[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15436-15437]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7651]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 031903C]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a its Bottomfish Plan Team (BPT) and its Pelagics Plan Team (PPT) 
in Honolulu, HI.

DATES: The meeting of the BPT will be held on April 22 and 23, 2003 and 
PPT meeting on April 24 and 25, 2003. Both meetings will be held from 
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: Both meetings will be held at the Council Office Conference 
Room, Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1164 Bishop St., 
Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813; telephone: 808-522-8220.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BPT will meet on April 22 and 23, 2003, 
at the Council Conference Room to discuss the following agenda items:

Tuesday, April 22, 2003, 8:30 a.m.

    1. Introduction
    2. Annual Report review
    a. Review 2002 Annual Report modules and recommendations
    b. 2002 Annual Report region-wide recommendations
    3. Maximum Sustainable Yield Overfishing Definition
    a. Status of stocks based on new definitions
    b. Hapuupuu genetic research
    c. Main Hawaiian Islands area closure monitoring
    d. Rebuilding options for ``overfished'' stocks

Wednesday, 23 April 8:30 a.m.

    4. 2003 Marianas Archipelago Research Cruise
    a. Mariana Islands Research Cruise plan
    b. Guam, Division of Aquatics and Wildlife Resources initiatives
    c. Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Division of Fish and 
Wildlife initiatives
    d. Council initiatives
    e. Cooperative research

[[Page 15437]]

    5. Guam offshore fishery management
    Draft amendment
    6. Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Bottomfish
    a. Mau Zone Community Demonstration Projects Program entry criteria
    b. National Ocean Service Sanctuary Designation Process
    7. Fishing impacts to Habitats
    8. Observer and Monitoring Program
    NWHI bottomfish observer coverage
    9. Other Business
    The PPT will meet on April 24 and 25, 2003, at the Council 
Conference Room to discuss the following agenda items:
    1. Introduction
    2. Annual Report review
    a. Review 2002 Annual Report modules and recommendations
    b. 2002 Annual Report region-wide recommendations
    3. NMFS Honolulu longline fishing experiments
    4. NMFS Turtle sensory physiology workshop
    5. Problems and issues from undocumented deployment of fish 
aggregating devices (FADs) around Hawaii
    6. Standardizing longline catch rates for differences in depth and 
habitat preferences
    7. Stock assessments of Pelagic Management Unit Species (PMUS) and 
overfishing/maximum sustainable yield (MSY) control rules
    8. MULTIFAN-CL sensitivity analysis
    9. International pelagic fisheries management
    10. Other business
    The order in which the agenda items are addressed may change. The 
BPT will meet as late as necessary to complete scheduled business.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before these groups for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during these meetings. Plan Team 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 Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified 
of 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 Kitty M. Simonds, 808-522-8220 
(voice) or 808-522-8226 (fax), at least 5 days prior to the meeting 
date.

    Dated: March 25, 2003.
Theophilus R. Brainerd,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 03-7651 Filed 3-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S