[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30867-30868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14623]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D. 052201D]


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/public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
Advisory Panels will meet on June 15 and 16, 2001; the Standing 
Committees will meet on June 18, 2001; and the Council will hold its 
110th meeting June 18 through June 21, 2001, in Honolulu, HI.
    At the full Council meeting, a public hearing will be held prior to 
the Council taking final action on its Coral Reef Ecosystem Fishery 
Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (CREFMP/DEIS).
    The Council will also be holding a public hearing to accept 
comments on a proposed action that would implement the prohibitions 
specified in the Shark Finning Prohibition Act, that was signed by the 
President in December 2000.

DATES:  The meetings and the hearings will be held during June 2001. 
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates, and times for the 
meetings and the hearings.

ADDRESSES: The meetings and the hearings will be held at the Ala Moana 
Hotel, 410 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu, HI 96813; telephone: 808-955-4811.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 
telephone: 808-522-8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Dates and Locations

Advisory Panels

    The Commercial, Recreational, Subsistence/Indigenous, and Ecosystem 
and Habitat sub-panels will meet jointly on Friday, June 15, 2001, from 
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sub-panels will meet individually on Saturday, June 
16, 2001, but will reconvene jointly before the end of the day to 
finalize recommendations. In addition, the Panels will hear reports 
from plan teams, the scientific and statistical committee, and other ad 
hoc groups. Public comment periods will be provided throughout the 
meetings. The order in which agenda items are addressed may change. The 
Advisory Panels will meet as late as necessary to complete scheduled 
business.
    The agenda for the Advisory Panel meetings will include the items 
listed below:
1. Welcome and introductions
2. Overview of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), Council program, and decision-making 
process, and other applicable laws
3. Role of advisors
4. Report on island area Advisory Group meetings
5. Fisheries data collection and monitoring programs, including the 
Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network (WesPacFIN) and the 
Marine Recreational Fishery Survey
6. Research priorities and needs
7. Coral reef management
8. Protected species issues, including turtles, seabirds and marine 
mammals
9. Enforcement and safety issues
10. American Samoa longline fishery issues
11. Indigenous initiatives, including the Community Development 
Program, Community Demonstration Projects, cultural take of green sea 
turtles, and the native Observer program
12. Education and outreach efforts
13. Presentation on fish aggregation devices
14. Sub-panel break-out sessions to discuss issues and develop 
recommendations
15. Joint panel session to review and finalize recommendations to the 
Council

Public Hearings

    A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on June 20, 2001, on 
upcoming actions with respect to shark finning.
    A public hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. on June 21, 2001, on the 
CREFMP/DEIS.

Committee Meetings

    The following Standing Committees of the Council will meet on June 
18, 2001. Enforcement/Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) from 8 a.m. to 10 
a.m.; Fishery Rights of Indigenous People from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.; 
International Fisheries/Pelagics from 10 a.m. to 12 noon; Precious 
Corals from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Crustaceans from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.; 
Bottomfish from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m; Ecosystem and Habitat from 3 p.m. 
to 4:30 p.m.; and Executive/Budget and Program from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
    In addition, the Council will hear recommendations from its 
advisory panels, plan teams, scientific and statistical committee, and 
other ad hoc groups. Public comment periods will be provided throughout 
the agenda. The order in which agenda items are addressed may change. 
The Council will meet as late as necessary to complete scheduled 
business.
    The agenda during the full Council meeting will include the items 
listed below:
1. Introductions
2. Approval of agenda
3. Approval of 108th and 109th Meeting Minutes
4. Island Reports
    A. American Samoa
    B. Guam
    C. Hawaii
    D. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
5. Federal Fishery Agency and Organization Reports
    A. Department of Commerce
    (1) NMFS
    (a) Southwest Region, Pacific Islands Area Office
    (b) Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla and Honolulu 
Laboratories
    (2) NOAA General Counsel, Southwest Region
    B. Department of the Interior/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    C. U.S. State Department
6. Enforcement
    A. U.S. Coast Guard activities
    B. NMFS activities
    C. Commonwealth, Territories, and State activities
    D. Archipelago Marine Research Ltd. - digital monitoring
    E. Digital Observer project
    F. Report on Enforcement meeting
    G. Status of Violations
7. VMS
    A. NMFS status of VMS report
    B. USCG request to use VMS for targeting boardings
    C. Report on VMS issues from the Enforcement meeting
8. Hawaiian Monk Seals
     A. Current population trends and factors affecting monk seal 
populations
    B. Recommendations of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team
    C. Bottomfish/monk seal mitigation measures
9. Precious Corals
    A. Status of 1999 framework amendment regarding new harvesting 
requirements
    B. Status of 2000 framework adjustment regarding Hawaiian Islands 
exploratory area quota increase

[[Page 30868]]

    C. Precious Coral DEIS
10. Bottomfish Fisheries
    A. Summary of the draft 2000 Bottomfish Annual Report modules
    B. Status of the fishery: litigation, biological opinion (BO), 
Observers
    C. Status of DEIS
    D. Permit transfer to replacement vessel in the Northwest Hawaiian 
Islands bottomfish fishery
11. Crustacean Fisheries
    A. NMFS plans for proposed charter cruises and model workshop
12. Pelagic Fisheries
    A. Fourth quarter 2000 Hawaii and American Samoa longline fishery 
report
    B. American Samoa limited entry
    C. Turtle conservation and management
    (1) Emergency rule for Hawaii longline fishery, including 
discussion of the BO, the final environmental impact statement, and the 
March 30, 2001, Court order modifying the injunction issued pursuant to 
Center for Marine Conservation v. NMFS.
    (2) Council Turtle Conservation Plan
    (3) Turtle research, including NMFS fishing experiment, other 
research, and turtle dive patterns
    (4) Endangered Species Act recommendations from the Chairmen's 
meeting
    D. Seabird conservation and management
    E. Preparatory Conference for the establishment of the Western and 
Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
13. Shark finning
    A. Public hearing on shark finning action
    In December 2000, Congress enacted and the President signed the 
``Shark Finning Prohibition Act'' (Public Law 106-557). The Act amended 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act to prohibit any person subject to U.S. 
jurisdiction from (a) engaging in shark-finning (shark-finning means 
the taking of a shark, removing the fin or fins (whether or not 
including the tail) of a shark, and returning the remainder of the 
shark to the sea); (b) possessing shark fins aboard a fishing vessel 
without the corresponding carcass; and (c) landing shark fins without 
the corresponding carcass. The rule that is being proposed by NMFS to 
implement the prohibitions specified in the Act applies to U.S. and 
foreign fishing vessels and associated businesses that engage in 
finning or in the buying and selling of fins or providing goods and 
services to vessels engaged in finning.
14. Ecosystems and Habitat
    A. Public and agency comments on CREFMP/DEIS including Rose Atoll, 
Palmyra, overfishing/maximum sustainable yield (MSY), permits, and 
other issues
    B. Other issues, including status of Northwestern Hawaiian Island 
Coral Reef Reserve and Advisory Council, and status of request for 
fisheries disaster relief
    C. Public hearing on CREFMP/DEIS
    The DEIS was prepared to examine the impacts of implementing the 
proposed CREFMP. The DEIS also addresses potential problems due to 
human interactions with coral reefs in the Western Pacific exclusive 
economic zone (EEZ). Although local regulations control many of the 
impacts of harvesting nearshore coral reef resources in settled areas, 
exploitation of the coral reef ecosystem remains relatively 
uncontrolled in Federal waters of the EEZ. Although these areas have 
been minimally exploited to date, industry has expressed an interest in 
expanding fisheries in these areas. In addition, the DEIS was prepared 
to provide for better understanding of impacts due to natural 
environmental changes, other FMP-managed fisheries, and non-fishing 
related impacts such as dredging. To address these problems, four 
alternatives were examined: (1) No action or status quo; (2) minimal 
additional protection for coral reef resources; (3) substantial 
additional protection to coral reef resources (preferred alternative); 
and (4) maximum additional protection for coral reef resources. The 
environmental effects of each of the alternatives, management measures, 
components, and options have been analyzed in the DEIS. In June 2000, 
the Council adopted a preferred alternative and management options. 
Management measures proposed in the FMP represent a combination of 
choices made by the Council based on a comparison of alternatives.
    Alternatives were a product of numerous public meetings and 
meetings of the Council's various advisory bodies. The proposed 
management measures include: (a) Ddesignating marine protected areas 
(MPAs), including no-take marine reserves and areas zoned for specific 
fishing activities allowed only with a special permit; (b) establishing 
fishing permit and reporting requirements for fishing for coral reef 
resources in the EEZ; (c) specifying the use of selective, non-
destructive gears and methods for harvesting management-unit species; 
and (d) establishing a framework process to allow for future regulatory 
adjustments to the coral reef ecosystem management program. In 
addition, the Council recommends that a formal procedure be established 
for assessing and controlling ecosystem effects of reef-related 
fisheries managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Bottomfish 
and Seamount Groundfish Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region, the 
Fishery Management Plan for the Crustacean Fisheries of the Western 
Pacific Region, and the Fishery Management Plan for the Precious Corals 
Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region.
15. Fishery Rights of Indigenous People
    A. Status of Community Demonstration Projects and Community 
Development Program
    B. Native observer program for Western Pacific fisheries
    C. Western Pacific sea turtle conservation plan
    D. Status of Marine Conservation Plans
16. Program Planning
    A. Report on annual Regional Chairmen and Executive Directors 
meeting
    B. Status of Congressional legislation (Magnuson-Stevens Act and 
ESA)
    C. Report on program planning activities
    D. NMFS overfishing/MSY workshop
    E. Digital video monitoring policy
    F. Education initiatives
    G. WesPacFIN/Fisheries Data Coordinating Committee
17. Administrative Matters
    A. Administrative reports
    B. Upcoming meetings and workshops, including the 111th Council 
meeting
    C. Advisory group member changes

Other Business

    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before the Council for discussion, those 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 
issue arising after publication of this document that requires 
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens 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.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: June 6, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-14623 Filed 6-6-01; 3:14 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S