[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 14, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52929-52930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20662]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 660

[I.D.080902A]


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) will 
meet on August 29, 2002, at 2 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The Council meeting will be held via telephone conference 
call at the Council offices, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu 
Hawaii 96813; telephone: 808-522-8220; FAX: (808)522-8226.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Hearing

    A public hearing will be conducted for final action on American 
Samoa longline fishery limited entry program, on Wednesday, August 29, 
2002, at 3 p.m.
    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 Council meeting will include the items listed below:
1.Pelagic Fisheries
    (i) American Samoa longline limited entry program
    (ii) Public hearing
    The Council will hold a public hearing on the preferred alternative 
for the American Samoa longline fishery limited entry program, and may 
take final action on these management measures. At its 113th meeting, 
the Council adopted a limited entry program for the American Samoa 
longline fishery. This action was prompted by the doubling of the 
number of fishing vessels participating in the American Samoa longline 
fishery during 2001, and a fourfold rise in the level of fishing effort 
in terms of hooks set. Unlike Hawaii, American Samoa is surrounded by 
the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of other nations and options for 
fishing elsewhere are

[[Page 52930]]

limited. Consequently, gear conflict and competition for resources are 
likely to increase as the level of fishing within the American Samoa 
EEZ increases. At the 113th Council meeting, the Council reviewed the 
options for a limited entry program and developed and adopted a 
preferred alternative that would limit entry into the American Samoa 
EEZ longline fishery. The proposed program would create four vessel 
size classes and limit initial entry to historical participants in the 
longline fishery. Permits would be transferable subject to certain 
criteria. Provisions would be made to allow participants to upgrade 
from small to larger longline vessels. The Council also discussed 
measures to require observers and vessel monitoring systems on some 
vessels. However, the Council recognized that the final format of the 
limited entry program required additional revisions to the draft 
Pelagic Fisheries Management Plan (PFMP) amendment and the draft 
regulations therein and put these on the agenda for the 114th Council 
meeting. The Council will review the revised PFMP amendment and 
regulations, consider final management measures, and vote on whether to 
send the amendment document to NMFS for review and approval.
2. Fishery rights of indigenous peoples: Community demonstration 
projects program
    A. Selection of projects for funding
    B. Solicitation of new project proposalsFollowing the 
reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) in 1996, The Secretary of 
Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior were authorized to make 
direct grants to eligible western Pacific communities, as recommended 
by the Council, for the purpose of establishing fishery demonstration 
projects to foster and promote traditional indigenous fishing 
practices. Criteria for fishery demonstration projects were published 
in April 2002, and proposals for fishery demonstration projects were 
subsequently solicited. The Native and Indigenous Advisory Panel will 
review these proposals in the week preceding the Council meeting and 
recommend to the Council which projects should be funded. The Council 
may concur with these recommendations or prefer to make recommendations 
of its own on those projects for funding. The Council may also decide 
to initiate another request for project proposals.

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 to 
any issue arising after publication of this document that requires 
emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, 
provided that 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: August 9, 2002.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-20662 Filed 8-13-02; 8:45 am]
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