[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64186-64188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25097]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XB512


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

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

ACTION: Notice; solicitation of nominations.

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SUMMARY: NMFS solicits nominations for the Atlantic Highly Migratory 
Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP). NMFS consults with and considers the 
comments and views of the HMS AP when preparing and implementing 
Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) or FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, 
swordfish, sharks, and billfish. Nominations are being sought to fill 
approximately one-third (12) of the seats on the HMS AP for 3-year 
appointments. Individuals with definable interests in the recreational 
and commercial fishing and related industries, environmental community, 
academia, and non-governmental organizations are considered for 
membership on the HMS AP. NMFS also intends to fill an additional 
vacancy on the HMS AP for the remainder of a term that expires on 
December 31, 2023.

DATES: Nominations must be received on or before December 17, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit nominations and requests for the Advisory 
Panel Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures by email to 
[email protected]. Include in the subject line the following 
identifier: ``HMS AP Nominations.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Cooper at (301) 427-8503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic HMS fisheries are managed under the 
dual authority of both the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and the 
Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA; 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.). The 2006 
Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan (2006 Consolidated 
HMS FMP) and its amendments are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR 
part 635.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the establishment of an AP for 
each FMP for Atlantic HMS, i.e., tunas, swordfish, billfish, and 
sharks. 16 U.S.C. 1854(g)(1)(A)-(B). Since the inception of the AP in 
1998, NMFS has consulted with and considered the comments and views of 
AP members when preparing and implementing Atlantic HMS FMPs or FMP 
amendments. In this notice, NMFS solicits nominations for the Atlantic 
HMS AP. Nominations are being sought to fill approximately one-third 
(12) of the seats on the HMS AP for 3-year appointments. Individuals 
with definable interests in the recreational and commercial fishing and 
related industries, environmental community, academia, and non-
governmental organizations are considered for membership on the HMS AP 
as described below. NMFS also intends to select a nominee to fill an 
additional academic vacancy on the HMS AP for the remainder of a term 
that expires on December 31, 2023. This vacancy is the result of a 
sitting HMS AP member

[[Page 64187]]

moving to the HMS AP seat designated for the ICCAT Advisory Committee 
Chair.

Procedures and Guidelines

A. Nomination Procedures for Appointments to the Advisory Panel

    Nomination packages should include:
    1. The name of the nominee and a description of his/her interest in 
HMS or HMS fisheries, or in particular species of sharks, swordfish, 
tunas, or billfish;
    2. Contact information, including mailing address, phone, and email 
of the nominee;
    3. A statement of background and/or qualifications;
    4. A written commitment that the nominee shall actively participate 
in good faith, and consistent with ethics obligations, in the meetings 
and tasks of the HMS AP; and
    5. A list of outreach resources that the nominee has at his/her 
disposal to communicate qualifications for HMS AP membership.
    Qualification for membership includes one or more of the following: 
(1) Experience in HMS recreational fisheries; (2) experience in HMS 
commercial fisheries; (3) experience in fishery-related industries 
(e.g., marinas, bait and tackle shops); (4) experience in the 
scientific community working with HMS; and/or (5) representation of a 
private, non-governmental, regional, national, or international 
organization that represents marine fisheries, or environmental, 
governmental, or academic interests regarding HMS.
Tenure for the HMS AP
    Member tenure will be for 3 years, with approximately one-third of 
the members' terms expiring on December 31 of each year. Nominations 
are sought for terms beginning January 2022 and expiring December 2024. 
NMFS also intends to select a nominee to fill an additional vacancy for 
the remainder of a term that expires on December 31, 2023.

B. Participants

    Nominations for the HMS AP will be accepted to allow representation 
from commercial and recreational fishing interests, academic/scientific 
interests, and the environmental/non-governmental organization 
community, for individuals who are knowledgeable about Atlantic HMS 
and/or Atlantic HMS fisheries. Current representation on the HMS AP, as 
shown in Table 1, consists of 12 members representing commercial 
interests, 12 members representing recreational interests, 4 members 
representing environmental interests, 4 academic representatives, and 
the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
(ICCAT) Advisory Committee Chair. NMFS seeks to fill 4 commercial, 4 
recreational, 3 academic, and 1 environmental organization vacancies 
for terms starting in 2022. In addition to these 12 vacancies, NMFS 
also intends to select a nominee to fill an academic vacancy for the 
remainder of the term that expires on December 31, 2023. This vacancy 
is the result of a sitting HMS AP member moving to the HMS AP seat 
designated for the ICCAT Advisory Committee Chair.
    In filling vacancies, NMFS will seek to maintain the current 
representation from each of the sectors. NMFS also considers species 
expertise and representation from the fishing regions (Northeast, Mid-
Atlantic, Southeast, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean) to ensure the 
diversity and balance of the HMS AP. Table 1 includes the current 
representation on the HMS AP by sector, region, and species with terms 
that are expiring identified in bold. It is not meant to indicate that 
NMFS will only consider persons who have expertise in the species or 
fishing regions that are listed. Rather, NMFS will aim toward having as 
diverse and balanced an AP as possible. The intent is to have a group 
that, as a whole, reflects an appropriate and equitable balance and mix 
of interests given the responsibilities of the HMS AP.

                                      Table 1--Current Representation on the HMS AP by Sector, Region, and Species
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                                                                                                                 Date term
                Sector                        Fishing region                 Species          Date appointed      expires            Member status
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Academic *...........................  All.........................  Swordfish/Tuna.........        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Academic.............................  All.........................  Tuna...................        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Academic.............................  Gulf of Mexico/Southeast....  Shark..................        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Academic.............................  Southeast...................  Swordfish/HMS..........        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Commercial...........................  Mid-Atlantic................  HMS/Shark..............        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Commercial...........................  Mid-Atlantic................  Swordfish/Tuna.........        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Commercial...........................  Gulf of Mexico..............  Shark..................        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Commercial...........................  Gulf of Mexico..............  Sharks.................        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Commercial...........................  Northeast...................  Tuna...................        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Commercial...........................  Gulf of Mexico/Southeast....  Swordfish/Tuna.........        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Commercial...........................  Gulf of Mexico..............  Tuna...................        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Commercial...........................  Northeast...................  Tuna...................        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Commercial...........................  Northeast/Southeast/Gulf of   HMS/Tuna...............        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
                                        Mexico.
Commercial...........................  Southeast...................  Shark..................        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Commercial...........................  Southeast...................  Swordfish/Tuna.........        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Commercial...........................  Northeast...................  Swordfish/Tuna.........        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Environmental........................  All.........................  Tuna...................        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Environmental........................  All.........................  HMS....................        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Environmental........................  All.........................  Shark..................        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Environmental........................  Caribbean...................  HMS....................        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Recreational.........................  Northeast...................  HMS....................        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Recreational.........................  Northeast...................  Tuna/Sharks............        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Recreational.........................  Mid-Atlantic................  HMS....................        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Recreational.........................  Southeast...................  Billfish...............        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Recreational.........................  Gulf of Mexico..............  HMS....................        1/1/2020      12/31/2022  Active.
Recreational.........................  All.........................  Billfish...............        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Recreational.........................  Mid-Atlantic................  Shark..................        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Recreational.........................  Southeast/Mid Atlantic......  Billfish...............        1/1/2021      12/31/2023  Active.
Recreational.........................  Northeast...................  Tuna/Shark.............        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Recreational.........................  Gulf of Mexico/Southeast....  HMS....................        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.

[[Page 64188]]

 
Recreational.........................  Mid-Atlantic................  HMS....................        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
Recreational.........................  Southeast...................  HMS/Billfish...........        1/1/2019      12/31/2021  Expiring.
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Note: Terms that are expiring or associated with current members stepping down are identified in bold and marked as ``Expiring''. * Designates term
  shift to the HMS AP seat designated for the ICCAT Advisory Committee Chair.

    Five additional members on the HMS AP include one member 
representing each of the following Councils: New England Fishery 
Management Council, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the 
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council, and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. The 
HMS AP also includes 22 ex-officio participants: 20 representatives of 
the coastal states and 2 representatives of the interstate commissions 
(the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Gulf States 
Marine Fisheries Commission).
    NMFS will provide the necessary administrative support, including 
technical assistance, for the HMS AP. However, NMFS will not compensate 
participants with monetary support of any kind. Depending on 
availability of funds, members may be reimbursed for travel costs 
related to the HMS AP meetings.

C. Meeting Schedule

    Meetings of the HMS AP will be held as frequently as necessary but 
are routinely held twice each year. In recent years, meetings have been 
held once in the spring, and once in the fall. The meetings may be held 
in conjunction with public hearings.

    Dated: November 12, 2021.
Michael Ruccio,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-25097 Filed 11-16-21; 8:45 am]
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