[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53641-53642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21057]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RTID 0648-XB431


Meeting on the Stock Status of Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

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

ACTION: Notice of virtual public meeting.

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[[Page 53642]]

SUMMARY: NMFS is holding a public webinar for the Advisory Committee to 
the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation 
of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and other interested stakeholders to provide 
an update on recent work by ICCAT's Standing Committee on Research and 
Statistics (SCRS) Bluefin Tuna Species Group to assess the western 
Atlantic stock of bluefin tuna.

DATES: A webinar information session that is open to the public will be 
held on September 30, 2021, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: Please register to attend the webinar at: https://forms.gle/zYfNx5gd3dud4Hfm8. Registration will close on September 29, 2021 at 5 
p.m. EDT. Instructions will be emailed to registered participants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel O'Malley, Office of 
International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, (301) 427-8373 or at 
Rachel.O'[email protected]v.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ICCAT's SCRS held a virtual stock assessment 
meeting for the western stock of Atlantic bluefin tuna from August 31 
to September 1, 2021; it was immediately followed by a virtual meeting 
of the SCRS' Bluefin Tuna Species Group to consider the results. The 
assessment work is considered preliminary until adopted by the SCRS 
during its plenary meeting starting in late September. At that time, 
the SCRS will also adopt management advice for western Atlantic bluefin 
tuna to provide to the Commission. NMFS scientists will provide the 
Advisory Committee and other interested stakeholders with an update on 
the assessment work at the September 30, 2021, webinar, where 
participants will have an opportunity to ask questions. NMFS will 
announce the timing and format for the question and answer period at 
the beginning of the webinar.
    The webinar is specifically an update on the stock assessment 
progress and not on development of U.S. positions for ICCAT. A Fall 
meeting of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to ICCAT will be 
held in October after the stock assessment results and SCRS management 
advice have been finalized and published. The October meeting is for 
the express purpose of providing information relevant to the 
development of possible positions to be taken by the United States at 
ICCAT regarding bluefin tuna conservation and management and other 
important topics.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 23, 2021.
Alexa Cole,
Director, Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-21057 Filed 9-23-21; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P