NOAA Fisheries intends to hold a meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) on March 7-9, 2018, at the Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The AP meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, March 9. A new AP member orientation session will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 7.
The meeting on Wednesday, March 7, Thursday, March 8, and Friday, March 9, 2018, will also be accessible via conference call and webinar. Conference call and webinar access information on the meeting agenda web page.
Participants are strongly encouraged to log/dial in 15 minutes prior to the meeting. NOAA Fisheries will show the presentations via webinar and allow public comment during identified times on the agenda.
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 domestic implementation of recommendations from the 2017 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas to include an emergency rule for shortfin mako sharks, Draft Amendment 11 on shortfin mako sharks, bluefin tuna and northern albacore tuna quotas, and issues for 2018; three-year review of Amendment 7 on bluefin tuna management; progress updates on various other rulemakings, including shark fishery closure criteria, evaluation of existing bluefin tuna management-related gear restricted areas, and evaluation of existing fishing gear modification; recreational fishery issues; closed area data collection and an update regarding the exempted fishing permit request to conduct research in pelagic longline closed areas; updates on shark stock assessments. We also anticipate inviting other NOAA Fisheries offices to provide updates, if available, on their activities relevant to HMS fisheries such as listings under the Endangered Species Act and Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Team rulemaking. Finally, we intend to invite other NOAA Fisheries 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 on the meeting agenda web page.
