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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60484-60485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29584]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 102797A]

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Consultation; Public 
Meeting; and Workshops on Sharks

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and workshops.

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SUMMARY: NMFS publishes information regarding the FAO initiatives on 
the conservation and management of sharks, reduction of incidental 
catch of seabirds in longline fisheries, and the management of fishing 
capacity. An FAO Consultation, planned for late October 1998, will 
consider draft plans of action in these three areas. NMFS will hold a 
meeting to brief the public on the status of preparations for the FAO 
Consultation. In conjunction with the National Fish and Wildlife 
Foundation, NMFS is sponsoring two workshops in order to gather the 
information necessary to contribute to national, regional, and high 
seas strategies (by ocean area) for sharks in North America. The 
workshop proceedings will be compiled into proposed conservation and 
management strategies. The workshops will be coordinated by the World 
Wildlife Fund and are open to interested observers.

DATES: The meeting dates are:
    1. Status of preparations for the FAO Consultation: December 16, 
11:00 a.m.
    2. Shark regional workshops: December 4 and 5, 1997,
    8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sarasota, FL, and December 8 and 9, 1997, 
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Monterey, CA.

ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are--

[[Page 60485]]

    1. Status of preparations for the FAO Consultation: Room 5215, 
Herbert Clark Hoover Building (Department of Commerce), 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230.
    2. Shark regional workshops: Sarasota--Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 
Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, and Monterey--Monterey Bay 
Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey,
    CA 93940.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Swanson at (301) 713-2276; to 
attend shark workshops as an observer, contact Kathy Kessler at (202) 
861-8346. Information on the FAO initiatives is available online at 
http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAO, with input from the United States and other governments, 
is preparing for an FAO Consultation in late 1998 to consider action 
plans on the conservation and management of sharks, reduction of 
incidental catch of seabirds in longline fisheries, and the management 
of fishing capacity. All FAO member countries as well as observers will 
be invited to the FAO Consultation. Preparations include meetings of 
expert Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to consider draft guidelines and 
plans of actions well in advance of the FAO Consultation.
    On August 8, 1997, NMFS published a notice of U.S. involvement in 
the planning and preparations for the FAO Consultation (62 FR 42766). 
Additional background information is presented in that Federal Register 
notice and is not repeated here. NMFS will host a meeting to brief the 
public on the status of preparations for the FAO Consultation at the 
time and place provided above.

Shark Regional Workshops

    To assist development of background documents for the Shark TWG, 
the United States will sponsor two shark regional workshops. The goal 
for the upcoming shark regional workshops and the subsequent TWG and 
FAO Consultation is to contribute to developing a global strategy 
(action plan) and guidelines for sustainable international and regional 
management of elasmobranch species by national, regional and highly 
migratory management groups. The workshop proceedings will be compiled 
into proposed strategies and used to contribute to the TWG, which will 
provide background documents for the FAO Consultation.
    The shark regional workshops will review--
    1. Shark fisheries in the region, including directed fisheries and 
fisheries in which sharks are a bycatch and
    2. Current data collection and management in the region.
    Regional workshop participants will also be asked to develop 
recommendations on action areas, priority issues and time targets for 
the following categories:
    1. Research, data collection, and monitoring;
    2. Conservation and management for sustainable shark populations;
    3. Building capacity for conservation, research, and management;
    4. Regional and international cooperation; and
    5. Funding for shark conservation and management.
    Regional workshop participants will include fisheries scientists, 
shark experts, and regional fishery management organization 
representatives. The workshops are open to interested observers. Anyone 
planning to attend as an observer should contact Kathy Kessler (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Special Accommodations

    The meeting on the status of preparations for the FAO Consultation 
will be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for 
sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed 
to Dean Swanson at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 4, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-29584 Filed 11-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
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