[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 33210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15237]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG336


International Whaling Commission; 67th 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 being held prior to the 67th meeting of the 
International Whaling Commission (IWC). Because the meeting will 
address U.S. positions, 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.

DATES: The public meeting will be held August 7, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Center, 
1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring, MD 20910, in the Spring Room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Doherty, Office of 
International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, NOAA Fisheries (phone: 
(301) 427-8385 or email: [email protected]).

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.
    Additional information about the IWC meeting, including a draft 
agenda for the meeting, is posted on the IWC Secretariat's website at 
https://iwc.int/iwc67.
    NOAA will a hold public meeting to discuss the tentative U.S. 
positions for the September 2018 IWC meeting in Florianopolis, Brazil. 
Because the 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 August 7, 2018, meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. in the Spring 
Room of the Silver Spring Civic Center, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring, 
MD 20910.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Carolyn Doherty, [email protected] or 
(301) 427-8385, by July 23, 2018.

    Dated: July 12, 2018.
Christopher W. Rogers,
Acting Director, Office of International Affairs and Seafood 
Inspection, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-15237 Filed 7-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P