[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 169 (Thursday, September 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 53731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18868]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC321]


Advisory Committee Open Session on Management Strategy Evaluation 
for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

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

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is holding a public meeting via webinar session for the 
Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the International Commission 
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and all interested 
stakeholders to receive an update and provide input on the development 
of the management strategy evaluation (MSE) for Atlantic Bluefin tuna. 
NMFS staff will also provide an update on the Marine Recreational 
Information Program Atlantic HMS Regional Implementation Plan.

DATES: A virtual meeting that is open to the public will be held by 
webinar session on September 16, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: Please register to attend the meeting at: https://forms.gle/SvV5b9ijaBgTbe3R7. Registration will close on September 14, 2022, at 5 
p.m. EDT. Instructions for accessing the webinar session will be 
emailed to registered participants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Keller, Office of International 
Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, (202) 897-9208 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MSE is a process that allows fishery 
managers and stakeholders (e.g., industry, scientists, and non-
governmental organizations) to assess how well different strategies 
achieve specified management objectives for a fishery. After several 
years of work, ICCAT expects to finalize its Bluefin tuna MSE in 2022 
and anticipates adopting a management procedure in November 2022 to set 
Total Allowable Catch (TACs) for 2023 and future years for both the 
western Atlantic and the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stocks of 
Bluefin tuna. NMFS and the United States more broadly participate in 
this MSE development process and have been engaging stakeholders and 
considering their input throughout the process through various means, 
including consultation with the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section 
to ICCAT. The United States also participates in the development of the 
Bluefin tuna MSE through active engagement by U.S. scientists in 
ICCAT's Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS).
    The September 16 meeting is intended to update stakeholders and 
solicit their input on the MSE approach being developed by ICCAT. This 
includes SCRS progress in developing initial candidate management 
procedures (CMPs) illustrating potential management tradeoffs and the 
related process by ICCAT to refine management objectives to assist the 
SCRS in further refining and narrowing those CMPs. This open session 
Advisory Committee meeting is primarily informational in nature and is 
intended to increase the opportunity for stakeholder awareness and 
input on the Bluefin tuna MSE process. Discussions at the meeting will 
help inform U.S. scientists who are participating in the work of the 
SCRS, including the SCRS Species Group and Plenary meetings, scheduled 
for September 19-30, 2022.
    In addition to MSE updates, NMFS staff will provide an update on 
the Marine Recreational Information Program Atlantic HMS Regional 
Implementation Plan for the IAC's and the public's information and 
background. There will be dedicated time for questions and discussion 
related to this plan.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: August 26, 2022.
Alexa Cole,
Director, Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-18868 Filed 8-31-22; 8:45 am]
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