49004 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 203 / Monday, October 23, 2017 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF749 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 

Advisory Panel 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; solicitation of 

nominations. 

SUMMARY: NMFS solicits nominations 

for the Atlantic Highly Migratory 

Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP). 

NMFS consults with and considers the 

comments and views of the HMS AP 

when preparing and implementing 

Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) or 

FMP amendments for Atlantic tunas, 

swordfish, sharks, and billfish. 

Nominations are being sought to fill 

approximately one-third (11) of the seats 

on the HMS AP for a 3-year 

appointment. Individuals with definable 

interests in the recreational and 

commercial fishing and related 

industries, environmental community, 

academia, and non-governmental 

organizations are considered for 

membership on the HMS AP. 

DATES: Nominations must be received 

on or before November 22, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit 

nominations and requests for the 

Advisory Panel Statement of 

Organization, Practices, and Procedures 

by any of the following methods: 

• Email: HMSAP.Nominations@

noaa.gov. Include in the subject line the 

following identifier: ‘‘HMS AP 

Nominations.’’ 

• Mail: Margo Schulze-Haugen, 

Highly Migratory Species Management 

Division, NMFS SF1, 1315 East-West 

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Peter Cooper at (301) 427–8503. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 

et seq., as amended by the Sustainable 

Fisheries Act, Public Law 104–297, 

provided that the Secretary may 

establish Advisory Panels to assist in 

the collection and evaluation of 

information relevant to the development 

of any Fishery Management Plan (FMP) 

or FMP amendment for any highly 

migratory species fishery that is under 

the Secretary’s authority. NMFS has 

consulted with the HMS AP on: 

Amendment 1 to the Billfish FMP 

(1999); the HMS FMP (1999); 

Amendment 1 to the HMS FMP (2003); 

the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP 

(2006); and Amendments 1 (2009), 2 

(2008), 3 (2010), 4 (2012), 5a (2013), 5b 

(2017), 6 (2015), 7 (2014), 8 (2013), 9 

(2015), and 10 (2017) to the 2006 

Consolidated HMS FMP; among other 

relevant fishery management issues. 

Procedures and Guidelines 

A. Nomination Procedures for 

Appointments to the Advisory Panel 

Nomination packages should include: 

1. The name of the nominee and a 

description of his/her interest in HMS 

or HMS fisheries, or in particular 

species of sharks, swordfish, tunas, or 

billfish; 

2. Contact information, including 

mailing address, phone, and email of 

the nominee; 

3. A statement of background and/or 

qualifications; 

4. A written commitment that the 

nominee shall actively participate in 

good faith, and consistent with ethics 

obligations, in the meetings and tasks of 

the HMS AP; and 

5. A list of outreach resources that the 

nominee has at his/her disposal to 

communicate Qualifications for HMS 

AP Membership 

Qualification for membership 

includes one or more of the following: 

(1) Experience in HMS recreational 

fisheries; (2) experience in HMS 

commercial fisheries; (3) experience in 

fishery-related industries (e.g., marinas, 

bait and tackle shops); (4) experience in 

the scientific community working with 

HMS; and/or (5) representation of a 

private, non-governmental, regional, 

national, or international organization 

representing marine fisheries, or 

environmental, governmental, or 

academic interests dealing with HMS. 

Tenure for the HMS AP 

Member tenure will be for 3 years (36 

months), with approximately one-third 

of the members’ terms expiring on 

December 31 of each year. Nominations 

are sought for terms beginning January 

2018 and expiring December 2020. 

B. Participants 

Nominations for the HMS AP will be 

accepted to allow representation from 

commercial and recreational fishing 

interests, academic/scientific interests, 

and the environmental/nongovernmental organization community, 

who are knowledgeable about Atlantic 

HMS and/or Atlantic HMS fisheries. 

Current representation on the HMS AP, 

as shown in Table 1, consists of 12 

members representing commercial 

interests, 12 members representing 

recreational interests, 4 members 

representing environmental interests, 4 

academic representatives, and the 

International Commission for the 

Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 

Advisory Committee Chairperson. Each 

HMS AP member serves a 3-year term 

with approximately one-third of the 

total number of seats (33) expiring on 

December 31 of each year. NMFS seeks 

to fill 6 commercial, 3 recreational, 1 

academic and 1 environmental 

organization vacancies by December 31, 

2017. NMFS will seek to fill vacancies 

based primarily on maintaining the 

current representation from each of the 

sectors. NMFS also considers species 

expertise and representation from the 

fishing regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, 

Southeast, Gulf of Mexico, and 

Caribbean) to ensure the diversity and 

balance of the AP. Table 1 includes the 

current representation on the HMS AP 

by sector, region, and species with terms 

that are expiring identified in bold. It is 

not meant to indicate that NMFS will 

only consider persons who have 

expertise in the species or fishing 

regions that are listed. Rather, NMFS 

will aim toward having as diverse and 

balanced an AP as possible. 

TABLE 1—CURRENT REPRESENTATION ON THE HMS AP BY SECTOR, REGION, AND SPECIES

[Terms that are expiring or for whom current members are stepping down are marked as ‘‘Expiring’’. NMFS tries to maintain diversity and 

balance in representation among fishing regions and species.] 

Sector Fishing region Species Date 

appointed 

Date term 

expires Member status 

Academic ..................... All ........................................................ Swordfish/Tuna .......... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Academic ..................... All ........................................................ Tuna ........................... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Academic ..................... Gulf of Mexico/Southeast ................... Shark .......................... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Academic ..................... Southeast ........................................... Swordfish/HMS .......... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 203 / Monday, October 23, 2017 / Notices 49005 

TABLE 1—CURRENT REPRESENTATION ON THE HMS AP BY SECTOR, REGION, AND SPECIES—Continued 

[Terms that are expiring or for whom current members are stepping down are marked as ‘‘Expiring’’. NMFS tries to maintain diversity and 

balance in representation among fishing regions and species.] 

Sector Fishing region Species Date 

appointed 

Date term 

expires Member status 

Commercial ................. Gulf of Mexico .................................... Shark .......................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Commercial ................. All ........................................................ HMS ........................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Commercial ................. Northeast ............................................ Swordfish/Tuna .......... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Commercial ................. Gulf of Mexico/Southeast ................... Swordfish/Tuna .......... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Commercial ................. Northeast ............................................ Tuna ........................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Commercial ................. Northeast ............................................ Tuna ........................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Commercial ................. Southeast ........................................... Shark .......................... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Commercial ................. Southeast ........................................... Swordfish/Tuna .......... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Commercial ................. Northeast ............................................ Tuna ........................... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Commercial ................. Mid-Atlantic ......................................... HMS/Shark ................. 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Commercial ................. Mid-Atlantic ......................................... Swordfish/Tuna .......... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Commercial ................. Gulf of Mexico .................................... Shark .......................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Environmental .............. All ........................................................ Shark .......................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Environmental .............. All ........................................................ HMS ........................... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Environmental .............. All ........................................................ Tuna ........................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Environmental .............. All ........................................................ HMS ........................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Recreational ................ Gulf of Mexico/Southeast ................... Billfish ......................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Recreational ................ Mid-Atlantic ......................................... Shark .......................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Recreational ................ Mid-Atlantic ......................................... Tuna ........................... 1/1/2015 12/31/2017 Expiring. 

Recreational ................ Northeast ............................................ Tuna/Shark ................. 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Recreational ................ Northeast ............................................ HMS ........................... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Recreational ................ Mid-Atlantic ......................................... HMS ........................... 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Recreational ................ Southeast ........................................... Billfish/HMS ................ 1/1/2016 12/31/2018 Active. 

Recreational ................ Northeast ............................................ HMS ........................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Recreational ................ Mid-Atlantic ......................................... Tuna ........................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Recreational ................ Mid-Atlantic ......................................... HMS ........................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Recreational ................ Southeast ........................................... Billfish ......................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

Recreational ................ Gulf of Mexico .................................... HMS ........................... 1/1/2017 12/31/2019 Active. 

The intent is to have a group that, as 

a whole, reflects an appropriate and 

equitable balance and mix of interests 

given the responsibilities of the HMS 

AP. 

Five additional members on the HMS 

AP include one member representing 

each of the following Councils: New 

England Fishery Management Council, 

the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council, the South Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, the Gulf of 

Mexico Fishery Management Council, 

and the Caribbean Fishery Management 

Council. The HMS AP also includes 22 

ex-officio participants: 20 

representatives of the coastal states and 

two representatives of the interstate 

commissions (the Atlantic States Marine 

Fisheries Commission and the Gulf 

States Marine Fisheries Commission). 

NMFS will provide the necessary 

administrative support, including 

technical assistance, for the HMS AP. 

However, NMFS will not compensate 

participants with monetary support of 

any kind. Depending on availability of 

funds, members may be reimbursed for 

travel costs related to the HMS AP 

meetings. 

C. Meeting Schedule 

Meetings of the HMS AP will be held 

as frequently as necessary but are 

routinely held twice each year—once in 

the spring, and once in the fall. The 

meetings may be held in conjunction 

with public hearings. 

Dated: October 17, 2017. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22880 Filed 10–20–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

RIN 0648–XF716 

Fisheries of the South Atlantic; South 

Atlantic Fishery Management Council; 

Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The South Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council (Council) will 

hold a meeting of its Habitat Protection 

and Ecosystem-Based Management 

(Habitat) Advisory Panel (AP) in St. 

Petersburg, FL. The meeting is open to 

the public. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017, from 9 

a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, 

November 15, 2017, from 9 a.m. until 

4:30 p.m., and Thursday, November 16, 

2017, from 9 a.m.to 12 noon. 

ADDRESSES: 

Meeting address: The meeting will be 

held at the Florida Fish and Wildlife 

Research Institute, 100 Eighth Avenue 

SE., St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: 

(727) 896–8626. 

Council address: South Atlantic 

Fishery Management Council, 4055 

Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N. 

Charleston, SC 29405. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim 

Iverson, Public Information Officer, 

South Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 

201, N. Charleston, SC 29405; phone: 

(843) 571–4366 or toll free (866) 

SAFMC–10; fax: (843) 769–4520; email: 

kim.iverson@safmc.net. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Items to 

be addressed or sessions to be 

conducted during this meeting include: 

Draft Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) II 

Implementation Plan; FEP II Dashboard 

links and tools; the SAFMC Ecospecies 

Species Information System; the 

Council’s Habitat and Ecosystem Atlas/ 


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