[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 142 (Monday, July 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 48395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17452]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE704


International Whaling Commission; 66th Meeting; Announcement of 
Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the date, time, and location of the 
public meeting to be held prior to the 66th International Whaling 
Commission (IWC) meeting.

DATES: The public meeting will be held October 3, 2016, at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in the NOAA Science Center 
Room, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jordan Carduner at 
[email protected] or 301-427-8483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary of Commerce is responsible for 
discharging the domestic obligations of the United States under the 
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946. The U.S. 
IWC Commissioner has responsibility for the preparation and negotiation 
of U.S. positions on international issues concerning whaling and for 
all matters involving the IWC. The U.S. IWC Commissioner is staffed by 
the Department of Commerce and assisted by the Department of State, the 
Department of the Interior, the Marine Mammal Commission, and other 
U.S. Government agencies.
    A draft agenda for the upcoming IWC meeting will be posted on the 
IWC Secretariat's Web site at http://www.iwc.int.
    NOAA will a hold public meeting to discuss the tentative U.S. 
positions for the October 2016 IWC meeting in Slovenia. Because the 
NOAA public meeting will address 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 the meeting and to determine the 
appropriateness of that person's participation. In particular, persons 
who represent foreign interests may not attend. Persons deemed by NOAA 
to be ineligible to attend will be asked to leave the meeting. These 
stringent measures are necessary to protect the confidentiality of U.S. 
negotiating positions.
    The October 3, 2016, meeting will be held in the NOAA Science 
Center Room, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Photo 
identification is required to enter the building.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Jordan Carduner, [email protected] or 301-
427-8483, by September 19, 2016.

    Dated: July 19, 2016.
John Henderschedt,
Director, Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection 
Program, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-17452 Filed 7-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P