[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 3010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1309]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 011097B]

North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
advisory bodies will meet in Anchorage, Alaska the week of February 3, 
1997. Other committee and workgroup meetings may be held on short 
notice during the week; notices will be posted at the meeting site. All 
meetings are open to the public with the exception of Council executive 
sessions to discuss personnel, international issues, and litigation. An 
executive session is tentatively scheduled for noon on February 7, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500 
W. 3rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 
4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

DATES: The Advisory Panel (AP) will begin on February 3, 1997 at 8:00 
a.m.; the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will begin on 
February 3, 1997 at 1:00 p.m. The AP and SSC should conclude their 
meetings by February 6. The Council will meet jointly with the Alaska 
Board of Fisheries beginning at 8:00 a.m. on February 4, 1997, and 
begin their normal plenary session on February 5, 1997 at 8:00 a.m., 
concluding by February 9, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Council staff, telephone: (907) 271-
2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The agenda for the meetings will include the 
following subjects:
    1. Reports from NMFS on the current status of the fisheries off 
Alaska, the status of Steller sea lions, and marine mammal research, 
and a special progress report on the Alaska Sealife Center.
    2. Reports on halibut stocks, actions taken by the International 
Pacific Halibut Commission, consideration of the need for revisions to 
the Halibut Area 4 Catch Sharing Plan, and discussion of seabird 
avoidance for the halibut individual fishery quota (IFQ) fishery.
    3. Review and consider approval of initial analysis for halibut 
charterboat management.
    4. Review of tasking mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
including:
    (a) Review development of a central title registry for IFQs;
    (b) Review development of IFQ/Community Development Quota (CDQ) fee 
and loan programs; and
    (c) Status report on National Academy of Sciences study of IFQ/CDQ 
programs and make-up of Secretary of Commerce's IFQ panel for the 
western United States.
    5. Discussion of further direction on vessel bycatch allowances.
    6. Final review of research priorities for 1997.
    7. Discuss and comment on NMFS guidelines for describing and 
identifying essential fish habitat.
    8. Approve revisions to the Council Standard Operating Procedures 
in response to Magnuson-Stevens Act amendments.
    9. Groundfish issues to be discussed include:
    (a) Final review of management options for the Gulf of Alaska 
pelagic shelf rockfish fisheries to be managed by the State of Alaska; 
and
    (b) Discussion paper on rolling closures at sablefish survey sites 
in the Gulf of Alaska.
    10. Staff tasking.
    11. The agenda for the joint meeting of the Council and the Alaska 
Board of Fisheries will include:
    (a) Discussion of state crab management, including Adak pot limits, 
Bristol Bay red king crab size reductions and other Bristol Bay red 
king crab management options; and
    (b) Discussion of the State's groundfish management plan.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Helen Allen, 907-271-2809, at 
least 5 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: January 14, 1997.
Bruce Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-1309 Filed 1-17-97; 8:45 am]
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