[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 28122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1178]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051004D]


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Highly 
Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold a work session, 
which is open to the public.

DATES: The work session will be Tuesday, June 1, 2004, from 9 a.m. 
until 5 p.m. and Wednesday, June 2, 2004, from 9 a.m. until business 
for the day is completed.

ADDRESSES: The work session will be held at NMFS Southwest Fisheries 
Science Center, Large Conference Room, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, Room 
D-203, La Jolla, CA 92037; telephone: (858) 546-7000.
    Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE 
Ambassador Place, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97220-1384.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Waldeck, Pacific Fishery 
Management Council; telephone: (503) 820-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The main purpose of this work session is for 
the HMSMT to continue work on development of initial recommendations 
for a limited entry program for the high seas longline fishery and 
other matters that could be included in an amendment to the fishery 
management plan (FMP) for Pacific Coast HMS fisheries. Specifically, in 
line with Council direction from the April 2004 Council meeting, the 
HMSMT is developing estimates of acceptable thresholds of species 
specific sea turtle takes under the HMS FMP. This information might be 
used to develop a regulatory package for restructuring fisheries under 
the HMS FMP. In addition, information from the Council-managed drift 
gillnet (DGN) fishery will be added to the fleet profile database 
developed by the HMSMT; including information on current DGN permit 
holders and active fishery participants, and landings history for the 
period 1997 through the present. This additional information might 
provide a means to consider restructuring the DGN fishery in concert 
with the high seas longline fishery. The rationale for expanding the 
database to include DGN fishery information is that the DGN fishery and 
high seas longline fishery, if both fisheries were allowed to operate, 
could require restructuring in order to ensure sea turtle takes are 
kept at levels that will not result in jeopardy to any Endangered 
Species Act-listed species. The HMSMT will report to the Council at the 
September 2004 Council meeting.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda 
may be discussed, those issues may not be the subject of formal action 
during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues 
specifically listed in this document and any issues arising after 
publication of this document that require emergency action under 
section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to 
take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Carolyn Porter at (503) 820-2280 at least five 
days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: May 13, 2004.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E4-1178 Filed 5-17-03; 8:45 am]
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