[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 222 (Tuesday, November 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61493-61494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30254]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 111097B]


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 in Anchorage, AK.

DATES: The meetings will be held during the week of December 7, 1997. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: All meetings will be held at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500 
W. 3rd Avenue, Anchorage, AK. All meetings are open to the public with 
the exception of a Council executive session tentatively scheduled for 
noon on Wednesday, December 10, to discuss personnel, international 
issues, or litigation, as necessary.
    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: Ecosystems Committee will meet Sunday, 
December 7, beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m.
    The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet beginning 
at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, continuing through Tuesday, 
December 9.
    The Advisory Panel (AP) will begin meeting at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, 
December 8, and continue through Thursday, December 11.
    The Council's regular plenary session will begin at 8:00 a.m. on 
Tuesday, December 9, and continue through Sunday, December 14.
    Other workgroup or committee meetings may be held during the week. 
Notices of these meetings will be posted at the hotel.
    The agenda for the Council's plenary session 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, and NMFS and U.S. Coast 
Guard reports on enforcement;
    2. Initial review of a draft analysis for a third-party arrangement 
(joint project agreement) for observer procurement services;
    3. Receive report on the 1997 Halibut and Sablefish individual 
fishing quota (IFQ) fisheries;
    4. Review proposals received for changes to the Halibut and 
Sablefish IFQ fisheries and give direction to staff for analyses;
    5. Initial review of research priorities;
    6. Review and consider releasing to public review draft 
environmental assessment/regulatory impact review for the Bering Sea/
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock Community Development Quota program for 
1999 and beyond;
    7. Appointments to the SSC and AP for 1998, and to the Pacific 
Northwest Crab Industry Advisory Committee through 1999;
    8. Review and give final approval to Amendment 3 to the Scallop 
Fishery Management Plan. Amendment 3 would delegate authority to the 
State of Alaska to manage the scallop fishery off Alaska;
    9. The Council will receive and approve the final 1998 Stock 
Assessment and Fishery Evaluation reports for Gulf of Alaska and BSAI 
groundfish and approve final 1998 harvest allocations, including vessel 
incentive program rate standards, bycatch allowances, and halibut 
discard mortality rates; and
    10. Other groundfish issues to be addressed include:
    a. Initial review of an amendment for stand-down and/or 
preregistration requirements in the Western and Central Gulf of Alaska. 
Direction to staff to release for public review and/or revise;.
    b. Initial review of options to streamline the setting of total 
allowable catches; directions to staff to release for public review 
and/or revise;
    c. Initial review of an amendment to allocate shortraker/rougheye 
quota to fixed gear; directions to staff to release for public review 
and/or revise;
    d. Discussion of limited processing for catcher vessels; direction 
to staff;
    e. Discussion of overfishing amendments; direction to staff;
    f. Discussion of catch reporting accuracy;
    g. Discussion of gear storage and preemption issues in the BSAI; 
direction to staff;
    h. Discussion of salmon retention revisions for the BSAI; direction 
to staff; and
    i. Discussion of pollock ``B'' Season adjustments in the BSAI; 
direction to staff.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance

[[Page 61494]]

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 
those issues may not be the subject of formal Council action during the 
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 Helen Allen, 907-271-2809, at 
least 5 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: November 12, 1997.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 97-30254 Filed 11-17-97; 8:45 am]
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