[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
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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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