[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28121-28122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1179]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051004E]


North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a joint public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Non-
Target Species Committee and Ad Hoc Working Group will meet June 3-4, 
2004, in Seattle, WA.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Thursday, June 3 through Friday, 
June 4, 2004, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m..

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Alaska Fishery Science 
Center, 7600 Sand Point Way North East, Building 4, Room 2143, Seattle, 
WA 98115.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 
4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane DiCosimo, Council staff; 
telephone: 907-271-2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The committee will review a discussion paper 
that summarizes the status of recommendations proposed by the Council, 
committee, and working group for management of non-target groundfish 
species in the North Pacific. The committee and working group will 
jointly address a series of decision points outlined in the discussion 
paper.

[[Page 28122]]

Policy decisions include: terms of reference for the committee; problem 
statement; approaches for the analysis; timeline for Council action; 
and identification of fishery management units, component species, and 
management objectives. Additional policy questions include: the role of 
target and non-target species in the ecosystem; potential losses and 
gains from the proposed system; process for monitoring and identifying 
species of conservation concern to ensure their protection; criteria 
for determining the extent to which it is practicable to decrease the 
bycatch of non-target species; acceptability of non-target species 
falling into an overfished status; criteria for establishing retention 
limits or time area closures; ensuring sustainability if criteria can 
not be defined; indicators triggering an action; defining non-target 
complexes; assessing appropriate bycatch level as a minimum measure; 
managing the remaining species; revising the overfishing level tier 
system to eliminate tier 6 for target species; defining the threshold 
between target and non-target; and defining the role of the groundfish 
plan teams.
    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 this meeting. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues 
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 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 Gail Bendixen at 907-271-2809 at 
least seven working 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. E4-1179 Filed 5-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S