[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 23, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 16846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08098]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG982


Workshop on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Management Strategy Evaluation

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

ACTION: Notice of workshop.

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SUMMARY: The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, School for Marine 
Science and Technology and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute are 
hosting a workshop on ``Stakeholder Engagement in Management Strategy 
Evaluation of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries.'' This educational 
workshop is supported with NMFS funding through the Bluefin Tuna 
Research Program and is open to the public.

DATES: A workshop will be held on April 29, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 5 
p.m. EDT and April 30, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will take place at University of Massachusetts 
Dartmouth, School for Marine Science and Technology, 836 South Rodney 
French Boulevard, New Bedford, MA, Rooms 101-103.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Steven Cadrin, [email protected] 
or (508) 910-6358.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Management strategy evaluation (MSE) is a 
process that allows fishery managers and stakeholders (e.g., industry, 
scientists, and non-governmental organizations) to assess how well 
different management strategies, achieve specified objectives for a 
fishery. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic 
Tunas (ICCAT) has been engaged in developing an MSE for bluefin tuna. 
The United States participates in this MSE development and has been 
considering stakeholder input throughout that development through 
established procedures, including consultation with the ICCAT Advisory 
Committee and coordination with NMFS's Highly Migratory Species (HMS) 
Division and the HMS Advisory Panel. The United States also 
participates in the development of the MSE through U.S. scientists' 
participation in development of the MSE framework through ICCAT's 
Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS).
    This educational workshop is intended to explain to a broader 
stakeholder audience the concept of MSE as a tool for fisheries 
management, describe the MSE approach being developed by ICCAT, and 
present preliminary demonstrations as an illustration of MSE for 
Atlantic bluefin tuna. One goal is to solicit feedback from U.S. 
fishery stakeholders on how scientists represent the Atlantic bluefin 
resource and fisheries in models, fishery management objectives, 
management performance indicators, and candidate management procedures. 
The workshop will primarily be informational and educational, and there 
will be no binding decisions or formal consensus-based recommendations. 
While discussions at the workshop will help to inform U.S. scientists 
who are participating in work of ICCAT's SCRS, recommendations directly 
affecting the United States' position development and input to the MSE 
will continue to occur through established procedures. This workshop is 
intended to complement, not replace, existing opportunities for U.S. 
stakeholder input. Limited funding is available to support travel to 
this workshop for Atlantic bluefin tuna stakeholders. For more 
information, contact Dr. Steven Cadrin.

    Dated: April 17, 2019.
Paul Doremus,
Acting Director, Office of International Affairs and Seafood 
Inspection, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-08098 Filed 4-22-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P