[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 218 (Friday, November 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61604-61605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29613]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 990910254-9254-01; ID 1108999B]


General Advisory Committee; Scientific Advisory Subcommittee; 
International Dolphin Conservation Program in the Eastern Tropical 
Pacific Ocean (ETP)

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

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for nominations.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Tuna Conventions Act, as amended by the 
International Dolphin Conservation Program Act (IDCPA), NMFS is 
appointing a General Advisory Committee and a Scientific Advisory 
Subcommittee that will provide advice on achieving the objectives of 
the Tuna Conventions Act, the IDCPA, and the Agreement on the 
International Dolphin Conservation Program (Agreement). To assist it in 
developing the General Advisory Committee and the Scientific Advisory 
Subcommittee, NMFS is requesting nominations for members to these 
committees.
    As directed in the Tuna Conventions Act, the General Advisory 
Committee will examine and provide comments and recommendations on all 
aspects of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the 
International Commission for the Scientific Investigation of Tuna and 
will be invited to attend all meetings of the U.S. sections of these 
commissions.
    The Scientific Advisory Subcommittee will advise the General 
Advisory Committee, the U.S. Commissioners to the IATTC, and the U.S. 
Commissioners to the International Commission for the Scientific 
Investigation of Tuna on all scientific matters regarding the long-term 
conservation and management of marine resources in the ETP and the 
entire ETP ecosystem. The Scientific Advisory Subcommittee will jointly 
serve as the National Scientific Advisory Committee, a committee which 
NMFS is required to appoint under the Agreement.

DATES: Nominations must be submitted on or before January 11, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be submitted to Katie S. Moore, Office of 
Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Hwy., Room 13756, Silver 
Spring, MD, 20910 or by fax to Katie Moore at 301-713-0376.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. Allison Routt, 562-980-4019; or 
Katie S. Moore, 301-713-2322, ext. 157.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tuna Conventions Act (16 U.S.C. 951 et 
seq.), as amended by the IDCPA (Pub. L. 105-42), requires that the 
Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the U.S. Commissioners to 
the IATTC and the U.S. Commissioners to the International Commission 
for the Scientific Investigation of Tuna appoint a General Advisory 
Committee and a Scientific Advisory Subcommittee. In addition, the 
Agreement requires the Secretary to establish a National Scientific 
Advisory Committee. These committees will provide advice on achieving 
the objectives of the Tuna Conventions Act, the IDCPA, and the 
Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program 
(Agreement). NMFS is seeking nominations for both the General Advisory 
Committee and the Scientific Advisory Subcommittee. NMFS intends for 
members of the Scientific Advisory Subcommittee to jointly serve as 
members of the National Scientific Advisory Committee.

General Advisory Committee

    The General Advisory Committee will be composed of five to 15 
qualified experts, operating in their individual capacities, from the 
public and private sectors, and from non-governmental organizations. It 
will have balanced representation from the various groups participating 
in the fisheries included under the conventions, and from non-
governmental conservation organizations. The General Advisory Committee 
will be invited to send representatives to all non-executive meetings 
of the U.S. sections and will be given full opportunity to examine and 
to be heard on all proposed programs of investigations, reports, 
recommendations, and regulations of the IATTC and the International 
Commission for the Scientific Investigation of Tuna. The General 
Advisory Committee may attend all meetings of the international 
commissions to which they are invited by such commissions.
    As required by the Tuna Conventions Act, members of the General 
Advisory Committee will not receive compensation for their services as 
members of this committee.

Scientific Advisory Subcommittee

    The Scientific Advisory Subcommittee will be composed of no less 
than five nor more than 15 qualified scientists with balanced 
representation from the public and private sector, including non-
governmental organizations. The Scientific Advisory Subcommittee will, 
as requested by the General Advisory Committee, the U.S. Commissioners 
to the IATTC, or the U.S. Commissioners to the International Commission 
for the Scientific Investigation of Tuna, perform functions and provide 
assistance required by formal agreements entered into by the United 
States for the ETP fishery, including the International Dolphin 
Conservation Program (Program). These functions include: (1) reviewing 
data from the Program, including data received from the IATTC; (2) 
making recommendations on research needs, including ecosystems, fishing 
practices, and gear technology research, including the development and 
use of selective, environmentally safe and cost-effective fishing gear, 
and on the coordination and facilitation of such research; (3) making 
recommendations concerning scientific reviews and assessments required 
under the Program and engaging, as appropriate, in such reviews and 
assessments; and (4) consulting with other experts as needed and 
recommending measures to assure the regular and timely full exchange of 
data among the parties to the Program and each nation's National 
Scientific Advisory Committee (or its equivalent).
    As required by the Tuna Conventions Act, members of the Scientific 
Advisory Subcommittee will not receive compensation for their services 
as members of this committee.

National Scientific Advisory Committee

    NMFS intends for the Scientific Advisory Subcommittee to also 
function as the National Advisory Scientific Committee (NATSAC) under 
the Agreement. The functions of the

[[Page 61605]]

NATSAC, established in accordance with Article XI of the Agreement, 
are, among other things, to:
    1. Receive and review relevant data, including the data provided to 
NMFS by the IATTC;
    2. Advise and recommend to the U.S. Commissioners to the IATTC on 
measures and actions that should be undertaken to conserve and manage 
stocks of living marine resources in the Agreement area;
    3. Make recommendations to the U.S. Commissioners to the IATTC on 
research needs (including research concerning ecosystems, the effects 
of climatic, environmental and socioeconomic factors, and the effects 
of fishing), measures contemplated in the Agreement, fishing techniques 
and practices, and gear technology research, including the development 
and use of selective environmentally-safe and cost-effective fishing 
gear, and the coordination and facilitation of this research;
    4. Conduct scientific reviews and assessments regarding progress 
toward the year 2001 objective of achieving a per-stock, per-year cap 
of 0.1 percent of the minimum population estimate, and make appropriate 
recommendations concerning these reviews and assessments, as well as 
additional assessments in the year 2001, consistent with this 
Agreement;
    5. Ensure the regular and timely full exchange of data among the 
Parties to the Agreement and the NATSACs on catch of tuna and 
associated species and bycatch, including dolphin mortality data, for 
the purposes of developing conservation and management recommendations 
as well as recommendations for enforcement and scientific research 
while not violating the confidentiality of business confidential data;
    6. Consult with other experts as necessary to gather as much 
information as possible that might be useful for achieving the 
objectives of the Agreement; and
    7. Perform other functions as assigned.
    Reports of the NATSAC, including reports of their cooperative 
meetings, will be made available to the Parties to the Agreement and to 
the public, in a manner consistent with applicable confidentiality 
requirements.
    Meetings of the NATSAC will take place at least once a year in 
conjunction with the ordinary meeting of the Parties to the Agreement. 
These meetings regularly occur in the United States or abroad as hosted 
by another Party to the Agreement. The Director of the IATTC may 
convene meetings, in addition to the regular meetings required by the 
Agreement, to facilitate consultation among the NATSACs of the Parties 
to the Agreement. The functions of the meetings of the NATSAC are to: 
(1) Exchange information; (2) review IATTC research to achieve the 
objectives of the Agreement; and (3) make recommendations to the 
Director of the IATTC concerning the future research program to achieve 
the objectives of the Agreement.
    The Scientific Advisory Committee/National Scientific Advisory 
Committee (SAC/NATSAC) should be comprised of scientists with definable 
interests in the Program and/or the ETP yellowfin tuna fishery and 
related industries, environmental community, academia, governmental and 
quasi-governmental entities. Members of the SAC/NATSAC will be invited 
to send representatives to all non-executive meetings of the U.S. 
sections of the IATTC and the General Advisory Committee, and will be 
given full opportunity to examine and to be heard on all proposed 
programs of scientific investigations, scientific reports, and 
scientific recommendations of the IATTC. Representatives of the SAC/
NATSAC may attend meetings of the IATTC in accordance with the rules of 
the IATTC.
    Procedures and Guidelines of the General Advisory Committee and the 
SAC/NATSAC
    Each appointed member of the General Advisory Committee and the 
SAC/NATSAC will serve for a term of 3 years, with one-third of the 
members rotating out each year. Members will be eligible for 
reappointment.
    NMFS will provide the necessary administrative support, including 
technical assistance, for the Committees; however, NMFS will not 
compensate members for participating on the Committees, for travel or 
other living expenses, because no funds were appropriated for this 
purpose.

Procedure for Submitting Nominations

    Submit nominations for the General Advisory Committee and the 
Scientific Advisory Subcommittee/NATSAC to NMFS (see ADDRESSES). The 
criteria for nominations include: (1) Experience in the commercial 
purse seine fishing industry involved in catching tuna in the ETP; (2) 
experience in the connected industries (e.g., gear, fishing techniques 
and practices, or gear technology research); and/or (3) former or 
current representative of a private, regional, state, national, or 
international organization which deals with issues related to the ETP 
purse seine fishery.
    Nominations for the General Advisory Committee or the SAC/NATSAC 
should include:
    1. The name of the nominee and a description of their interest in 
or connection with the Tuna Conventions Act, the IDCPA, the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act, the tuna fishery of the ETP, the international 
dolphin conservation program of the ETP, or a particular species of 
dolphin or tuna involved in that fishery;
    2. A statement of background;
    3. A statement of qualifications; and
    4. A written commitment that the applicant or nominee will actively 
participate in good faith in the tasks of General Advisory Committee or 
the SAC/NATSAC.

    Dated: November 5, 1999.
Andrew Kemmerer,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-29613 Filed 11-10-99; 8:45 am]
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