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formulating and implementing domestic management policy pursuant 

 to ICCAT recommendations. 



NMFS recently finalized its HMS Process Document, which is 

 intended only to set forth administrative procedures that NMFS 

 will follow in preparing and issuing Magnuson Act HMS FMPs and 

 FMP amendments. Any regulations implemented under the ATCA must 

 be consistent to the extent practicable with FMPs prepared and 

 implemented under the Magnuson Act. The HMS Process identifies 

 the opportunities for involvement by the public, the fishing 

 industry, the Regional Councils, and the ICCAT Commissioners and 

 advisory groups. In the future, we intend to address additional 

 activities such as improved methods to track landings of 

 recreationally-caught bluefin tuna, development of fishery- 

 independent stock abundance indices, additional tagging studies, 

 geographical coverage for scoping and regulatory hearings, and 

 economic studies on all HMS fisheries. 



The United States has generally been successful in implementing 

 and enforcing quotas, area closures, and size limits as per ICCAT 

 recommendations. Indeed, some ICCAT recommendations have been 

 applied by the United States in a manner to further maximize 

 yield and conservation efforts, such as a larger minimum size for 

 sale of bluefin tuna to help speed recovery of the spawning stock 

 biomass. However, ICCAT' s Standing Committee on Research and 

 Statistics, as well as our own scientists, believe the western 



