[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 18355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9256]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-X027


International Whaling Commission; 61\st\ Annual Meeting; 
Announcement of Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the date, time, and location of the 
public meetings being held prior to the 61\st\ annual International 
Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting.

DATES: The public meetings will be held May 27 and May 29, 2009, at 1 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting on May 27\th\ will be held in the Chesapeake 
Room of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. The meeting on May 29\th\ will be held in the NOAA Western 
Regional Center Auditorium, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 
98115.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Wulff, 301-713-9090, Extension 
196.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary of Commerce is charged with 
the responsibility of discharging the domestic obligations of the 
United States under the International Convention for the Regulation of 
Whaling, 1946. The U.S. Commissioner has responsibility for the 
preparation and negotiation of U.S. positions on international issues 
concerning whaling and for all matters involving the IWC. He is staffed 
by the Department of Commerce and assisted by the Department of State, 
the Department of the Interior, the Marine Mammal Commission, and by 
other agencies.
    Once the draft agenda for the annual IWC meeting is completed, it 
will be posted on the IWC Secretariat's website at http://www.iwcoffice.org.
    NOAA will hold meetings prior to the annual IWC meeting to discuss 
the tentative U.S. positions for the upcoming IWC meeting, including 
the upcoming report of the Small Working Group. Because the meeting 
discusses U.S. positions, the substance of the meeting must be kept 
confidential. Any U.S. citizen with an identifiable interest in U.S. 
whale conservation policy may participate, but NOAA reserves the 
authority to inquire about the interests of any person who appears at a 
meeting and to determine the appropriateness of that person's 
participation.
    Persons who represent foreign interests may not attend. These 
stringent measures are necessary to protect the confidentiality of U.S. 
negotiating positions and are a necessary basis for the relatively open 
process of preparing for IWC meetings.
    The May 27\th\ meeting will be held at 1 p.m. in the Chesapeake 
Room of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 
20910. The meeting on May 29\th\ will be held at 1 p.m. in the NOAA 
Western Regional Center Auditorium, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, 
WA 98115. WA. Photo identification is required to enter the building.

Special Accommodations

    Both meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Ryan Wulff, 301-713-9090 by May 4, 
2009.

    Dated: April 16, 2009.
Rebecca J. Lent,
Director, Office of International Affairs, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E9-9256 Filed 4-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S