[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 175 (Monday, September 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53777-53779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17988]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 081705D]


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of Atlantic Highly 
Migratory Species and Billfish Advisory Panels; Nominations for 
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species and Billfish Advisory Panels

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

ACTION: Notice; advisory panel meetings; request for nominations.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a joint three day Highly Migratory Species 
Advisory Panel (HMS AP) and Billfish Advisory Panel (Billfish AP) 
meeting in October 2005. Additionally, NMFS solicits nominations for 
the HMS AP and the Billfish AP. The intent of these joint Advisory 
Panels meetings is to consider alternatives for the conservation and 
management of HMS as presented in the Draft Consolidated HMS Fishery 
Management Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, and proposed 
rule.

DATES: The joint HMS-Billfish AP meeting will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 
p.m. on Tuesday, October 11, 2005; from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 
October 12, 2005; and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 13, 
2005.
    Nominations must be submitted on or before October 27, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn, 8777 Georgia 
Avenue (Rt. 97), Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone: 301-589-0800.
    You may submit nominations and requests for the AP Statement of 
Organization, Practices, and Procedures by any of the following 
methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject line 
the following identifier: I.D. 081705D.
     Mail: Margo Schulze-Haugen, Chief, Highly Migratory 
Species Management Division, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910.
     Fax: 301-713-1917.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Othel Freeman or Heather Stirratt at 
301 713-2347.



[[Page 53778]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., as amended by the 
Sustainable Fisheries Act, Public Law 104-297, provided for the 
establishment of Advisory Panels (AP) to assist in the collection and 
evaluation of information relevant to the development of any FMP or FMP 
amendment. NMFS consults with and considers the comments and views of 
an HMS AP when preparing and implementing FMPs or FMP amendments for 
Atlantic tunas, swordfish, and sharks, and consults with a Billfish AP 
for Atlantic billfish plans and amendments. These APs have previously 
consulted with NMFS on the HMS FMP (April 1999), Amendment 1 to the HMS 
FMP (December 2004), and Amendment 1 to the Billfish FMP (April 1999).
    Nominations are being sought to fill one-third of the posts on the 
HMS AP for a 3-year appointment and one-half of the posts on the 
Billfish AP for a 2-year appointment. The nomination process, and 
appointments are set forth in the Statement of Organization, Practices, 
and Procedures for each AP.
    Additionally, a specific nomination request is being solicited for 
a vacant seat on the HMS AP. Nominations for this seat should have 
definable interests and commercial expertise for the Caribbean region.

Procedures and Guidelines

A. Nomination Procedures for Appointments to the Advisory Panels

    Individuals with definable interests in the recreational and 
commercial fishing and related industries, environmental community, 
academia, governmental entities, and non-governmental organizations 
will be considered for membership in each AP.
    Nominations are invited from all individuals and constituent 
groups. Nominations should include:
    1. The name of the applicant or nominee and a description of their 
interest in HMS or one species in particular from among sharks, 
swordfish, tunas, and billfish;
    2. A statement of background and/or qualifications;
    3. The AP to which the applicant seeks appointment;
    4. A written commitment that the applicant or nominee shall 
actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the AP; and
    5. Outreach resources.
Tenure for the HMS AP
    Member tenure will be for 3 years (36 months), with one-third of 
the members= terms expiring on the last day of each calendar year. 
However, the tenure of the individual filling the vacant seat will be 
for 3 years and 3 months (39 months).
Tenure for the Billfish AP
    Member tenure will be for 2 years (24 months), with one-half of the 
terms expiring on the last day of each calendar year.

B. Participants

    Nominations for each AP will be accepted to allow representation 
from recreational and commercial fishing interests, the conservation 
community, and the scientific community. The HMS AP consists of not 
less than 23 members who are knowledgeable about the fisheries for 
Atlantic HMS species. The Billfish AP consists of not less than nine 
members who are knowledgeable about the fisheries for Atlantic billfish 
species.
    NMFS does not believe that each potentially affected organization 
or individual must necessarily have its own representative, but each 
area of interest must be adequately represented. The intent is to have 
a group that, as a whole, reflects an appropriate and equitable balance 
and mix of interests given the responsibilities of each AP. Criteria 
for membership include one or more of the following: (1) experience in 
the recreational fishing industry involved in catching swordfish, 
tunas, billfish, or sharks; (2) experience in the commercial fishing 
industry for HMS; (3) experience in fishery-related industries 
(marinas, bait and tackle shops); (4) experience in the scientific 
community working with HMS; and/or (5) representation of a private, 
non-governmental, regional, (non-Federal) state, national, or 
international organization representing marine fisheries, 
environmental, governmental or academic interests dealing with HMS.
    Five additional members in each AP include one voting member 
representing each of the following Councils: New England Fishery 
Management Council, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the 
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council, and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. The 
AP also includes 22 ex officio participants: 20 representatives of the 
constituent states and two representatives of the constituent 
interstate commissions (the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 
and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission).
    NMFS will provide the necessary administrative support, including 
technical assistance, for each AP. However, NMFS will not compensate 
participants with monetary support of any kind. Depending on 
availability of funds, members may be reimbursed for travel costs 
related to the AP meetings.

C. Meeting Schedule

    Meetings of each AP will be held as frequently as necessary but are 
routinely held once each year in the spring. Often the meetings are 
held jointly, and may be held in conjunction with other advisory panel 
meetings or public hearings.
    The October 2005 joint HMS-Billfish AP meeting will focus on 
management alternatives for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, and 
billfish. The proposed rule and draft HMS FMP describe a range of 
management measures that could impact fishermen and dealers for all HMS 
fisheries. These management measures include those to: establish 
mandatory workshops for fishermen and dealers; consider methods of 
modifying and establishing time/area closures; address rebuilding and/
or overfishing of northern albacore tuna, finetooth sharks, and 
Atlantic billfish; simplify the management process of bluefin tuna; 
change the fishing year for tunas, swordfish, and billfish back to a 
calendar year; authorize additional fishing gears; and clarify existing 
regulations. In addition to these management measures, NMFS also 
announces its decision: to not include the no sale provision for the 
artisanal handline fishery in Puerto Rico, as outlined in the 1988 
Atlantic Billfish FMP in the HMS FMP; to formally withdraw the proposed 
rule to establish an annual domestic recreational landing limit of 250 
Atlantic blue and white marlin, combined (September 17, 2003, 68 FR 
54410); and to consider a Petition for Rulemaking regarding a closure 
of bluefin tuna spawning grounds within the draft HMS FMP.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Othel Freeman or Heather Stirratt 
(FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 7 days prior to the meeting.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq. and 1801 et seq.


[[Page 53779]]


    Dated: September 6, 2005.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-17988 Filed 9-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S