[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 223 (Monday, November 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57938-57939]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-28878]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 111301C]


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 (NPFMC) and its 
advisory committees will hold public meetings.

DATES: The meetings will be held on December 2-10, 2001. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 500 W. 3rd 
Avenue, Anchorage, AK.
    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: The NPFMC's Individual Fishery Quota (IFQ) 
and Cost Recovery Committee will meet on Sunday, December 2, between 1 
p.m. and 5 p.m.. The NPFMC's Advisory Panel will begin at 8 a.m., 
Monday, December 3, and continue through Friday, December 7, 2001. The 
Scientific and Statistical Committee will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, 
December 3, and continue through Thursday, December 6, 2001.
    The NPFMC will begin its plenary session at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, 
December 5, continuing through Monday, December 10, 2001. All meetings 
are open to the public except executive sessions which may be held 
during the week at which the Council may discuss international issues, 
personnel, and/or current litigation.
    Council: The agenda for the NPFMC's plenary session will include 
the following issues. The NPFMC 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 U.S. Coast 
Guard.
    2. Community Development Program (CDQ):
    (a) Final action on regulatory amendment for changes to the halibut 
CDQ program for regulatory areas 4E/4D.
    (b) Initial review of amendment package for CDQ policy changes.
    3. Seabird Avoidance Measures: Final action on revisions to 
regulations for seabird avoidance measures.
    4. Rationalization of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Crab 
Fisheries: Review progress on analysis and provide direction as 
appropriate.
    5. American Fisheries Act (AFA):
    (a) Review and comment on AFA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
and proposed rule.
    (b) Review discussion paper on extension of the AFA.
    (c) Review co-op agreements and preliminary annualco-op reports.
    (d) Review industry response to request from Alaska Department of 
Fish and Game for ownership information necessary to finalize the 
Council's AFA report to Congress; consider approving submission of 
final report.
    6. Halibut/Sablefish IFQ Program:
    (a) Review report of IFQ Committee; staff direction as necessary.
    (b) Initial review of analysis for Gulf of Alaska community 
purchase of quota shares.
    7. Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) EIS: Receive Committee report and 
results of recent workshop and discuss alternatives for designating EFH 
and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern.
    8. Programmatic Groundfish Supplemental EIS: Receive report from

[[Page 57939]]

NPFMC Ecosystem Committee, review public comments, and consider process 
for selecting a Preferred Alternative.
    9. Groundfish Management:
    (a) Final Review of Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) 
documents for BSAI and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) groundfish fisheries for 
2002.
    (b) Set Total Allowable Catch and bycatch levels for BSAI and GOA 
groundfish fisheries for 2002.
    (c) Receive report on Halibut Excluder Device research; provide 
comment or staff direction as appropriate.
    (d) Review tasking and problem statement for differential gear 
impact analysis for Pacific cod.
    (e) Discuss tasking an independent review of the Council's F40 
harvest strategy.
    (f) Review discussion paper on catch and bycatch disclosure (if 
material is available); provide staff direction as appropriate.
    (g) Review discussion paper on bycatch implications of Steller sea 
lion measures for 2002 (if data available).
    10. Staff Tasking:
    (a) Review existing tasking and provide direction as necessary.
    (b) Receive status report on agency initiative to collect socio-
economic data.
    Scientific and Statistical Committee: The SSC agenda will include 
the following issues:
    a. Seabird Avoidance Measures (Item #3 on the Council agenda)
    b. BSAI Crab Rationalization (Item #4 on the Council agenda)
    c. Halibut/Sablefish IFQ issues (Item #6 on the Council agenda)
    d. Essential Fish Habitat (Item #7 on the Council agenda)
    e. Groundfish SEIS (Item 8 on the Council agenda)
    f. Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska SAFE documents 
(Item 9(a) on the Council agenda)
    g. Independent review of the Council's F40 harvest strategy (Item 
9 (e) on the Council agenda)
    Advisory Panel: The Advisory Panel will address the same agenda 
issues as the Council, with the exception of the Reports under Item 1 
of the Council agenda.
    IFQ Implementation/Cost Recovery Committee: The committee will 
address the following issues:
    1. Review NMFS's estimated IFQ fee and budget costs for 2002.
    2. Review enforcement issues (prior notice of landing; offload 
``window''; shipment report; and vessel clearance).
    Other impromptu workgroup or committee meetings may be scheduled 
during the meeting week; such meetings will be announced in the various 
meetings and posted in the hotel.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising 
after publication of this notice that require emergency action under 
section 305 (c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has 
been notified of the NPFMC'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: November 14, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-28878 Filed 11-16-01; 8:45 am]
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