[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16707-16708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8471]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 032999B]


North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Notice of Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and its advisory 
committees will hold public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
advisory committees will meet in Anchorage, AK.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times for 
the meetings.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500 
W. Third Avenue, Anchorage, 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:

Dates and Times for the Meetings

    1. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will begin at 
9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 19, continuing through Wednesday, April 21, 
1999.
    2. The Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April 
19, and continue through Thursday, April 22, 1999.
    3. The Council's Enforcement Committee and Individual Fishery Quota 
(IFQ) Implementation Team will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 
to discuss a proposed weighmaster program for the halibut and sablefish 
IFQ fisheries.
    4. The Council's Enforcement Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on 
Wednesday, April 21, to discuss enforcement issues related to the 
Federal and State definitions of 'pelagic trawl.'
    5. The Council will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 
continuing through a portion of Monday, April 26, 1999.
    Other workgroup or committee meetings may be held during the week. 
Notices of these meetings will be posted at the hotel. All meetings are 
open to the public with the exception of Council executive sessions, 
which may be held during the noon hour during the meeting week, if 
necessary, to discuss personnel, international issues, or litigation.

Agendas

Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC)

    The SSC will address the following issues:
    1. Reports on Federal and State research activities involving 
Steller sea lions, and review of an initial analysis of management 
measures for Steller sea lion protection for the years 2000 and beyond.
    2. Initial review of amendments to Council fishery management plans 
designed to mitigate effects of recent

[[Page 16708]]

American Fisheries Act (AFA) measures on non-pollock fisheries, and 
initial review of amendments to fishery management plans to conform 
with the AFA.
    3. Final review of management measures for seabird protection, and 
review an experimental fishery permits, if available, for bird 
avoidance measures.
    4. Review of logbook data collection for the halibut charter 
fisheries off Alaska.
    5. Initial review of fishery management plan amendments:
    a. A non-pelagic trawl ban in Cook Inlet.
    b. Initial review of alternatives for shark management.
    6. Initial review of a proposed rebuilding plan for C. bairdi crab 
in the Bering Sea.

Advisory Panel

    The agenda for the Advisory Panel will include the same subjects as 
listed below for the Council's plenary session, with the exception of 
Halibut Charter Guideline Harvest Level (Item 2), and Crab LLP 
Eligibility (Item 6), which they considered at their February 1999 
meeting, and Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization (Item 10), the NMFS 
Budget (Item 12), and the status reports listed in Item 1.

Council

    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. The Council will receive the following reports, taking action if 
required:
    a. Reports from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and 
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) on the current status of 
the groundfish fisheries off Alaska.
    b. Reports from the U.S. Coast Guard and NMFS Enforcement on recent 
enforcement activities.
    c. Report from the National Research Council on a recent ecosystems 
management study.
    2. The Council will review a discussion paper of proposed 
management measures for the Alaska halibut charterboat fleet and 
provide direction to staff.
    3. Receive reports on Federal and State research activities 
relating to Steller sea lions.
    4. Initial review of alternatives and options for implementation of 
additional or alternative Steller sea lion protection measures for 2000 
and beyond.
    5. Initial review of fishery management plan amendments to conform 
with requirements of the American Fisheries Act (AFA), and initial 
review of an amendment package for fishery management measures to 
mitigate impacts of the AFA on non-pollock fisheries.
    6. Consider revision of previous action on eligibility for the 
license limitation program for the crab fisheries off Alaska.
    7. The Council will discuss sustainable fisheries management, and 
receive a progress report on development of criteria for defining 
habitat areas of particular concern.
    8. The Council is scheduled to take final action on management 
measures for seabird protection, discuss the problem of net debris, and 
review experimental fishery permits, if available, for bird avoidance 
measures.
    9. The Council will receive a status report on the national vessel 
monitoring system.
    10. The Council will receive a status report on a proposed 
weighmaster program for the halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries and 
take any necessary action.
    11. The Council will hold an initial discussion of potential 
amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act.
    12. The Council will discuss and comment, if necessary, on a 
proposed rule to reduce observer coverage on longline catcher vessels 
60 ft and under in the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program.
    13. The Council will receive a status report on communities 
eligible under the CDQ program, and review an analysis to reduce CDQ 
observer coverage at shore plants.
    14. The Council will discuss NMFS budget priorities and regional 
funding allocations within NMFS.
    15. Under Groundfish Management, the Council will consider the 
following subjects:
    a. Final action on reduction of the maximum retainable bycatch of 
shortraker/rougheye and thornyhead rockfish.
    b. Initial review of an amendment to ban non-pelagic trawl gear in 
Cook Inlet.
    c. Review of any proposals received for individual vessel bycatch 
accountability and halibut mortality avoidance programs.
    d. Direction to staff on allocation of Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands 
Pacific cod between freezer longliners and other fixed gear.
    e. Initial review of management alternatives for sharks in the 
waters off Alaska.
    f. Discussion and direction to staff on analysis of species 
endorsements under the groundfish license limitation program.
    g. Review experimental fisheries permit to assess sampling for 
species composition.
    16. Initial review of a rebuilding plan for bairdi crab in the 
Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands.
    17. Review Board of Fisheries activities concerning crab fishing 
seasons and new stand-down requirements.
    The Council will review and discuss potential impacts of these 
actions on other Council-managed fisheries and take action as 
necessary.
    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 7 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: March 31, 1999.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-8471 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F