[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 203 (Thursday, October 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64994-64996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26478]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XZ75


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

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

ACTION: Notice; solicitation of nominations.

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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 HMS AP when preparing and implementing 
Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) or FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, 
swordfish, sharks, and billfish. Nominations are being sought to fill 
one-third (11) 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 
HMS AP.

DATES: Nominations must be received on or before November 22, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit nominations and requests for the Advisory 
Panel Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures by any of 
the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include in the subject 
line the following identifier: ``HMS AP Nominations.''
     Mail: Brian Parker, Highly Migratory Species Management 
Division, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
     Fax: 301-713-1917.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Cockrell at (301) 713-2347 x128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 64995]]

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, 2, and 3 to the 
Consolidated HMS FMP (April 2008, September 2008, and February 2009, 
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 meetings and tasks of the HMS 
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 2011 and expiring 
December 2013.

B. Participants

    Nominations for the HMS 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 HMS 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 5 commercial, 4 recreational, and 2 environmental 
vacancies by December 31, 2010. 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 and terms that are expiring are 
identified in bold. It does not necessarily indicate that NMFS will 
only consider persons who have expertise in the species that are 
listed.

  Table 1--Current Expiring Representation on the HMS AP by Sector and Species. Terms That Are Expiring Are in
                                                      Bold
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                  Sector                             Species               Date appointed     Date term expires
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Academic.................................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Academic.................................  Tuna.......................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Academic.................................  Shark......................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Academic.................................  HMS........................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Commercial...............................  Swordfish/Tuna.............             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Commercial...............................  HMS........................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Commercial...............................  Tuna.......................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Commercial...............................  Swordfish..................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Commercial...............................  HMS........................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Commercial...............................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Commercial...............................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Commercial...............................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Commercial...............................  Tuna.......................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Commercial...............................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Commercial...............................  Shark......................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Commercial...............................  Swordfish/Tuna.............             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Environmental............................  HMS........................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Environmental............................  HMS........................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Environmental............................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Environmental............................  Shark......................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Recreational.............................  Billfish...................             1/1/2008           12/31/2010
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Recreational.............................  Tuna.......................             1/1/2009           12/31/2011
Recreational.............................  Swordfish..................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Recreational.............................  Billfish...................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
Recreational.............................  HMS........................             1/1/2010           12/31/2012
ICCAT Chair..............................  HMS........................  ...................  ...................
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[[Page 64996]]

    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 HMS 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; or environmental, 
governmental, or academic interests dealing with HMS.
    Five additional members on the HMS 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 
HMS 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 HMS 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 HMS AP meetings.

C. Meeting Schedule

    Meetings of the HMS 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 15, 2010.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-26478 Filed 10-20-10; 8:45 am]
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