[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 166 (Friday, August 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 51811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21800]



[[Page 51811]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 081800I]


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Highly 
Migratory Species Plan Development Team (HMSPDT) will hold a work 
session which is open to the public.

DATES: The work session will be Tuesday, September 26, 2000, 8:00 a.m. 
to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday, September 27, 2000, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 
and Thursday, September 28, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. until business for the 
day is completed.

ADDRESSES: On Tuesday and Wednesday, the work session will be held in 
the large conference room at NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 
8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, Room D-203, La Jolla, CA 92038-0271; 
telephone: (619) 546-7000. On Thursday, the HMSPDT will meet at the 
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, 2595 Ingraham Street, San Diego, CA 
92109-7902; telephone: (619) 226-3870.
    Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth 
Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Waldeck, Pacific Fishery 
Management Council; (503) 326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The primary purpose of the work session is 
to continue development of the draft fishery management plan (FMP) for 
highly migratory species (HMS). Specific agenda topics include: review 
of FMP development to date; progress reports and presentations (stock 
assessments, maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and MSY proxy 
determination, shared stocks); Council guidance to the HMSPDT; bycatch; 
management data issues, current international and state regulations; 
analysis of pelagic longlines; and new work assignments.
    Management measures that may be adopted in the FMP for HMS 
fisheries off the West Coast include permit and reporting requirements 
for commercial and recreational harvest of HMS resources, time and/or 
area closures to minimize gear conflicts or bycatch, adoption or 
confirmation of state regulations for HMS fisheries, and allocations of 
some species to noncommercial use. The FMP is likely to include a 
framework management process to add future new measures, including the 
potential for collaborative management efforts with other regional 
fishery management councils with interest in HMS resources. It would 
also include essential fish habitat and habitat areas of particular 
concern, including fishing and nonfishing threats, as well as other 
components of FMPs required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
    The proposed FMP and its associated regulatory analyses would be 
the Council's fourth FMP for the exclusive economic zone off the West 
Coast. Development of the FMP is timely, considering the new mandates 
under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, efforts by the United Nations to 
promote conservation and management of HMS resources through domestic 
and international programs, and the increased scope of activity of the 
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission in HMS fisheries in the eastern 
Pacific Ocean.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in the HMSPDT meeting 
agenda may come before the HMSPDT for discussion, those issues may not 
be the subject of formal HMSPDT action during these meetings. HMSPDT 
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 HMSPDT's intent to take final action to address the 
emergency.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Ms. Carolyn Porter at (503) 326-6352 at least 5 
days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: August 18, 2000.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 00-21800 Filed 8-24-00; 8:45 am]
Billing Code: 3510-22-S