[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2140-2141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-839]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 011000A]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council will hold a 
joint meeting of Hawaii members of its Coral Reef Ecosystem Plan Team, 
Ecosystem and Habitat Advisory Panel, Bottomfish Plan Team and Advisory 
Panel, and Crustaceans Plan Team and Advisory

[[Page 2141]]

Panel. The primary purpose of the joint meeting is to review the 
Council's preferred alternative for its coral reef ecosystem fishery 
management plan, especially with regard to possible interactions from 
existing fisheries in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), and 
related issues.

DATES: The joint meeting will be held on January 25, 2000, from 9:00 
a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on January 26-27, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The joint meeting will be held at the Council office 
conference rooms, 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, Hawaii; 
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 Hawaii plan team and advisory panel 
members will discuss and may make recommendations to the Council on the 
agenda items. The order in which agenda items will be addressed is 
tentative.

9:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 25, 2000

A. Review of the Council's preferred alternative for Coral Reef 
Ecosystem Fishery Management plan (CRE-FMP)/preliminary draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS)

    1. Fishing permit and reporting requirements
    2. Allowable fishing gear and methods
    3. Marine Protected Areas
    4. Framework actions
    5. Plan Team coordination

B. Review of public comments on draft CRE-FMP/DEIS

    1. American Samoa
    2. Guam/Northern Mariana Islands
    3. Hawaii

C. Review of national Coral Reef Task Force initiatives

D. Review of public scoping comments for DEIS for the bottomfish and 
crustaceans FMPs

    1. Risk of impacts to NWHI coral reef ecosystems

E. Concerns regarding NWHI fisheries

    1. Marine Mammal Commission
    2. Monk Seal Recovery Team
    3. Pelagic shark fishing
    4. Agency concerns:
    (a) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    (b) National Marine Fisheries Service
    (c) Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

8:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 26, 2000

    Coral Reef Ecosystem Plan Team and Ecosystem & Habitat Advisory 
Panel meeting jointly
    Bottomfish Plan Team and Advisory Panel meeting jointly
    Crustaceans Plan Team and Advisory Panel meeting jointly

F. Discussion of issues from the first day

    1. Draft coral reef ecosystem FMP/preliminary DEIS
    2. Impacts of lobster and bottomfish fisheries on NWHI coral reef 
ecosystems
    3. National Coral Reef Task Force initiatives
    4. Agency/non-governmental organizations (NGO) issues regarding 
NWHI fisheries

8:30 a.m. Thursday, January 27, 2000

    Each advisory body meeting separately

G. Final discussion and recommendations to Council

    1. Draft coral reef ecosystem FMP/preliminary DEIS
    2. Impacts of lobster and bottomfish fisheries on NWHI coral reef 
ecosystems
    3. National Coral Reef Task Force initiatives
    4. Agency/NGO issues regarding NWHI fisheries

H. Other business

    1. Scheduling of next meeting
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenday may 
come before this Council for discussion, these issues may not be the 
subject of formal Council action during this meeting. Council action 
will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this document 
and any issues arising after publication of this document that require 
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified 
of the Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is 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 the meeting date.

    Dated: January 10, 2000.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-839 Filed 1-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F