Notice2023-24537
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel
Primary source
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Published
November 7, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
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 (10) of the seats on the HMS AP for 3-year appointments. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 214 (Tuesday, November 7, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 214 (Tuesday, November 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76737-76739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24537]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD476]
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; solicitation of nominations.
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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 (10) of the seats on the HMS AP for 3-year
appointments. 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 December 7, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit nominations and requests for the Advisory
Panel Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures by email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4a0207190b1a6404252723242b3e232524390a24252b2b642d253c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a0e8edf3e1f08eeecfcdc9cec1d4c9cfced3e0cecfc1c18ec7cfd6">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the subject line the following
identifier: ``HMS AP Nominations.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Cooper at (301) 427-8503 or via
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#622a2f3123324c2c0d0f0b0c03160b0d0c11220c0d03034c050d14"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6e26233d2f3e4020010307000f1a0701001d2e00010f0f40090118">[email protected]</span></a>.
[[Page 76738]]
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 Atlantic HMS FMP and its
amendments are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the establishment of an AP for
each FMP for HMS, i.e., tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks (16
U.S.C. 1854(g)(1)(A)-(B)). Since the inception of the AP in 1998, NMFS
has consulted with and considered the comments and views of AP members
when preparing and implementing HMS FMPs or FMP amendments. In this
notice, NMFS solicits nominations for the HMS AP. Nominations are being
sought to fill approximately one-third (10) of the seats on the HMS AP
for 3-year appointments. 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 as described below.
Procedures and Guidelines
A. Nomination Procedures for Appointments to the AP
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 that represents marine fisheries, or environmental,
governmental, or academic interests regarding HMS.
Tenure for the HMS AP
Member tenure will be for 3 years, with approximately one-third of
the members' terms expiring on December 31 of each year. Nominations
are sought for terms beginning January 2024 and expiring December 2026.
Members can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms (a total of
9 consecutive years). Afterwards, a member must then sit off the HMS AP
for a single year before becoming eligible to apply for a new term.
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/non-governmental organization
community, for individuals who are knowledgeable about HMS and/or 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 ICCAT
Advisory Committee Chair. NMFS seeks to fill five commercial, three
recreational, one environmental, and one academic sector vacancies for
terms starting in 2024.
In filling vacancies, NMFS will seek to maintain 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 HMS AP. Table 1 includes the current
representation on the HMS AP by sector, region, and species with terms
that are expiring identified in the ``Member Status'' column. 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.
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.
Table 1--Current Representation on the HMS AP by Sector, Region, and Species
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Sector Fishing region Species Date appointed Date term expires Member status
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Academic........................... SE/Gulf............... Sharks................ 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Academic........................... NE/Mid-Atlantic....... Tuna/Shark............ 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Academic........................... SE/Gulf............... Sharks................ 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Academic........................... Northeast............. Tunas................. 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Commercial......................... Gulf of Mexico........ Tuna.................. 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Commercial......................... Southeast............. Swordfish............. 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Commercial......................... Mid-Atlantic/SE....... Tuna.................. 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Commercial......................... Gulf of Mexico........ Sharks................ 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Commercial......................... Northeast............. Tuna.................. 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Commercial......................... SE/Gulf............... Swordfish/Tuna........ 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Commercial......................... Gulf of Mexico........ Tuna.................. 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Commercial......................... Northeast............. Tuna.................. 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Commercial......................... NE/SE/GOM............. HMS/Tuna.............. 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Commercial......................... Southeast............. Sharks................ 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Commercial......................... Gulf of Mexico........ All................... 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Commercial......................... Northeast............. Swordfish/Tuna........ 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Environmental...................... All................... Tuna.................. 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Environmental...................... All................... HMS................... 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Environmental...................... All................... Shark................. 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Environmental...................... Caribbean............. HMS................... 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Recreational....................... All................... HMS................... 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
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Recreational....................... Northeast............. Tuna/Sharks........... 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Recreational....................... All................... HMS................... 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Recreational....................... Northeast............. Tuna.................. 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Recreational....................... Gulf of Mexico........ HMS................... 1/1/2023............. 12/31/2025........... Active.
Recreational....................... All................... Billfish.............. 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Recreational....................... Mid-Atlantic.......... Shark................. 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Recreational....................... Southeast/Mid Atlantic Billfish.............. 1/1/2021............. 12/31/2023........... Expiring.
Recreational....................... Northeast............. Tuna/Shark............ 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Recreational....................... NE/SE/GOM............. All................... 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Recreational....................... Mid-Atlantic.......... HMS................... 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
Recreational....................... Southeast............. HMS/Billfish.......... 1/1/2022............. 12/31/2024........... Active.
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Note: Terms that are expiring or associated with current members stepping down are marked as ``Expiring''.
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 2 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. In recent years, meetings have been
held once in the spring, and once in the fall. The meetings may be held
in conjunction with public hearings.
Dated: November 1, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-24537 Filed 11-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 7, 2023.
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