only);
    5. Essential fish habitat identification; and
    6. Other items related to meeting requirements of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act.
    The public comment period for the HMS Advisory Panel is scheduled 
for Wednesday, August 26, 1998, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the 
meeting location. NMFS seeks comments on issues in the draft HMS FMP 
including U.S. implementation of the ICCAT vessel monitoring system 
(VMS) program. The ICCAT VMS recommendation applies to vessels greater 
than 79 feet that fish for HMS on the high seas. Comments are requested 
specifically on applicability of the ICCAT recommendation to the U.S. 
fleet, costs of implementation, and participation in high seas fishing 
for HMS.
    The public comment period for the Billfish Advisory Panel is 
scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 1998, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. 
and will be held in conjunction with, and at the site of, the ICCAT 
regional meeting. Note that the location of the Billfish AP public 
comment period/ICAAT regional meeting is different from the location of 
the Billfish AP meeting. Comments are solicited on management issues 
under consideration for inclusion in the draft Billfish FMP amendment. 
See ADDRESSES to request informational materials related to the AP 
discussion or to submit public comments on management issues for the 
draft FMP documents.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or for other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Pat Wilbert, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910, phone (301) 713-2347; fax: (301) 713-1917, at least 7 
days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: August 13, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-22220 Filed 8-13-98; 3:29 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F