[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48117-48118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23252]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 091301A]


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.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
advisory committees will hold public meetings on October 1-8, 2001, in 
Seattle, WA. All meetings are open to the public except executive 
sessions which may be held during the week at which the Council may 
discuss personnel issues and/or current litigation.

DATES: The Council's Advisory Panel will begin at 8 a.m., Monday, 
October 1, 2001, and continue through Friday, October 5, 2001. The 
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will begin at 8 a.m. on 
Monday, October 1, 2001, and continue through Wednesday, October 3, 
2001. The Council will begin their plenary session at 8 a.m. on 
Wednesday, October 3, 2001, continuing through Monday, October 8, 2001.

ADDRESSES: All meetings will be held at the Doubletree Hotel, 18740 
Pacific Highway South, Seattle, WA.
    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: 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 Department of Fish and Game.
    (c) NMFS Management Report.
    (d) Enforcement and Surveillance reports by NMFS and the U.S. Coast 
Guard.
2. Halibut Charter Individual Fishery Quota (IFQ) Program: The Council 
will review previous action approving an IFQ program and consider 
further action as necessary.
3. Steller sea lion (SSL) measures:
    (a) Receive final report from independent review team.
    (b) Take final action on management measures for the protection of 
SSL for 2002 and beyond.
4. Seabird Avoidance Measures
    (a) Review research results from Washington Sea Grant.
    (b) Final action on revisions to regulations for seabird avoidance 
measures in the groundfish fisheries, if necessary analyses are 
available.
5. American Fisheries Act (AFA):
    (a) Review Environmental Impact Statement and proposed rulemaking 
for 2002; provide comments as appropriate.
    (b) Final comments on Report to Congress.
    (c) Review discussion paper on AFA status and possible extension of 
current regulations.
    (d) Review status of other AFA-related amendments and contracts.
6. Draft Groundfish Programmatic Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS): Receive status report.
7. Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Environmental Impact Statement:
    (a) Receive scoping summary and EFH Committee report.
    (b) Review final guidelines from the North Pacific Fishery 
Management Council.
8. Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program:
    (a) Initial review of regulatory amendments for Halibut Areas 4D/
4E.
    (b) Initial review of analysis for amendments to the CDQ groundfish 
regulations.
9. Groundfish Management:
    (a) Review of Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) 
documents for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska 
(GOA) groundfish fisheries for 2002.
    (b) Approve preliminary groundfish harvest specifications for the 
2002 groundfish fisheries, including prohibited species catch limits.
10. Crab Management:
    (a) Review the SAFE document for BSAI King and Tanner crab 
fisheries.
    (b) Receive report from the Crab Plan Team.
11. Staff Tasking: Review current staff tasking and projects to be 
tasked; provide direction to staff.

Advisory Meetings

    Advisory Panel: The agenda for the Advisory Panel will mirror that 
of the Council listed above, with the exception of the reports under 
Item 1 and the Halibut Charter IFQ issue (Item 2).
    Scientific and Statistical Committee: The Scientific and 
Statistical Committee will address the following issues:
    1. Steller sea lion measures listed under Item 3 of the Council 
agenda noted above.
    2. Seabird avoidance measures (Item 4 on the Council agenda).
    3. Groundfish Programmatic SEIS (Item 6 on the Council agenda).
    4. SAFE documents for BSAI and GOA groundfish fisheries (Item 9 on 
the Council agenda).
    5. Crab Management SAFE (Item 10 on the Council agenda). 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 this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not 
be the subject of formal Council action during this meeting. Action 
will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice 
and any issue 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

[[Page 48118]]

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: September 13, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-23252 Filed 9-17-01; 8:45 am]
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