[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 69 (Friday, April 10, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18437-18438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07000]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF559]
34th General Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the Inter-
American Tropical Tuna Commission and 19th Scientific Advisory
Subcommittee to the General Advisory Committee; Meeting Announcement
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a public meeting of the 34th General Advisory
Committee (GAC) to the U.S. Section to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna
Commission (IATTC) and the 19th Scientific Advisory Subcommittee (SAS)
to the GAC in accordance with the Tuna Conventions Act (TCA; 16 U.S.C.
951 et seq.). This meeting will be held on July 20 and 21, 2026 via
webinar. The meeting topics are described under the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this notice.
DATES: The virtual meeting of the SAS and GAC will be held on Monday
July 20, 2026, and Tuesday July 21, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT
each day (or until business is concluded). You must complete the
registration process by July 6, 2026, if you plan to attend the meeting
(see ADDRESSES).
ADDRESSES: If you plan to attend the meeting, which will be held by
webinar, please register at https://forms.gle/wjSfQ5cuzEtN5pjQ8.
Instructions for attending the meeting will be emailed to meeting
participants before the meeting occurs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lucille Bulkeley, NMFS West Coast
Region, at [email protected] or at (858) 546-5620.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The timing of U.S. SAS and GAC meetings are
adjusted based on the dates of the IATTC and Agreement on International
Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP) Annual Meetings. This year, the
IATTC will convene its 17th Meeting of the Scientific Advisory
Committee (SAC) June 8-12, 2026, and the 104th Annual Meeting of the
IATTC, subsidiary bodies, and meetings of the AIDCP will be held on
August 24-September 4, 2026. For 2026, the combined U.S. SAS and GAC
Meeting will be held on July 20-21, after the IATTC SAC Meeting and
before the IATTC and AIDCP meetings. This timing allows for scientific
topics presented at the IATTC SAC Meeting, including stock assessments,
to be discussed and used to inform U.S. positions at the combined U.S.
SAS and GAC Meeting. This meeting will also include updates from IATTC
working groups and is expected to include presentations of draft U.S.
proposals to be submitted to the IATTC. An executive session may be
called in order to discuss sensitive information, including possible
U.S. negotiating positions for the upcoming IATTC Annual Meeting.
In accordance with the TCA, the U.S. Department of Commerce, in
consultation with the Department of State, appoints a GAC to the U.S.
Section to the IATTC and a SAS that advises the GAC. The U.S. Section
consists of U.S. Commissioners and alternate U.S. Commissioners to the
IATTC and representatives of the State Department, NOAA, Department of
Commerce, other U.S. Government agencies, and stakeholders. The GAC
provides recommendations to the U.S. section of the IATTC. The purpose
of the SAS is to advise the GAC on scientific matters and provide
recommendations to the GAC. Per the TCA, the SAS advises the GAC on
matters including the conservation of ecosystems, the sustainable uses
of living marine resources related to the tuna fishery in the eastern
Pacific Ocean, and the long-term conservation and management of stocks
of living marine resources in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. NMFS
West Coast Region
[[Page 18438]]
staff provide administrative and technical support services as
necessary for the effective functioning of the SAS and GAC.
The meetings of the SAS and GAC are open to the public, unless in
executive session. The time and manner of public comment will be at the
discretion of the Chairs for the SAS and GAC. For more information and
updates on the upcoming IATTC meetings, please visit the IATTC's
website: https://www.iattc.org/MeetingsENG.htm.
SAS and GAC Meeting Topics
Given the virtual nature of these meetings, the agenda will be
concise. The SAS and GAC meeting to prepare for the 104th IATTC Annual
Meeting is expected to cover a broad spectrum of topics including but
not limited to:
(1) Outcomes from recent IATTC working groups, committees, and
AIDCP meetings;
(2) Outcomes of the most recent IATTC stock assessments and updates
for tuna, tuna-like species, and other species caught in association
with those fisheries in the eastern Pacific Ocean;
(3) Evaluation of the IATTC Staff's Recommendations to the
Commission for 2026;
(4) Potential proposals to the IATTC;
(5) Updates from Joint IATTC-Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
Commission Northern Committee Working Group on Pacific Bluefin Tuna;
(6) Recommendations from the SAS and GAC members; and
(7) Other issues as they arise.
Special Accommodations
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Lucille Bulkeley (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951 et seq.
Dated: April 8, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-07000 Filed 4-9-26; 8:45 am]
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