SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The IPHC is a bilateral regional fishery management organization established pursuant to the Convention between Canada and the United States for the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention). The Convention was signed at Ottawa, Ontario, on March 2, 1953, and was amended by a Protocol Amending the Convention signed at Washington, DC, on March 29, 1979. The Convention's central objective is to develop the stocks of Pacific halibut in waters off the west coasts of Canada and the United States to levels that will permit the optimum yield from the Pacific halibut fishery and to maintain the stocks at those levels. The IPHC fulfills this objective in part by recommending Pacific halibut fishery conservation and management measures for approval by the United States and Canada. Pursuant to the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act), the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce, may accept or reject, on behalf of the United States, conservation and management measures recommended by the IPHC (16 U.S.C. 773b). Measures accepted by the Secretary of State are adopted as binding regulations governing fishing for Pacific halibut in Convention waters of the United States (16 U.S.C. 773c(b)(1)). More information on the IPHC can be found at www.iphc.int.

The Halibut Act (16 U.S.C. 773a) requires that the United States be represented on the IPHC by three U.S. Commissioners. U.S. Commissioners are appointed for a term not to exceed 2 years but are eligible for reappointment. Of the Commissioners:

(1) One shall be a NOAA official; and

(2) Two shall be knowledgeable or experienced concerning the Northern Pacific halibut fishery; of these, one shall be a resident of Alaska and the other shall be a nonresident of Alaska.

Of the three commissioners described in paragraphs (1) and (2), one shall be a voting member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Commissioners who are not Federal employees are not considered to be Federal employees except for the purposes of injury compensation or tort claims liability as provided in section 8101 et seq. of title 5 and section 2671 et seq. of title 28.

In their official IPHC duties, Commissioners represent the interests of the United States and all of its stakeholders in the Pacific halibut fisheries. These duties require a modest amount of travel (typically two or three trips per year lasting less than a week), and necessary travel expenses are paid by the U.S. Department of State. Commissioners receive no compensation for their services.

Nomination Process

The U.S. Department of Commerce is currently accepting nominations for Alaska residents who are not NOAA officials and who meet the criteria in the ( printed page 54701) Halibut Act to fill a vacant Commissioner position and be a U.S. Commissioner for the IPHC. Successful nominees will be considered for appointment by the President and (pending Presidential action) interim designation by the Department of State.

Nomination packages should provide details of an individual's knowledge and experience in the Pacific halibut fishery. Examples of such knowledge and/or experience could include (but are not limited to) such activities as: participation in commercial, tribal, Community Development Quota, subsistence, and/or sport and charter boat halibut fishing operations; participation in halibut processing operations; and participation in Pacific halibut management activities. Although nominees do not need to have connections to any particular sector or interest in the Pacific halibut fishery, the Department of Commerce seeks to maintain a balance in background among U.S. Commissioners to IPHC to ensure that the interests of commercial, recreational, charter, subsistence, and other users are well represented.

Nomination packages must include a resume that documents an individual's qualifications and State of residence. Self-nominations are acceptable, and former IPHC Commissioners are eligible for reappointment. Letters of recommendation are useful but not required. Nomination packages will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by officials in the Department of Commerce who are familiar with the duties and responsibilities of IPHC Commissioners. Evaluations will consider the extent of an individual's experience and knowledge of the Pacific halibut fishery, residency requirements, and any letters of recommendation provided.

91 FR 54700