[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3092-3093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1342]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 011398C]


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 hold public meetings in Anchorage, AK.

DATES: The meetings will be held the week of February 2, 1998. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times of the meetings.

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 Thursday, February 5, 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:
    1. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet 
beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, February 2, continuing through 
Wednesday, February 4.
    2. The Advisory Panel (AP) will begin meeting at 8:00 a.m. on 
Monday, February 2, and continue through Thursday, February 5.
    3. The Council will meet in joint session with the Alaska Board of 
Fisheries on Tuesday, February 3, 1998, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
    4. NMFS will hold a workshop on preliminary essential fish habit 
reports to gather public comments on Thursday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m.
    5. The Council's regular plenary session will begin at 8:00 a.m. on 
Wednesday, February 4, and continue through Sunday, February 8. If 
necessary to complete the agenda, the Council may continue meeting on 
Monday, February 9.
    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 joint meeting with the Alaska Board of 
Fisheries will include the following:
    1. Under halibut management, the Council and Board will discuss the 
following subjects:
    a. Status report on Alaska Department of Fish and Game charterboat 
logbook;
    b. Status report on Council's halibut charterboat guideline harvest 
level and management measures used off Oregon and Washington for 
recreations fisheries; and
    c. Review and approve draft protocol on development of local area 
fishery management plans;
    2. Groundfish issues for discussion are:
    a. State waters Pacific cod fisheries;
    b. Approval of letter to industry encouraging resolution of gear 
conflicts within industry; and
    c. Ways to improve exchange of proposals.
    3. Crab issues to be discussed are:
    a. Status report on development of crab stock assessment document 
and overfishing definitions; and

[[Page 3093]]

    b. Extension of overfishing and rebuilding considerations to 
species outside fishery management plans.
    4. Deferral of scallop management to State of Alaska and discussion 
of limited entry considerations for the scallop fishery.
    5. Report on Steller sea lion research.
    6. Reports on bycatch estimation.
    7. Discuss need to continue requirement for salmon bycatch 
retention until counted by an observer.
    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. A report from NMFS on the current status of the fisheries off 
Alaska, and a report from the International Pacific Halibut Commission 
on 1998 halibut quotas.
    2. Final action on a third-party arrangement (joint project 
agreement) for observer procurement services.
    3. Preliminary review of analysis for the allocation of pollock 
between inshore and offshore fisheries; direct staff on further 
development of alternatives.
    4. Preliminary review of an amendment to the fishery management 
plans to incorporate essential fish habitat information as required by 
the Magnuson Act; direction to staff.
    5. Final action on research priorities.
    6. Review the local area management plan for Sitka Sound halibut, 
and discuss area management plans in general; determine how to proceed; 
direction to staff.
    7. Under the Council's license limitation program for groundfish 
and crab, the following items will be discussed:
    a. Crab buyback program: status report and discussion;
    b. Discussion and direction to staff on potential amendments to the 
program;
    c. Discussion of multi-species community development quota 
regulations with regard to vessel exemptions; direction to staff; and
    d. Discussion and direction to staff on extension of the current 
moratorium on entry to the groundfish and crab fisheries off Alaska.
    8. Status report on Amendment 3 to the Scallop Fishery Management 
Plan, and discussion of future limited entry program; direction to 
staff.
    9. Groundfish amendments scheduled for action are as follows:
    a. Final action on a regulatory amendment to revise Gulf of Alaska 
(GOA) trimester pollock allocations;
    b. Final action on an amendment for stand-down and/or 
preregistration requirements in the Western and Central GOA;
    c. Initial review of options to streamline the setting of total 
allowable catches; directions to staff to release for public review 
and/or revise;
    d. Final action on an amendment to allocate shortraker/rougheye 
quota to fixed gear in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands;
    e. Initial review of an amendment to revise boundaries for Eastern 
GOA regulatory area; and
    f. Discussion and direction to staff on possible bycatch 
amendments.
    9. Other groundfish issues scheduled for discussion are: a. Trip 
limits in the Western and Central GOA; direction to staff;
    b. Salmon bycatch retention issues; direction to staff;
    c. Catch and bycatch measurement; direction to staff; and
    d. Vessel bycatch accounts; direction to staff.
    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 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: January 14, 1998.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-1342 Filed 1-15-98; 1:31 pm]
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