[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62482-62484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25078]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XK73


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: NMFS solicits nominations for the Atlantic Highly Migratory 
Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP). NMFS consults with and considers the 
comments and views of the AP when preparing and implementing Fishery 
Management Plans (FMPs) or FMP

[[Page 62483]]

amendments for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, and billfish. 
Nominations are being sought to fill one-third (10) of the seats on the 
HMS AP for a 3-year appointment. Individuals with definable interests 
in the recreational and commercial fishing and related industries, 
environmental community, academia, and non-governmental organizations 
will be considered for membership in the AP.

DATES: Nominations must be received on or before November 20, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit nominations and requests for the Advisory 
Panel Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures by any of 
the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include in the subject 
line the following identifier: ``HMS AP Nominations.''
     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: Chris Rilling at (301) 713-2347 x109.

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 to assist in the collection and 
evaluation of information relevant to the development of any Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) or FMP amendment. The HMS AP has consulted with 
NMFS on the HMS FMP (April 1999), Amendment 1 to the Billfish FMP 
(April 1999), Amendment 1 to the HMS FMP (November 2003), the 
Consolidated HMS FMP (July 2006), and Amendments 1 and 2 to the 
Consolidated HMS FMP (April 2008 and September 2008, respectively).

Procedures and Guidelines

A. Nomination Procedures for Appointments to the Advisory Panel

    Nomination packages should include:
    1. The name of the applicant or nominee and a description of his/
her interest in HMS or in particular species of sharks, swordfish, 
tunas, or billfish;
    2. A statement of background and/or qualifications;
    3. A written commitment that the applicant or nominee shall 
actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the AP; and
    4. A list of outreach resources that the applicant has at his/her 
disposal to communicate HMS issues to various interest groups.
Tenure for the HMS AP
    Member tenure will be for 3 years (36 months), with approximately 
one-third of the members' terms expiring on December 31 of each year. 
Nominations are sought for terms beginning January 2009 and expiring 
December 2011.

B. Participants

    Nominations for the AP will be accepted to allow representation 
from commercial and recreational fishing interests, the scientific 
community, and the conservation community who are knowledgeable about 
Atlantic HMS and/or Atlantic HMS fisheries. Current representation on 
the HMS AP, as shown in Table 1, consists of 12 members representing 
commercial interests, 12 members representing recreational interests, 4 
members representing environmental interests, 4 academic 
representatives, and 1 International Commission for the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Advisory Committee Chairperson. Each AP member 
serves a three-year term with approximately one-third (11) of the total 
number of seats (33) expiring on December 31 of each year. NMFS seeks 
to fill 1 academic, 4 commercial, 3 recreational, and 2 environmental 
vacancies by December 31, 2008. NMFS will seek to fill vacancies based 
primarily on maintaining the current representation from each of the 
sectors, and secondarily by species expertise and/or representation 
from the regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Gulf of 
Mexico, and Caribbean). Table 1 includes the current representation on 
the HMS AP by sector and species. It does not necessarily indicate that 
NMFS will only consider persons who have expertise in the species that 
are listed.

  Table 1. Current representation on the HMS AP by sector and species.
             Terms that are expiring or vacant are in bold.
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                                                            Date Term
      Sector            Species        Date Appointed        Expires
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Academic           Tuna               1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Academic           Shark              1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Academic           Billfish           1/1/2006          12/31/2008
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Academic           Tuna/Shark         1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Commercial         HMS                1/1/2006          12/31/2008
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Commercial         Swordfish/Tuna     1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Commercial         Swordfish/Tuna     1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Commercial         HMS                1/1/2003          12/31/2008
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Commercial         Tuna               1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Commercial         Shark              1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Commercial         HMS                1/1/2007          12/31/2009
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commercial         HMS                1/1/2006          12/31/2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commercial         HMS                1/1/2008          12/31/2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 62484]]

 
Commercial         Swordfish          1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Commercial         Tuna               VACANT            ................
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Commercial         HMS                1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Environmental      Shark              1/1/2006          12/31/2008
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Environmental      HMS                1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Environmental      HMS                1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Environmental      HMS                VACANT            ................
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Recreational       Swordfish          1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Recreational       Billfish           1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Recreational       Tuna               1/1/2006          12/31/2008
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2006          12/31/2008
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2006          12/31/2008
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Recreational       HMS                1/1/2007          12/31/2009
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Recreational       Billfish           1/1/2008          12/31/2010
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ICCAT Chair        HMS                ................  ................
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    Each sector must be adequately represented, and 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 the AP. 
Criteria for membership include one or more of the following: (1) 
experience in the HMS recreational fishing industry; (2) experience in 
the HMS commercial fishing industry; (3) experience in fishery-related 
industries (e.g., marinas, bait and tackle shops); (4) experience in 
the scientific community working with HMS; and/or (5) representation of 
a private; non-governmental; regional, national, or international 
organization representing marine fisheries, environmental, 
governmental, or academic interests dealing with HMS.
    Five additional members on the AP include one 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 coastal states and two 
representatives of the 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 the 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 the AP will be held as frequently as necessary but are 
routinely held twice each year in the spring and fall. The meetings may 
be held in conjunction with public hearings.

    Dated: October 9, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-25078 Filed 10-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S