[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 149 (Thursday, August 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37795-37796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16580]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG353


Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Meeting of the Atlantic Highly 
Migratory Species Advisory Panel

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

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

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SUMMARY: NMFS will hold a 2-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) 
Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in September 2018. The intent of the 
meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of 
Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

DATES: The AP meeting and webinar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
on Wednesday, September 5, and from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, 
September 6.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Silver Spring 
Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
    The meeting on Wednesday, September 5, and Thursday, September 6, 
will also be accessible via conference call and webinar. Conference 
call and webinar access information are available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/event/september-2018-hms-advisory-panel-meeting. 
Once finalized, the meeting agenda, presentations/

[[Page 37796]]

supplemental materials, and the meeting transcripts will be posted to 
this same site.
    Participants 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Cooper or Brad McHale at (301) 
427-8503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., as amended by the 
Sustainable Fisheries Act, Public Law 104-297, provided for the 
establishment of an AP to assist in the collection and evaluation of 
information relevant to the development of any FMP or FMP amendment for 
Atlantic HMS. NMFS consults with and considers the comments and views 
of AP members when preparing and implementing FMPs or FMP amendments 
for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks.
    The AP has previously consulted with NMFS on: Amendment 1 to the 
Billfish FMP (April 1999); the HMS FMP (April 1999); Amendment 1 to the 
HMS FMP (December 2003); the Consolidated HMS FMP (October 2006); and 
Amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 to the 2006 
Consolidated HMS FMP (April and October 2008, February and September 
2009, May and September 2010, April and September 2011, March and 
September 2012, January and September 2013, April and September 2014, 
March and September 2015, and March, September, and December 2016, and 
May and September 2017), among other things.
    The intent of this meeting is to consider alternatives for the 
conservation and management of all Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, 
and shark fisheries. We anticipate discussing:
    <bullet> Short- and long-term management of Atlantic shortfin mako 
(emergency rule extension and Draft Amendment 11);
    <bullet> Bluefin tuna management (Three-year review of Amendment 7 
measures and next steps)
    <bullet> Progress updates on a number of other actions such as 
Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management; Amendment 12 (rulemaking to 
implement NMFS national policy directives); weak-hook and area based 
management; cross-regional vessel electronic reporting (e.g., eVTR, 
SEFHIER, eTrips); and spatial management options.
    <bullet> Shark management in general (Amendment 14 regarding quota 
management; catch-per-unit-effort for sharks; and shark stock 
assessments)
    We also anticipate inviting other NMFS offices to provide updates, 
if available, on their activities relevant to HMS fisheries such as 
updates to the Marine Recreational Information Program. The State 
Department will be invited to provide updates on U.S./Bahama EEZ 
boundary negotiations. Finally, we intend to invite other NMFS offices 
and the United States Coast Guard to provide updates on their 
activities relevant to HMS fisheries.
    Additional information on the meeting and a copy of the draft 
agenda will be posted prior to the meeting at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/event/september-2018-hms-advisory-panel-meeting.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Peter Cooper at (301) 427-8503 at least 7 days 
prior to the meeting.

    Dated: July 30, 2018.
Margo B. Schulze-Haugen,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-16580 Filed 8-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P