[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 106 (Tuesday, June 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30311-30312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14402]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 052797D]


North 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 North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
advisory committees will meet the week of June 16, 1997, in Kodiak, AK. 
All meetings are open to the public with the exception of Council 
executive sessions.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times of 
the Advisory Panel (AP), Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), 
Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Implementation Team and Council 
meetings.

ADDRESSES: AP Meeting: Elks Lodge, 102 Marine Way, in Kodiak.
    SSC and IFQ Implementation Team: Fishermen's Hall in the 
Harbormaster's Building, 403 Marine Way West, in Kodiak.
    Council Meeting: Harbor Room of the Kodiak Inn, 236 Rezanof Drive 
West, in Kodiak.
    Other committee or workgroup meetings may be held on short notice 
during the meeting week; notices of any meeting will be posted in the 
lobby of the Kodiak Inn, 236 Rezanof Drive West, in Kodiak, AK.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 
4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council, its SSC, AP, and IFQ 
Implementation Team will meet as follows:
    SSC: Monday, June 16, beginning at 8:00 a.m., through Wednesday, 
June 19, 1997.
    AP: Monday, June 16, beginning at 8:00 a.m., through Thursday, June 
20, 1997.
    IFQ Implementation Team: Monday, June 16, 1997, beginning at 6:30 
p.m., ending by 9:30 p.m.
    Council: Beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, and ending on 
Sunday, June 22, 1997.
    The agenda for the meetings will include the following issues. The 
Council may take appropriate action on any of the issues identified.
    1. Reports from NMFS and Alaska Department of Fish and Game on the 
current status of the fisheries off Alaska, NMFS and U.S. Coast Guard 
reports on enforcement, and a report on Steller sea lions.
    2. Finalize alternatives and problem statement and give direction 
to staff for analysis of allocation of pollock between inshore and 
offshore fishing operations.

[[Page 30312]]

    3. Take final action on measures to amend the halibut and sablefish 
individual fishing quota program to allow transfer of privileges to 
surviving heirs, and to amend vessel ownership requirements for the 
program. The Council will also consider initiating an analysis for the 
North Pacific Loan Program, and receive a response from NMFS on 
enforcement concerns in the IFQ program.
    4. Take final action on seabird avoidance measures in the halibut 
fisheries.
    5. Take final action on a halibut catch sharing plan for 
International Pacific Halibut Commission halibut regulatory Area 4.
    6. Review an initial management plan for the Sitka Sound halibut 
fishery.
    7. Take final action on a regulatory amendment to create and define 
a halibut subsistence/personal use fishery category.
    8. Review a ecosystem research initiative from the U.S. Department 
of the Interior.
    9. Take final action on an amendment to the Gulf of Alaska 
Groundfish Fishery Management Plan to initiate improved retention and 
utilization measures.
    10. Review a proposed rule for the groundfish and crab license 
limitation and community development programs and provide comments, and 
receive progress report on development of industry buyback program for 
crab fisheries.
    11. Discuss and give staff further direction in development of a 
skipper reporting system.
    12. Review and take action on a request to lengthen a vessel for 
safety reasons under the moratorium.
    13. Consider extending existing Observer Program beyond 1997, 
review alternative observer program structures, and give staff further 
direction for analysis.
    14. Review progress on meeting new requirements under the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, including a progress report on essential fish habitat and 
direction to staff to initiate an analysis.
    15. Review a bycatch proposal submitted by the Alaska Marine 
Conservation Coalition, consider further action.
    16. Comment on NMFS proposal to draft a Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement on groundfish management in the Bering Sea/Aleutian 
Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA).
    17. Consider final action on reporting requirements.
    18. Under GOA groundfish issues, the following subjects will be 
discussed:
    (a) Final action on an amendment to revise management authority of 
pelagic shelf rockfish.
    (b) Initial review of an amendment to initiate rolling closures in 
the sablefish fisheries during the annual sablefish survey.
    (c) Give further direction to staff for analysis of a trawl-only 
fishery for pollock.
    (d) Give further direction to staff for analysis of trip limits for 
pollock in the Gulf of Alaska.
    19. Under BSAI groundfish issues, the following subjects will be 
discussed:
    (a) Final action on an amendment to allocate Atka mackerel to 
vessels using jig gear.
    (b) Discussion and further direction to staff on gear storage and 
preemption issues.
    (c) Discussion and direction to staff on shortraker/rougheye 
rockfish bycatch.
    (d) Take final action on halibut discard mortality rates in the 
BSAI Pacific cod fishery for second half of 1997.

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: May 28, 1997.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-14402 Filed 6-2-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F