[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55786-55787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28442]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 101597C]


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 (Council) and 
its committees will hold public meetings in Honolulu, HI. Prior to the 
Council meeting, the Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee 
(SSC) will hold its 67th meeting.

DATES: The meetings will be held on November 10-14, 1997. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The SSC meeting will be held at the Council office, 1164 
Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI; telephone: (808) 522-8220. The 
94th Council meeting will be held at the Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson 
Dr., Garden Lanai and Hibiscus Ballroom, Honolulu, HI; telephone: (808) 
955-4811.
    Council address: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1164 
Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SSC meeting will be held on November 10-
11, 1997, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., each day. The Council's Standing 
Committees will meet on November 12, 1997, as follows:
    7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.--Enforcement
    8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.--Crustaceans
    9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.--Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
    10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.--Pelagics and Bottomfish
    1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.--Indigenous Fishing Rights and Ecosystem & 
Habitat
    3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.--Precious Corals and Executive/Budget & 
Programing
    The full Council will meet on November 13-14, 1997, from 9:00 a.m. 
to 5:00 p.m., each day.
    The SSC and Council will discuss and take final action on an 
amendment to establish a framework process for future management of 
precious corals (including public hearings). This will also be the 
first meeting under the framework procedure for pelagic fishery 
management changes for the American Samoa longline fishery regarding 
closed areas and a limited access program.
    Other agenda items that the Council will discuss and may take 
action on include:
    1. Pelagic fishery issues, including a) status of longline 
fisheries in Hawaii and American Samoa, b) international meetings 
addressing the management arrangements for highly migratory species, 
and c) protected species interaction/incidental take issues (turtles, 
sharks, albatross).
    2. Bottomfish fishery issues, including a) status of the State's 
management plan focusing on monitoring and enforcement components, for 
overfished Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) onaga and ehu, b) consideration 
of the Federal management alternatives for the recovery of overfished 
MHI onaga and ehu including a draft plan amendment, c) draft amendment 
for the limited access program for the Mau Zone in the Northwestern 
Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) including a public hearing, and d) update on 
armorhead fishery in the NWHI;
    3. Crustacean fishery issues, including regulatory adjustments for 
1998, such as allowing VMS carrying vessels to return directly back to 
port via the permit subzone, adding the month of May to the closed 
season of the main Hawaiian Islands lobster fishery within Federal 
waters, allowing vessels to temporarily leave fishing gear on the 
banks, opening the season one month earlier on 1 June, creating 
separate species and fishing bank quotas, providing fishermen with at 
least 24 hours notice before the close of the fishery, and announcing 
the harvest guideline 90 days after season closure;
    4. Ecosystem and habitat issues, including a) consider the need for 
a coral reef fishery management plan, b) Essential Fish Habitat 
amendment and National Environmental Policy Act requirements, and c) 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Farallon de Mendinilla 
bombing issue;
    5. Precious coral issues, including a) status of the fisheries, and 
b) consistency between state and Federal regulations;
    6. Native rights and indigenous fishing issues, including the 
status of Demonstration Projects and Community Development Programs;

[[Page 55787]]

    7. Enforcement and VMS issues, including a) reports from the U.S. 
Coast Guard and NMFS Enforcement, b) status of violations, and c) 
possible changes to the Council's VMS policy;
    8. Program planning and administrative issues, including a) Council 
milestones for 2000-2003, b) Standard Operating Practices and Procedure 
revision, c) election of officers, and d) meetings and workshops; and
    9. Other business as required.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal Council action during this meeting. Council action 
will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the 
agenda listed in this notice.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are 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: October 21, 1997.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-28442 Filed 10-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F