[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15157-15158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8060]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 032497B]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public 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 Western Pacific Fishery Management Council will hold its 
92nd meeting.

DATES: The meetings will be held on April 21-25, 1997. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Ala Moana Hotel, Garden 
Lanai and Pakalana/Anthurium Rooms, Honolulu, HI; telephone: (808) 855-
4811.
    Council address: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1164 
Bishop St., Suite 1405, Honolulu, HI 96813.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 
telephone: (808) 522-8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A meeting of the full Advisory Panel (AP) 
will be held on Monday, April 21, 1997, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On 
Tuesday, April 22, 1997, the Pacific Insular Area Fishing Agreement 
(PIAFA) Working Group will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the 
Fishery Data Collection Committee will meet from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
The Council's Standing Committees will meet on Wednesday, April 23, 
1997, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Council's Vessel Monitoring 
System (VMS) Committee will meet concurrently with the Enforcement 
Standing Committee. The full Council will meet from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m. on Thursday, April 24, 1997, and from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on 
Friday, April 25, 1997.
    The Council will discuss and may take action on the following 
agenda items:
    1. Report on the AP meeting and recommendations to the Council.
    2. Reports from the islands.
    3. Reports on enforcement issues, including;
    (a) U.S. Coast Guard report,
    (b) NMFS activities and VMS update,
    (c) VMS Data Request for research, and
    (d) status of violations.
    4. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
requirements for Fishery Management Plan (FMP) amendments, including:
    (a) consistency of definitions;
    (b) bycatch;
    (c) fishing sectors (commercial, recreational, charter);

[[Page 15158]]

    (d) Essential Fish Habitat;
    (e) fishing communities;
    (f) overfishing.
    5. Pelagic fishery issues, including:
    (a) pelagic fisheries research and data reporting;
    (b) determination of total allowable level of foreign fishing for 
American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI);
    (c) status of bycatch/incidental take, interaction issues and 
assessments for turtles, sharks and seabirds;
    (d) gear conflict between handliners and longliners;
    (e) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) recommendations;
    (f) public hearing; and
    (g) other issues.
    6. Crustacean fishery issues, including:
    (a) possible changes to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) 
lobster fishery regulations under the framework procedures of the FMP, 
regarding: model to estimate exploitable lobster population in the 
NWHI; risk analysis estimation procedure; high-grading during 1996 NWHI 
lobster season; 1997 NWHI lobster harvest guideline; grandfathered 
permit transferability issue; NWHI revised lobster catch report form; 
and impact of expanding live lobster product;
    (b) NMFS lobster research activities;
    (c) industry concerns;
    (d) summary of Review Panel's report/recommendations;
    (e) Crustacean Plan Team/Hawaii-Crustacean AP recommendations;
    (f) SSC recommendations;
    (g) public hearing; and
    (h) other issues.
    7. Reports from fishery agencies and organizations.
    8. Bottomfish issues, including:
    (a) overfished Main Hawaiian Islands Onaga and Ehu (State of Hawaii 
Draft Management Plan and Council's Management Plan);
    (b) status of NWHI management system;
    (c) SSC recommendations;
    (d) public hearing; and
    (e) other issues.
    9. Native rights and indigenous fishing issues, including:
    (a) PIAFA Magnuson Act requirements such as Conservation Plans for 
American Samoa, Guam, the NMI and other U.S. possessions;
    (b) report of PIAFA Working Group;
    (c) status of AP for demonstration projects;
    (d) status of Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands turtle 
study;
    (e) SSC recommendations;
    (f) Native Rights Committee recommendations;
    (g) public hearing; and
    (h) other issues.
    10. Ecosystems and Habitat, including:
    (a) summary of recent activities; and
    (b) SSC recommendations.
    12. Precious corals, including:
    application to harvest precious corals;
    13. Program planning, including:
    (a) Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures revision;
    (b) Education and Outreach Program; and
    (c) status of Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network.
    14. Administrative matters, including:
    (a) administrative reports; and
    (b) other business as required.
    Special Accommodations
    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Kitty M. Simonds, 808-522-8220 (voice) or 808-
522-8226 (fax), at least 5 days prior to meeting date.

    Dated: March 24, 1997.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 97-8060 Filed 3-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F