[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 59 (Monday, March 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16187-16188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7501]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032000F]


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 of the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council and its advisory committees.

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

DATES: The Council and its advisory committees will meet in Anchorage, 
AK the week of April 10, 2000. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: All meetings through Saturday, April 15, will be held at the 
Hilton Hotel, 500 W. Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK. On Sunday and Monday, 
April 16-17, the Council will meet at the Fourth Avenue Theater, 630 W. 
Fourth Avenue, in Anchorage.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 
4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Council staff, Phone: 907-271-2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Meeting Dates and Times

    The Advisory Panel meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m., April 10, and 
continue through Thursday, April 13.
    The Scientific Committee will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, April 
10, and continue through Tuesday, April 11.
    The Council will begin their plenary session at 8:00 a.m. on 
Wednesday, April 12, continuing through Monday, April 17.
    All meetings are open to the public except Executive Sessions which 
may be held during the week to discuss litigation and/or personnel 
matters.

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. Reports
    (a) Executive Director's Report.
    (b) State Fisheries Report by Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.
    (c) NMFS Management Report.
    (d) Enforcement and Surveillance reports by NMFS and the Coast 
Guard.
    (e) Seabird Bycatch Report.
    (f) Report on March meeting of the Alaska Board of Fisheries.
    (g) Gulf of Alaska Ecosystems Management Report.
    2. Halibut Charterboat Guideline Harvest Level/Individual Fishing 
Quotas (IFQ): Receive committee report on preliminary elements and 
options for potential IFQ system.
    (a) Observer Program:
    (b) Observer Committee report.
    (c) Review of six regulatory amendments recommended by NMFS.
    (d) Report on experimental fishing project for observer sampling 
methods.
    3. Pacific cod license limitation endorsements: Final action.
    4. Steller Sea Lions:
    (a) Status reports on litigation, implementation of sea lion 
protective measures, and biological opinion number three.
    (b) Extend emergency rule for sea lion protection measures.
    5. American Fisheries Act:
    (a) Action to extend emergency rules for 180 days.
    (b) Status report on development of Environmental Impact Statement.
    6. Halibut Subsistence: initial review of amendment.
    7. Habitat Areas of Particular Concern: Final action on protection 
of invertebrates.
    8. Groundfish Management:
    (a) Review groundfish fishery management plan updates and review 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) scoping document.
    (b) Status report on the groundfish specification process.
    (c) Review Experimental Fishing Permit for halibut excluders.
    9. Crab Management:
    (a) Initial review of rebuilding plans for St. Matthew blue and 
Opilio crabs.
    (b) Updates on crab cooperatives and permit buyback program.

Advisory Meetings:

    Advisory Panel: With the exception of the reports listed under Item 
1, the agenda for the Advisory Panel will mirror that of the Council 
listed above.
    Scientific and Statistical Committee: The Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSC) will address the following items on the 
Council agenda:
    1. Observer Program issues.
    2. Progress on the Groundfish SEIS.
    3. Pacific cod license limitation endorsements.
    4. Habitat areas of particular concern.
    5. Crab rebuilding plans.
    6. Review Experimental Fishing Permit for halibut excluders.

[[Page 16188]]

    7. Review and comment on NMFS Economic Guidelines.
    Other committees and workgroups may hold impromptu meetings 
throughout the meeting week. Such meetings will be announced during 
regularly-scheduled meetings of the Council, Advisory Panel, and SSC, 
and will be posted at the hotel.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before these groups for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
arising after publication of this notice 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

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Helen Allen at 907-271-2809 at 
least 7 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: March 21, 2000.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-7501 Filed 3-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F