[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]
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