[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48606-48607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23225]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 082599D]


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 Council (Council) will hold a 
meeting of its Coral Reef Ecosystem Plan Team (Plan Team) and its 
Ecosystem and Habitat Advisory Panel (Advisory Panel) in Honolulu, HI. 
The meeting will also include a public hearing on the management 
alternatives being considered for implementation in the

[[Page 48607]]

Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and being analyzed 
in an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

DATES: Both meetings will be held on September 15-17, 1999, from 8:30 
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Written comments, on the range of 
alternatives to be analyzed in the EIS, will be accepted on or before 
September 10, 1999, which marks the end of the public scoping period 
under the National Environmental Policy Act (as per previous notice). 
The public hearing on the management alternatives will be held on 
September 17, 1999, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Council office conference 
rooms, 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI; telephone: (808-522-
8220).
    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 Plan Team and Advisory Panel will 
discuss and make recommendations to the Council on the agenda items 
below. The order in which agenda items will be addressed can change.

8:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 15, 1999

    (Contractors and staff will present the following topics from the 
latest draft of the Coral Reef Ecosystem FMP to both the Plan Team and 
Advisory Panel, meeting jointly on this day:)
1. Introduction to the FMP
    A. Ecosystem management
    B. Geographic context
    C. Scope of management
2. Description of the fisheries
    A. History of exploitation
    B. Fishing methods and current use patterns
3. Description of threats/management issues
    A. Inadequate resource base
    B. Lack of effective enforcement
    C. Lack of coordinated, comprehensive management
4. Management objectives and programs
    A. Proposed (and rejected) management alternatives (and ecological/
biological, social/economic, and cultural impacts)
    (1) Fishing permit
    (2) Marine protected areas
    (3) Restrictions of gear and methods
    (4) Framework provisions
    B. Proposed non-regulatory measures
5. Description of the resource ecosystem
    A. Fishery management unit (FMU)
    B. Biology
    C. Present condition of components of the FMU
    D. Probable condition of FMU components in the future
6. Proposed designations for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)
    A. Description of EFH and EFH designations for management unit 
species/taxa
    B. Habitat areas of particular concern
    C. Fishing and non-fishing impacts to EFH
    D. Cumulative impacts and research needs
7. Sustainable Fisheries Act determinations
    A. Description of commercial, recreational and charter fishing 
sectors
    B. Impacts on fishing communities
    C. Overfishing definitions and criteria
    D. Bycatch
8. Relationship to existing laws and policies
    A. Other fishery management plans
    B. Treaties or international agreements
    C. Federal laws and policies
    D. State, local and other applicable laws and policies
9. Future needs
    A. Research, monitoring and assessment
    B. Development of fishery resources

8:30 a.m. Thursday, September 16, 1999

10. Plan Team and Advisory Panel meet separately to discuss and make 
recommendations on the topics presented on the first day

8:30 a.m. Friday, September 17, 1999

11. Plan Team and Advisory Panel continue to discuss and develop 
independent recommendations on the above topics
    A. Summary of Plan Team recommendations to Council on draft FMP
    B. Summary of Advisory Panel recommendations to Council on draft 
FMP
12. Other business
    A. Scheduling of next Plan Team meeting
    B. Scheduling of next Advisory Panel meeting

2:00 p.m.

13. Public hearing on management alternatives (Plan Team and Advisory 
Panel meeting jointly).
    Although other issues not listed in this agenda may come before 
these groups for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal discussion during these meeting. Action will be 
restricted to those issues specifically 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: August 31, 1999.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-23225 Filed 9-3-99; 8:45 am]
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