[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17523-17525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05919]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XC834]
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of the Atlantic Highly
Migratory Species Advisory Panel; Advisory Panel Nominations
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and webinar/conference call;
solicitation of nominations.
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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS)
Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in May 2023. The intent of the meeting is
to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic
HMS. The meeting is open to the public. NMFS also is soliciting
nominations for the HMS 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
one environmental seat on the HMS AP for a 3-year appointment.
Individuals with definable interests in the environmental community
will be considered for membership on the HMS AP under this
solicitation.
DATES: The AP meeting and webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 9, from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, May 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and
Thursday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Nominations must be received
on or before April 15, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Silver Spring, Maryland
area, with the location being announced on the NMFS website prior to
the meeting. The meeting will also be accessible via WebEx webinar/
conference call. Meeting location, conference call, and webinar access
information will be available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/event/may-2023-hms-advisory-panel-meeting.
Participants accessing the webinar are strongly encouraged to log/
dial in 15 minutes prior to the meeting. NMFS will show the
presentations via webinar and allow public comment during identified
times on the agenda.
You may submit AP 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, 301-427-8503,
[email protected], or Tiffany Weidner, 301-427-8550,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Atlantic HMS fisheries (tunas, billfish,
swordfish, and sharks) are managed under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act;
16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (16
U.S.C. 971 et seq.). The 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and its amendments
are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
HMS AP Meeting
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the establishment of APs and
requires NMFS to consult with and consider the comments and views of AP
members during the preparation and implementation of FMPs or FMP
amendments (16 U.S.C. 1854(g)(1)(A)-(B)). NMFS meets with the HMS AP
approximately twice each year to consider potential alternatives for
the conservation and management of Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish,
and shark fisheries, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
For this meeting, we anticipate discussing, among other topics:
Bluefin tuna management activities;
Amendment 15 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP regarding
spatial management;
Amendment 16 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP regarding
shark management;
Outcomes of the 2022 International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Annual Meeting; and
Atlantic HMS Essential Fish Habitat 5-Year Review.
We also anticipate inviting other NMFS offices and the U.S. Coast
Guard to provide updates, if available, on their activities relevant to
HMS fisheries. Additional information on the meetings and a copy of the
draft agenda will be posted prior to the meeting (see ADDRESSES).
In-person access to the meeting by the public may be limited
depending on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19
Community Level for Montgomery County, MD at the time of the meeting.
All members of the public will have virtual access to the meeting
available via webinar and status updates of in-person public access to
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the meeting will be available on the NMFS website (see ADDRESSES).
HMS AP Nominations Procedures and Guidelines
Participants
NMFS seeks to fill one vacancy on the HMS AP for a term starting in
2023. Specifically, NMFS seeks nominations (which may include self-
nomination) from the environmental/non-governmental organization (NGO)
sector of individuals who are knowledgeable about HMS and/or HMS
fisheries. Representation on the HMS AP, as shown in Table 1, consists
of 12 members from the commercial sector, 12 from the recreational
sector, 4 from environmental/NGO sector, 4 from the academic sector,
and the ICCAT Advisory Committee Chair.
Table 1--Current Representation on the HMS AP by Sector, Region, and Species
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Date Date term
Sector Fishing region Species appointed expires Member status
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Academic..................... Southeast Gulf Sharks......... 1/1/2022 12/31/2023 Active.
of Mexico.
Academic..................... Northeast/Mid- Tuna/Shark..... 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Atlantic.
Academic..................... Southeast/Gulf Sharks......... 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
of Mexico.
Academic..................... Northeast...... Tunas.......... 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Commercial................... South Atlantic/ Swordfish...... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Active.
Caribbean.
Commercial................... Mid-Atlantic... Swordfish/Tuna. 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Active.
Commercial................... Gulf of Mexico. Swordfish/Tuna. 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 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/ Swordfish/Tuna. 1/1/2021 12/31/2023 Active.
Southeast.
Commercial................... Gulf of Mexico. Tuna........... 1/1/2021 12/31/2023 Active.
Commercial................... Northeast...... Tuna........... 1/1/2021 12/31/2023 Active.
Commercial................... Northeast/ HMS/Tuna....... 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Southeast/Gulf
of Mexico.
Commercial................... Southeast...... Sharks......... 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Commercial................... Gulf of Mexico. All............ 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Commercial................... Northeast...... Swordfish/Tuna. 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Environmental................ All............ HMS............ 1/1/2020 12/31/2022 Expired.
Environmental................ All............ Tuna........... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Active.
Environmental................ All............ Shark.......... 1/1/2021 12/31/2023 Active.
Environmental................ Caribbean...... HMS............ 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Recreational................. Northeast...... Tuna........... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Active.
Recreational................. Northeast...... Tuna/Sharks.... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Active.
Recreational................. All............ HMS............ 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Active.
Recreational................. South Atlantic/ HMS............ 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Active.
Gulf of Mexico.
Recreational................. Gulf of Mexico. HMS............ 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 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- Billfish....... 1/1/2021 12/31/2023 Active.
Atlantic.
Recreational................. Northeast...... Tuna/Shark..... 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Recreational................. Northeast/ All............ 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Southeast/Gulf
of Mexico.
Recreational................. Mid-Atlantic... HMS............ 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
Recreational................. Southeast...... HMS/Billfish... 1/1/2022 12/31/2024 Active.
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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. The intent is to have a group
that, as a whole, reflects an appropriate and equitable balance and mix
of expertise and interests given the responsibilities of the HMS AP.
The HMS AP also includes one member representing each relevant Fishery
Management Council and ex-officio participants representing the coastal
states and interstate commissions.
Through this notice, NMFS is also taking steps to advance a
transparent process that promotes equity, inclusion, and accessibility
when seeking nominees to serve in these important roles. As such, NMFS
encourages nominations for women and for individuals from underserved
communities that meet the knowledge and experience of the positions
described in this notice. See Executive Order (E.O.) 13985 (Advancing
Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the
Federal Government) Sec. 2 (defining ``underserved communities'' as
``populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as
geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full
opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic
life,'' ``such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American
persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of
color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities;
persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely
affected by persistent poverty or inequality.''). E.O. 13985 is
available at:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/
advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-
through-the-federal-government.
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.
Nomination Procedures for Appointments to the AP
Nomination packages should include:
1. The name of the nominee and a description of their expertise,
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experience and interest in HMS or HMS fisheries, or in particular
species of sharks, swordfish, tunas, or billfish;
2. Contact information, including nominee's mailing address, phone,
and email;
3. A statement of nominee's 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 and/or references that the nominee
has at their disposal to communicate their qualifications for HMS AP
membership.
Nominees for this vacancy should have experience representing a
private, non-governmental, regional, national, or international
environmental organization that represents marine fishery 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 a term beginning in 2023 and expiring at the end of
2025.
Members can serve a maximum of 3 consecutive terms (a total of 9
consecutive years). Afterwards, a member must then sit off the HMS AP
for a single year before reapplying for a new term.
Dated: March 17, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-05919 Filed 3-22-23; 8:45 am]
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