[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17784-17785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9325]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[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; correction.

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SUMMARY: This public meeting notice for the 92nd meeting of the Western 
Pacific Fishery Management Council was originally published in the 
March 31, 1997, issue of the Federal Register. Numerous corrections 
have made it necessary to reprint this notice in its entirety; 
therefore, this notice supersedes the March 31 publication.

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: On March 31, 1997 (61 FR 15157), a public 
meeting notice for the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council was 
published. Due to various corrections, it is hereby reprinted in its 
entirety for ease of reading, as follows:
    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 Western Pacific Fishery 
Information Network (WpacFIN) Fishery Data (Coordinating) 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);
    (d) essential fish habitat;
    (e) fishing communities; and
    (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;
    (g) report on South Pacific Tuna treaty review and future 
international meetings; and
    (h) other issues.
    6. Crustacean fishery issues, including:
    (a) Recommend that the Regional Administrator issue a final rule 
establishing a VMS program for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) 
lobster fishery;
    (b) possible changes to the 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; review harvest 
guideline for the 1997 NWHI lobster season for possible adjustment; 
grandfathered permit transferability issue; NWHI revised lobster catch 
report form; and impact of expanding live lobster product;

[[Page 17785]]

    (c) NMFS lobster research activities; industry concerns about the 
fishery; summary of Review Panel's report/recommendations; Crustacean 
Plan Team/Hawaii-Crustacean Advisory Panel recommendations; SSC 
recommendations; public hearing; and
    (d) other issues.
    7. Reports from fishery agencies and organizations.
    8. Bottomfish issues, including:
    (a) overfished Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) 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 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 NMI 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.
    11. Precious corals, including:
    (a) application for permit to harvest precious corals;
    12. Program planning, including:
    (a) education and outreach program; and
    (b) status of WpacFIN.
    13. Administrative matters, including:
    (a) Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures revision;
    (b) administrative reports;
    (c) future meetings and travel; and
    (d) 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: April 3, 1997.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-9325 Filed 4-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-F