[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 201 (Thursday, October 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 61399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24594]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XL24


Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of open public meeting.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Marine Fisheries 
Advisory Committee (MAFAC). This will be the second meeting to be held 
in the calendar year 2008. Agenda topics are provided under the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. All full Committee 
sessions will be open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held November 12-14, 2008, from 8:30 a.m. to 
5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hotel Chateau LeMoyne, 301 
Rue Dauphine, New Orleans, LA 70112; (504) 581-1303

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Holliday, MAFAC Executive 
Director; (301) 713-2239 x120; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by section 10(a)(2) of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, notice is hereby given 
of a meeting of MAFAC. MAFAC was established by the Secretary of 
Commerce (Secretary) on February 17, 1971, to advise the Secretary on 
all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the 
Department of Commerce. This committee advises and reviews the adequacy 
of living marine resource policies and programs to meet the needs of 
commercial and recreational fisheries, and environmental, State, 
consumer, academic, tribal, governmental and other national interests. 
The complete charter and summaries of prior meetings are located online 
at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/mafac/.

Matters To Be Considered

    The order in which these matters are considered is subject to 
change.

November 12, 2008

    The meeting will begin with opening remarks and introductions to 
the full committee from Dr. Jim Balsiger, Acting Assistant 
Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. The remainder of the day will cover 
various MAFAC administration and organizational matters, including: new 
member orientation; review of travel, financial disclosure and ethics 
requirements; and subcommittee organization, chairmanship, current 
issues, and future issues.

November 13, 2008

    Updates will be presented on: Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization; 
seafood inspection; and ecolabeling and seafood certification. Other 
topics to be discussed are the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office 
and Gulf of Mexico Regional Fishery Management Council experiences with 
individual fishery quotas, and the pending aquaculture amendment.

November 14, 2008

    The Committee will hear presentations and discuss policies 
influencing U.S. fisheries infrastructure, with specific reference to 
the federal/NOAA/state agency response to the effects of recent 
hurricane events on Gulf coast fisheries, including supporting 
infrastructure. This will be followed by a discussion of how to 
annually appraise progress on the MAFAC 2020 report recommendations, 
and a decision on the process for advancing/communicating the ideas 
contained in the MAFAC transition paper. The meeting will conclude with 
a review of action items and next steps, and a decision on the time and 
place of the spring 2009 meeting.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting location is physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Mark Holliday, MAFAC Executive 
Director; (301) 713-2239 x120 by 5 p.m. October 27, 2008.

    Dated: October 9, 2008.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-24594 Filed 10-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S