[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65638-65639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27645]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG671


U.S. Stakeholder Meetings on Pacific Bluefin Tuna Long-Term 
Management Framework; Meeting Announcement

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is holding a meeting to discuss the future of the U.S. 
West Coast Pacific bluefin tuna fishery, including objectives and a 
management framework.

DATES: The meeting will be held January 9, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 
p.m. PST, or until business concludes.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held concurrently in two locations: (1) 
In the Pacific Conference Room (Room 300) at NMFS, Southwest Fisheries 
Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037; 
and (2) Room 3400 at the Long Beach Federal Building, 501 W. Ocean 
Blvd., Long Beach, California 90802. Please notify Celia Barroso (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) by December 27, 2018, if you plan to 
attend and whether you will be attending in person or remotely. The 
meetings will also be accessible by webinar. NMFS will email 
instructions and background materials for the webinar to meeting 
participants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celia Barroso, West Coast Region, 
NMFS, at [email protected], or at (562) 432-1850.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Domestic and international stakeholders 
share interest in developing management objectives and a long-term 
management framework for Pacific bluefin tuna. In September 2018, the 
Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) recommended that its Highly 
Migratory Species Management Team develop a long-term management 
strategy for Pacific bluefin tuna (See the PFMC's ``September 2018 
Summary Decision'' at https://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/0918_Decision_Summary_DocumentV2.pdf). Additionally, the 
International Scientific Committee on Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the 
North Pacific Ocean (ISC) is considering whether to proceed with a 
management strategy evaluation (MSE) for Pacific bluefin tuna. The 
development of a domestic management strategy and objectives could 
apply to the ISC's MSE. During this stakeholder meeting, NMFS will 
briefly review the current status of the stock and current management 
regime, and then intends to solicit input from participants on 
potential management objectives and strategies to achieve those 
objectives for the Pacific bluefin tuna fishery.

Pacific Bluefin Tuna U.S. Stakeholder Meeting Topics

    The Pacific bluefin tuna U.S. stakeholder meeting topics will 
include, but are not limited to, the following:
    (1) An overview of international management Pacific bluefin tuna 
and management of the U.S. Pacific bluefin tuna fishery;
    (2) Potential management objectives; and,
    (3) Potential management strategies.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting location is physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Celia Barroso (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT) by December 23, 2018.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., 16 
U.S.C. 6901 et seq.


[[Page 65639]]


    Dated: December 17, 2018.
Karen H. Abrams,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-27645 Filed 12-20-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P