[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 103 (Friday, May 28, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 28997-28998] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-13564] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [I.D. 052499A] Atlantic 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a joint meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) and Billfish Advisory Panels (APs) to discuss management issues under consideration. DATES: The joint HMS/Billfish AP meeting will be held on Thursday, June 10, 1999, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 11, 1999. A public comment session will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 10, 1999. ADDRESSES: The APs will meet at the NOAA Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. Informational materials related to the AP meetings are available from Alicon Morgan, Highly Migratory Species Management Division, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. The public comment session will be held at the same location. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alicon Morgan or Pat Wilbert at 301- 713-2347, or Jenny Lee at 727-570-5447. 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 assist the Secretary of Commerce in collecting and evaluating information relevant to the management of Atlantic tunas, swordfish, and sharks, and Billfish. All AP meetings are open to the public and are 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 [[Page 28998]] her representative, of the U.S. Advisory Committee to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Agenda items for the joint AP meeting will include: 1. Analysis of time/area closures to protect HMS; 2. Bluefin Tuna purse seine quota allocation; and 3, Other issues. The public is reminded that NMFS expects members of the public to conduct themselves appropriately for the duration of the meeting. At the beginning of the public comment session, a NMFS representative will explain the ground rules (e.g. alcohol in the meeting room is prohibited, attendees will be called to give their comments in the order in which they registered to speak, each attendee will have an equal amount of time to speak, and attendees should not interrupt one another). The NMFS representative will attempt to structure the session so that all attending members of the public are able to comment, if they so choose, regardless of the controversiality of the subject(s). Attendees are expected to respect the ground rules, and if they do not, they will be asked to leave the meeting. Special Accomodations This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Alicon Morgan (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 7 days prior to the meeting. Dated: May 21, 1999. Bruce C. Morehead, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 99-13564 Filed 5-27-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F