[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79461-79462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27294]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF014


General Advisory Committee to the United States Section to the 
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission; Statement of Organization, 
Practices, and Procedures

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On May 27, 2016, the General Advisory Committee to the United 
States Section to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission adopted 
the Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures (SOPP) as set 
forth. The General Advisory Committee may revise or amend the SOPP in 
future meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachael Wadsworth, NMFS, West Coast 
Region, (562) 980-4036.

Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures

I. Authority

    The General Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Section to 
the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) is established 
pursuant to Section 4 of the Tuna Conventions Act (TCA; 16 U.S.C. 953).

II. Committee Organization

A. Objectives and Scope of Activities
    The purpose of the Committee shall be to serve in an advisory 
capacity to the U.S. National Section of the IATTC (U.S. Section) with 
respect to the U.S. participation in the work of the IATTC, with 
particular reference to development of U.S. policies, positions, and 
negotiating tactics. The U.S. Section consists of the four U.S. 
Commissioners to the IATTC, who represent the United States with 
advisors from the U.S. Department of State, the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS), and other agencies of the U.S. Government. 
NMFS and U.S. Department of State representatives will be acting for 
the Secretaries of Commerce and State, respectively, to fulfill duties 
described in this Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures.
B. Support Services
    NMFS and the Secretary of State shall furnish the Committee with 
relevant information concerning fisheries and international fishery 
agreements. NMFS shall provide to the Committee in a timely manner such 
administrative and technical support services as are necessary for its 
effective functioning.
    Executive Secretariat. NMFS shall provide an Executive Secretariat 
for each meeting of the Committee. The Executive Secretariat shall 
approve and attend all meetings and shall advise the Chair to adjourn, 
or shall herself/himself adjourn, any meeting when in the public 
interest. The Executive Secretariat will prepare an agenda and 
circulate it amongst Committee members in advance of the meeting for 
feedback and approve the agenda. The Executive Secretariat shall ensure 
that the minutes of each meeting are prepared, of which the accuracy 
shall be certified by the Chair. The Executive Secretariat will also 
maintain copies of all reports the Committee receives, issues, or 
approves.
C. Procedures
    The Committee shall determine its organization and prescribe its 
practices and procedures for carrying out its functions under the TCA, 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.), and the Antigua Convention. The Committee shall publish 
and make available to the public a statement of its organization, 
practices, and procedures.
D. Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports
    The Committee shall report, either orally or in writing, to NMFS, 
U.S. Department of State, and to the U.S. Section.

III. Membership and Terms

A. Membership
    The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, shall appoint the members of the Committee.
    Committee composition. The Committee shall have no fewer than 5, or 
no more than 25, individuals, and the ex-officio members will be 
counted towards the total number of individuals. The Committee shall be 
representative of the various groups concerned with the fisheries 
covered by the Antigua Convention, including nongovernmental 
conservation organizations, providing an equitable balance among such 
groups to the maximum extent practicable.
    Ex-officio members. The Chair of the Pacific Fishery Management 
Council's Advisory Subpanel for Highly Migratory Fisheries and the 
Chair of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council's 
Advisory Panel shall be ex-officio members of the Committee by virtue 
of their positions with those Councils.
B. Appointment Terms
    Each member of the Committee shall serve for a term of three years 
and is eligible for reappointment.

IV. Officers and Terms of Office

A. Committee Chair and Vice-Chair
    Every 3 years, the Committee will appoint its Chair for a term of 3 
years. Every 3 years, the Committee will appoint its Vice-Chair for a 
term of 3 years. Each Chair shall be eligible for reappointment for up 
to 2 terms as Chair. Similarly, each Vice-Chair shall be eligible for 
reappointment for up to 2 terms as Vice-Chair. If a vacancy occurs, the 
Committee shall appoint a Chair or Vice-Chair to serve the remainder of 
the term; such service shall not count toward the term limits.

V. Subcommittee

A. Subcommittee
    NMFS shall appoint a Scientific Advisory Subcommittee to advise the 
Committee, pursuant to Section 4 of the TCA.

VI. Administrative Matters

A. Meetings
    All meetings of the Committee shall be open to the public, except 
when in executive session, which shall be closed to the public. 
Officers of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
the U.S. Coast Guard, and representatives of any other agencies of the 
U.S. Government responsible for matters pertaining to fisheries in the 
eastern Pacific Ocean may attend and participate in all meetings of the 
Committee.
    Sensitive information, including discussion of the U.S. negotiating 
position for upcoming IATTC meetings, other than input from the public, 
may be discussed in executive session. NMFS shall be responsible for 
providing notice of meetings to the public in a timely fashion. The 
Committee is not subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.).
B. Number and Frequency of Meetings
    The Committee shall meet at least once per year. If sufficient 
funds are available, one of the Committee meetings shall be an in-
person meeting. All meetings shall be called by the Executive 
Secretariat, subject to the approval of the Commissioner who is also a 
full-time employee of the U.S. Government. There shall be no 
requirement of a quorum.

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C. Attendance in U.S. Delegation
    The Committee shall be invited to attend all non-executive meetings 
of the U.S. delegation and at such meetings shall be given opportunity 
to examine and to be heard on all proposed programs of investigation, 
reports, recommendations, and regulations of the IATTC. Participation 
as a member of the U.S. delegation shall be subject to such limits as 
may be placed on the size of the delegation.
D. Closed Meetings
    Executive sessions of the Committee shall be closed to the public, 
and all discussion occurring in these sessions shall not be disclosed 
publicly unless otherwise specified by an appropriate U.S. Government 
official. The Committee may choose to invite the Subcommittee members 
that are not also Committee members to executive sessions of the 
Committee. Below are examples of when the Committee may go into 
executive sessions:
    a. The Committee is considering the U.S. negotiating position prior 
or subsequent to international meetings.
    b. The Committee is being briefed on litigation in which the 
Committee is interested.
    c. The Committee is discussing internal operational matters.
    To the extent practicable, notice of closed sessions on matters of 
substance should be included in the Federal Register notice announcing 
the Committee meeting.
E. Duration
    The Committee is a statutory body and may be terminated only by 
law.
F. Recordkeeping
    The Executive Secretariat shall prepare the minutes of each 
meeting, which shall at a minimum contain: (1) A record of all persons 
present; (2) the names of persons from the public who attend the 
meeting and their interests or affiliations; (3) a description of 
matters and materials discussed and conclusions reached and the 
rationale for same; and (4) copies of all reports received, issued, or 
approved by the Committee. The Executive Secretariat shall distribute 
the minutes to the Committee members for their review. The Chair of the 
Committee shall certify the accuracy of all minutes of the Committee.
    The Executive Secretariat shall endeavor to provide any draft U.S. 
IATTC proposals to the Committee members at least five days prior to 
the meeting of the Committee. The Executive Secretariat shall provide a 
summary of any available information from bilateral or multilateral 
meetings between the United States and other nations to the Committee 
members.
    The records for the Committee and any working group will be handled 
in accordance with NOAA Administrative Order 205-1 governing the NOAA 
Records Management Program. Such records will be available for public 
inspection and copying, to the extent required by 5 U.S.C. 552. The 
Executive Secretariat shall ensure that all records and other written 
materials are maintained and available for inspection to the extent 
required by law.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 951 et seq.

    Dated: November 8, 2016.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-27294 Filed 11-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P