Notice2025-22374
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel
Primary source
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Published
December 9, 2025
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 swordfish, sharks, tunas, and billfish. Nominations are being sought to fill approximately one third (10) of the seats on the HMS AP, each with a 3-year appointment. NMFS will consider individuals with definable interests in recreational and commercial fishing and related industries, including those from the environmental community and non- governmental organizations, for membership on the HMS AP.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 234 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57028-57030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22374]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF286]
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
swordfish, sharks, tunas, and billfish. Nominations are being sought to
fill approximately one third (10) of the seats on the HMS AP, each with
a 3-year appointment. NMFS will consider individuals with definable
interests in recreational and commercial fishing and related
industries, including those from the environmental community and non-
governmental organizations, for membership on the HMS AP.
DATES: Submit nominations on or before January 8, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit nominations and requests for the AP Statement
of Organization, Practices, and Procedures by email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#41090c1200116f0f2e2c282f2035282e2f32012f2e20206f262e37"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3f77726c7e6f1171505256515e4b5650514c7f51505e5e11585049">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the subject line the following
identifier: ``HMS AP Nominations.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Quintrell at 301-427-8503 or via
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3d75706e7c6d1373525054535c495452534e7d53525c5c135a524b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="377f7a6476671979585a5e5956435e585944775958565619505841">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: HMS fisheries (swordfish, sharks, tunas, and
billfish) are managed under the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP and its
amendments pursuant to the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.) and consistent with the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (16
U.S.C. 971 et seq.). HMS implementing regulations are at 50 CFR part
635.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires NMFS to establish an AP for each
HMS FMP (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
[[Page 57029]]
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. NMFS will consider
individuals with definable interests in recreational and commercial
fishing and related industries, including those from the environmental
community and non-governmental organizations for membership on the HMS
AP as described below.
Procedures and Guidelines
Nomination Procedures for Appointments to the AP
Nomination packages should include:
1. The name and contact information, including mailing address,
email address, and phone number of the nominee;
2. A description of the nominee's interest in HMS or HMS fisheries,
or in particular species of swordfish, sharks, tunas, or billfish;
3. A statement of the nominee's background and/or qualifications;
4. A list of outreach resources that the nominee has at their
disposal to communicate qualifications for HMS AP membership; and
5. A written commitment that the nominee shall actively participate
in good faith in the meetings and tasks of the HMS AP.
Advisory Panel members will be required to comply with applicable
rules of conduct, including all ethics requirements. Qualification for
membership includes experience in one or more of the following:
1. HMS recreational fisheries;
2. HMS commercial fisheries;
3. Fishery-related industries (e.g., marinas, bait and tackle
shops);
4. 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.
HMS AP Tenure
Members are appointed for 3-year terms. Approximately one-third of
the members' terms expire on December 31 of each year. NMFS is seeking
nominations for terms beginning January 2026 and expiring December
2028.
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.
Participants
NMFS will accept nominations for the HMS AP that allow for
representation from commercial and recreational fishing interests,
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
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
Advisory Committee Chair. NMFS seeks to fill three commercial, five
recreational, and two environmental sector vacancies for terms starting
in 2026.
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 America, and Caribbean) to ensure the
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 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............................. All..................... Billfish/HMS............ 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Academic............................. Northeast/Mid-Atlantic.. Tuna/Shark.............. 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Academic............................. Southeast/Gulf of Shark................... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
America.
Academic............................. Northeast............... HMS..................... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Commercial........................... Gulf of America......... Tuna.................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Commercial........................... Southeast............... Swordfish............... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Commercial........................... Mid-Atlantic/Southeast.. Tuna.................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Commercial........................... Northeast............... HMS..................... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Commercial........................... Northeast............... Tuna.................... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Commercial........................... Northeast............... Tuna.................... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Commercial........................... Gulf of America......... HMS..................... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Commercial........................... Southeast/Gulf of HMS..................... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
America.
Commercial........................... Northeast............... Tuna.................... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Commercial........................... All..................... HMS/Tuna................ 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Commercial........................... Southeast............... Shark................... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Commercial........................... Northeast............... Swordfish/Tuna.......... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Environmental........................ All..................... Tuna.................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Environmental........................ All..................... HMS..................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Environmental........................ All..................... HMS..................... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Environmental........................ Caribbean............... HMS..................... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Recreational......................... Mid-Atlantic............ Tuna/Billfish........... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Recreational......................... Mid-Atlantic............ Shark................... 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Recreational......................... Northeast............... Tuna/Shark.............. 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Recreational......................... All..................... HMS..................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Recreational......................... Gulf of America......... HMS..................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Recreational......................... All..................... Billfish................ 1/1/2024 12/31/2026 Active.
Recreational......................... Northeast............... Tuna.................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Recreational......................... All..................... HMS..................... 1/1/2023 12/31/2025 Expiring.
Recreational......................... All..................... HMS..................... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Recreational......................... Northeast/Mid-Atlantic.. HMS..................... 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
Recreational......................... Northeast/Mid-Atlantic.. Tuna/Shark.............. 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 Active.
[[Page 57030]]
Recreational......................... Northeast............... Tuna/Shark.............. 1/1/2025 12/31/2027 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 Fishery Management Councils: the New
England Fishery Management Council, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Gulf
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.
Meeting Schedule
NMFS will hold meetings of the HMS AP as frequently as necessary
and, at a minimum, twice each year. In recent years, NMFS held meetings
once in the spring and once in the fall. The meetings may be held in
conjunction with public hearings.
Dated: December 5, 2025.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-22374 Filed 12-8-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 9, 2025.
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