[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 88 (Monday, May 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29639-29640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09743]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC972]


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Climate Vulnerability 
Assessment Public Meeting and Webinar

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

ACTION: Notice of public workshop and webinar/conference call.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) 
Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) public workshop and webinar in 
May 2023. NMFS uses CVAs to identify which species may be most 
vulnerable based on their exposure to projected changes in the 
environment (e.g., warming oceans) and their sensitivity or 
adaptability to handle those changes based on their life history 
characteristics. In-person workshops are a key component of the CVA 
scoring process. This workshop will allow a scientific panel of 15 
experts to evaluate species sensitivity to climate change, identify and 
fix errors in scoring, allow for appropriate consideration of new 
information, address bias, and provide their individual scores for, and 
opinions on, HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

DATES: The CVA workshop and webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 
2023 through Thursday, May 18, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The in-person workshop will be held at the Embassy Suites by 
Hilton, 8000 Jos[eacute] M. Tartak Ave, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00979. 
The meeting will also be accessible via webinar/conference call. Please 
use this form to register for the workshop in order to receive access 
information: https://forms.gle/VaoPBRX24pAMWFBC6.
    Agendas and additional meeting information can be found here: 
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/event/atlantic-highly-migratory-species-climate-vulnerability-assessment-public-workshop-and.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Cudney, 301-427-8503, 
[email protected], or Tyler Loughran, 301-427-8503, 
[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 Fishery Management Plan 
and its amendments are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
    The NMFS Climate Science Strategy (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/climate/noaa-fisheries-climate-science-strategy) prioritized 
the use of CVAs to better understand what is at risk and why, and to 
help triage and prioritize climate science funding and resource 
decisions. NMFS uses CVAs to identify which species may be most 
vulnerable based on their exposure to projected changes in the 
environment (e.g., warming oceans) and their sensitivity or 
adaptability to handle those changes based on their life history 
characteristics. In-person workshops are a key component of the CVA 
scoring process. This HMS CVA workshop will allow a scientific panel of 
15 experts to: evaluate the sensitivity of HMS to climate change; 
identify and fix errors in scoring; allow for appropriate consideration 
of new information; address bias; and provide their individual scores 
for, and opinions on, HMS. Panelists will also consider, and

[[Page 29640]]

provide their individual views on, whether impacts of climate change 
are anticipated to be negative, neutral, or positive on HMS species. 
The intent of the workshop is to increase transparency in the process 
of determining final scores. NMFS will generate preliminary scores 
indicating overall expected vulnerability of HMS to climate change at 
the end of the workshop; this will be based on consideration of the 
panelists' individual scores and other information and analyses. 
Panelists will be provided additional opportunities after the workshop 
to finalize their individual scores. NMFS will take these individual 
scores and other information and analyses into consideration when the 
agency develops final vulnerability rankings. Under the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, NMFS is required to use the best scientific information 
available for fishery management per National Standard 2, 16 U.S.C. 
1851(a)(2). NMFS will make the final results of the HMS CVA available 
to the public through a variety of outreach mechanisms including the 
NOAA CVA website (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/climate/climate-vulnerability-assessments), manuscripts, web stories, and other 
tools.
    This workshop will include both large group discussion of relevant 
information and breakout groups to provide panelists the opportunity to 
focus on species-specific discussions. Additional information on the 
meeting and a copy of the draft agenda will be posted prior to the 
meeting (see ADDRESSES).
    Ground rules for the workshop will be strictly enforced through the 
workshop and will be made available with webinar access information 
(see ADDRESSES). Members of the public are invited to observe the 
workshop in person or virtually, and will be provided limited 
opportunities to present information to a panel of scientific experts 
to assist in their evaluation of species' sensitivity to climate 
change. The workshop location will be physically accessible to people 
with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Jennifer Cudney or Tyler Loughran 
at 301-427-8503, at least 7 days prior to the meeting. Members of the 
public accessing the webinar are strongly encouraged to log/dial in 15 
minutes prior to the meeting in case of technical issues. Members of 
the public observing the workshop via webinar are invited to observe 
both large group and breakout discussions, and should be prepared to 
indicate breakout group preferences at appropriate times.

    Dated: May 3, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-09743 Filed 5-5-23; 8:45 am]
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