[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 99 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29270-29273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11580]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 051204B]


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 and hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold its 123rd meeting to consider and take actions on fishery 
management issues in the Western Pacific Region. Meetings of the 
Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Advisory 
Panels (AP) will also be held.

DATES: The 86th SSC meeting will be held on June 8 - 10, 2004. The AP 
meetings and the 123rd Council meeting and public hearings will be held 
on June 21-24, 2004. For specific times, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The 86th SSC meeting will be held at the Western Pacific 
Fishery Council Conference room, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, 
Honolulu, HI. The Advisory Panel (AP) meetings and 123rd Council 
meeting and public hearings will be held at the Ala Moana Hotel, 410 
Atkinson Drive, Honolulu, HI; telephone:808-955-4811.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to the agenda items listed 
below, the SSC, AP, and Council will hear recommendations from other 
Council advisory groups. Public comment periods will be provided 
throughout the agenda. The order in which agenda items are addressed 
may change. The SSC, AP and Council will meet as late as necessary to 
complete scheduled business.
Schedule and Agenda for SSC
9 a.m. Tuesday, June 8, 2004
1. Introductions
2. Approval of draft agenda and assignment of rapporteurs
3. Approval of the minutes of the 85th meeting
4. Ocean Commissions Report
5. Pelagic fisheries
A. American Samoa and Hawaii longline fisheries
a. Quarterly reports
B. Update on turtle management
C. Seabird measures
a. Update on seabird measures
b. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Shorttail Albatross 
Biological Opinion (BIOP)
D. Shark management
a. Alternatives for shark management
b. Shark viewing and feeding tours
E. Pelagic squid management
F. National standard 1 revisions
G. Pelagics stock assessment research and review
H. Options for yellowfin and bigeye management in the Pacific
I. International meetings
a. Prepatory Conference VI-Bali, Indonesia
b. Indian Ocean Southeast Asian Sea Turtle Memorandum of Understanding 
Meeting-Bangkok, Thailand
c. 17th Scientific Committee on Tuna and Billfish
d. International Symposium on Ecosystem Indicators
6. Protected species
A. Sea turtles
a. Second Cooperative Research and Management Workshop
b. Baja meeting
c. 24th Sea Turtle Symposium
d. Sea turtle models
e. Transferred effects
B. Marine mammals
8:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 9, 2004
7. Ecosystem and habitat
A. Archipelagic fishery ecosystem plans

[[Page 29271]]

B. Update on annual report development
8. Bottomfish
A. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) bottomfish 
management
9. Crustaceans fisheries (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) 
lobsters)
A. Update on MULTIFAN-CL lobster model
B. 2004 NWHI cruise and charter plans
C. MHI Lobster stock assessment
D. Update on annual report development
8:30 a.m. Thursday, June 10, 2004
10. Precious corals
A. Current precious coral research
B. Update on annual report development
11. Other business
A. Stock assessment planning
B. 87th SSC meeting
12. Summary of SSC recommendations to the Council
APs
    The Commercial, Recreational, Subsistence/Indigenous and Ecosystem 
and Habitat sub-panels will meet jointly on Monday, June 21, 2004, from 
8 a.m. to 12 noon. Panels will meet individually on Monday, June 21, 
2004, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Panels will meet in a plenary session from 
8 a.m. to 12 noon on Tuesday, June 22, 2004, to summarize and review 
recommendations. The agenda for the APs meetings will include the items 
listed below. Public comment periods will be provided throughout the 
agenda. The order in which agenda items are addressed may change. The 
APs will meet as late as necessary to complete scheduled business.
8 a.m. Monday, June 21, 2004
Plenary Session
1. Welcome and general housekeeping remarks
2. Overview of pelagic/international management actions
3. Overview of bottomfish management actions
4. Overview of coral reef ecosystems management actions
5. Overview of precious coral and crustacean management actions
6. Overview of indigenous issues
7. Program planning items
A. Archipelagic fishery ecosystem plans
B. 3 year program plan
1 p.m.-6 p.m. Monday, June 21, 2004
    Commercial, recreational, subsistence/indigenous and ecosystem/
habitat panels will meet separately to discuss the following items:
1. CNMI bottomfish management
2. Pelagic management measures
A. Sea turtles
B. Seabirds
C. Electronic logbooks
D. Squid
3. 2003 Pelagics Annual Report
4. Recreational data
A. NMFS Recreational Fisheries Strategic Plan
B. Guam Voluntary Community Monitoring Program
C. Recreational licenses and reporting
5. Status of NWHI sanctuary designation process
6. Archipelagic fishery ecosystem plans
7. Community Demonstration Project Program
A. Status of first solicitation
B. Status of second solicitation
8. Coral Reef Ecosystems Fishery Management Plan
A. Summary of FMP measures
B. Annual report
9. Overview of Coral Reef Fish Stock Assessment Workshop and 
recommendations
10. Status of NWHI Sanctuary designation process
11. Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) lobster assessment
8 a.m.-12 noon, Tuesday, June 22
Plenary session
1. Review and discussion of sub-panels' recommendations
A. Commercial panel
B. Recreational panel
C. Subsistence panel
D. Ecosystem panel
2. Other business
Schedule and Agenda for Council Standing Committee Meetings
Monday, June 21, 2004
    1. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Executive/Budget &Program Standing Committee
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
    1. 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Enforcement/vessel monitoring system (VMS) 
Standing Committee
    2. 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Ecosystem & Habitat Standing Committee
Schedule and Agenda for Public Hearings
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
    1 p.m.-6 p.m. Proposed regulatory amendment (final action) under 
all five western Pacific fishery management plans that would allow 
fishermen the option of using NMFS approved electronic logbooks instead 
of paper logbooks, the option of submitting the electronic logbook via 
non-paper media (i.e. diskette, CD, memory stick, etc.) and the option 
of transmitting the electronic logbook information via e-mail or 
satellite transmission.
Wednesday June 23, 2004
    5:30 p.m. Final action on a regulatory amendment to establish 
additional measures to conserve sea turtles and initial action on a 
regulatory amendment under the Fishery Management Plan for the Pelagic 
Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (Pelagics FMP) to revise the 
requirements for seabird mitigation when fishing north of 23[deg] N' 
lat. to include side setting of longline gear as an alternative to one 
or more of the current suite of seabird mitigation measures.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
    9 a.m. Preliminary options to manage the bottomfish fishery around 
the CNMI. The agenda during the full Council meeting will include the 
items listed here.
    For more information on public hearing items, see Background 
Information later in this document.
Schedule and Agenda for Council Meeting
1 p.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, 2004
1. Introductions
2. Approval of agenda
3. Approval of 122nd meeting minutes
4. Island reports
A. American Samoa
B. Guam
C. Hawaii
D. CNMI
5. Reports from fishery agencies and organizations
A. Department of Commerce
a. NMFS
i. Pacific Islands Regional Office
ii. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
b. National Marine Sanctuary Program
i. Pacific Sanctuaries update
ii. HI Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary update
c. NOAA General Counsel SWR
B. Department of Interior-USFWS
C. State Department
D. Ocean Commission Report
E. Report from Non-governmental organizations
6. Enforcement/VMS
A. USCG activities
B. NMFS activities
C. Enforcement activities of local agencies
D. Status of violations
E. Electronic logbooks regulatory amendment (final action)
8 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2004
7. Observer programs
A. Report on the NWHI bottomfish observer program
B. Report on the native observer program
C. Report on the Hawaii longline observer program
8. Precious corals fisheries
A. Current precious coral research
B. Update on annual report development
C. 2004 Plan team report and recommendations
9. Pelagic fisheries
A. American Samoa & Hawaii longline fisheries

[[Page 29272]]

a. Quarterly reports
b. Options for yellowfin and bigeye management in the Pacific
c. New paperwork requirements for imports & exports
B. Seabird measures
a. Update on seabird measures
b. USFWS, shorttail albatross BiOp
c. Revision to seabird mitigation measures (initial action)
C. Sea turtles
a. Update on current sea turtle measures
i. Review of final rule published April 2, 2004
ii. Update on implementation of final rule
iii. Potential changes in implementation for 2005
b. Additional Measures for sea turtles (final action)
c. Second Cooperative Research and Management Workshop
d. Baja meeting
e. Sea turtle models
f. Transferred market effects
g. Hawaiian green turtle recovery
D. Marine mammals
a. Marine mammal workshop
b. Update on new marine mammal measures
E. Shark management
a. Alternatives for shark management
b. Shark viewing and feeding tours
F. Pelagic squid management (initial action)
G. International meetings
a. PrepCon VI-Bali, Indonesia
b. IOSEA Meeting-Bangkok, Thailand
c. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission meeting-Lima, Peru
8 a.m. 12 noon Thursday, June 24, 2004
10. Bottomfish fisheries
A. CNMI bottomfish management measures (initial action)
B. 2004 Plan Team report and recommendations
C. SSC recommendations
11. Crustaceans fisheries
A. Update on MULTIFAN-CL lobster model
B. 2004 NWHI cruise and charter plans
C. (MHI) lobster stock assessment
D. Update on annual report development
12. Ecosystems and habitat
A. Archipelagic fishery ecosystem plans
B. Ulua tagging program
C Update on annual report development
13. Fishery rights of indigenous peoples
A. Community Demonstration Projects Program (2nd Solicitation)
B. Update on Guam Community Development Plan
C. CNMI Conservation Plan (final action)
D.Workshop for Coastal Zone Management-Fiji
1:30 p.m.- 6 p.m., Thursday, June 24, 2004
14. Program planning
A Chair and Executive Directors' Meeting
B. Regulatory streamlining
C. Update on Federal and local fishery-related legislation
D Status of Hawaii $5 million disaster funds for Federal fisheries
E.Recreational fisheries data and management
F.WPacFIN
G.Revisions to national standard 1
H.Stock Assessment Planning
I.NEPA Activities
1.Archipelagic management
2.Squid &seabird measures
3.Sharks, PFADs, recreational fishing
J. Programmatic grants report
15.Administrative matters
A.Financial reports
B. Administrative report
C. Meetings and workshops
D. Advisory group changes
16. Other business

Background Information

1. Public Hearing on Electronic Logbook Amendment (action item)

    The Council will consider final action on a proposed regulatory 
amendment under all five western Pacific fishery management plans that 
would allow fishermen the option of using NMFS approved electronic 
logbook books instead of the Federal paper logbook forms that are now 
required. In its initial action, the Council recognized that the 
availability and capability of personal computers has increased to the 
point where using them to record fisheries dependent information can 
benefit Western Pacific fishery participants and NMFS. The benefits of 
electronic logbook forms include significant time savings for fishery 
participants, increased data accuracy, and time and money savings for 
NMFS.
    The alternatives considered in the draft regulatory amendment range 
from maintaining the current regulations, to requiring the use 
electronic logbook forms and requiring their transmission via e-mail or 
satellite systems. In recognition of the fact that not all fishery 
participants may have technology or desire to use electronic logbooks, 
the preferred alternative would amend the five Fishery Management Plans 
of the Western Pacific to allow the optional use of electronic logbook 
forms, and the submission of such forms on non-paper media or 
transmitted via e-mail or satellite systems. This option would be 
available to current participants in those fisheries with Federal 
reporting requirements (meaning fisheries in which participants submit 
Federal logbooks directly to NMFS) as well as future participants in 
fisheries that may become subject to Federal reporting.

2. Regulatory Amendment to Establish Additional Measures to Conserve 
Sea Turtles (action item)

    At its 121st meeting, the Council took action on long term measures 
to implement new technology to reduce and mitigate turtle-longline 
interactions in the Hawaii longline fishery. The Council took final 
action to re-establish a limited (2,120 sets annually) Hawaii-based 
shallow-set fishery using new technologies (circle hooks, mackerel-type 
bait, and dehookers) to reduce and mitigate sea turtle interactions. 
However, several additional issues remained unresolved and were 
considered by the Council at its 122nd meeting in March 2004. These 
issues arose because on April 1, 2004, a Court order vacated the sea 
turtle conservation regulations promulgated in 2001. The Council's 
management regime for the Hawaii-based pelagic longline fishery was to 
be implemented on that date, however existing measures for other 
Western Pacific pelagic fisheries were not replaced and required 
further Council action. Accordingly, at its 122nd meeting, the Council 
took initial action and recommended that the following alternatives be 
adopted in a regulatory amendment containing additional measures to 
conserve sea turtles:
    1. To require annual attendance at a NMFS Protected Species 
Workshop by operators and owners of general longline vessels (vessels 
registered to general longline permits and those that in the future 
will be registered to American Samoa limited access longline permits) - 
with consideration of mechanisms for remote attendance.
    2. To require general longline vessels to carry and use dip nets, 
line clippers, and bolt cutters and follow turtle resuscitation and 
release guidelines (note, with an exemption from carrying a dipnet or 
long-handled line clipper for small longline vessels with freeboard <=3 
ft (.9144 m)).
    3. To require non-longline pelagic vessels targeting pacific 
management unit species with hooks to remove trailing gear from 
accidently caught turtles and to follow turtle resuscitation and 
release guidelines, wherever they fish.
    4. To require longline vessels registered for use with general 
longline permits to use circle hooks and mackerel-type bait and 
dehookers when shallow-setting north of the equator.
    At the 123rd meeting the Council will review the regulatory 
amendment

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document, and may take final action with a recommendation that the 
regulatory amendment document be finalized and transmitted to NMFS for 
review and approval.
    3. Consideration of Longline Gear Side-Setting as an Option (action 
item)
    In November 2000, the USFWS issued a BiOp which contained 
reasonable and prudent measures for minimizing interactions with the 
endangered shorttail albatross. The BiOp recognized that the Hawaii-
based longline fishery at that time comprised two segments, namely a 
deep-setting tuna-targeting segment, and a shallow-setting swordfish 
targeting segment. All longline vessels fishing above 23[deg] N' lat. 
were required to use thawed blue dyed bait and employ strategic offal 
discards when setting and hauling the longline. Vessels setting deep to 
catch tuna were also required to use a line setting machine with 
weighted branch lines. Vessels setting shallow to target swordfish were 
required to begin setting the longline at least 1 hour after local 
sunset and complete the setting process by local sunrise, using only 
the minimum vessel lights necessary. The Council recommended a 
regulatory amendment to require these measures and a final rule was 
published in May 2002. However, the final rule did not include a 
requirement for night setting due to an earlier closure of the 
swordfish segment of the Hawaii-based fishery in early 2001, under 
separate rule making in compliance with a March 2001, BiOp issued by 
NMFS regarding sea turtles. The Council recently completed a regulatory 
that re-opened the swordfish-targeting segment of the Hawaii longline 
fishery in April 2004, which included the night setting requirement. 
During 2002 and 2003, additional seabird mitigation research field 
tests were conducted with underwater setting chutes, blue dyed bait and 
side setting. Side setting, as the term implies, means setting the 
longline from the side, rather than from the stern of the vessel. While 
all measures worked well, side setting was the only method which 
virtually reduced the interaction rate between longline and seabirds to 
zero. However, side setting is not included within the suite of 
measures required in the USFWS BiOp, nor in the regulations for the 
Hawaii-based fishery. At its 122nd meeting, the Council, discussed the 
potential for amending its requirements for seabird mitigation above 
23[deg] N' lat. to include side setting, an underwater setting chute or 
towed deterrent as measures that fishermen may elect to use in place of 
blue dyed bait, strategic offal discards and night setting. The Council 
directed the staff to prepare a regulatory amendment to the Pelagics 
FMP that examines a range of alternatives for seabird mitigation which 
included the choices for longline fishermen of either the use of side 
setting, use of an underwater setting chute, or other acceptable 
measures. At its 123rd meeting, the Council may take initial action to 
select a preferred alternative and direct staff to complete a 
regulatory amendment in order to take final action at its next meeting.
    4. Preliminary CNMI Bottomfish Management Options (initial action)
    A public hearing will be held to solicit comments on preliminary 
alternatives to manage the bottomfish fishery around the CNMI. Based on 
comments received during public scoping meetings held in CNMI, the 
Council developed preliminary options including limiting the harvest of 
bottomfish, reporting requirements, establishing area closures, gear 
and vessel restrictions, and other control measures expressed by the 
public during the scoping meetings. At its 122nd meeting, the Council 
endorsed the range of options and asked that alternatives be further 
developed including an analysis of each option. At the 123rd meeting, 
the Council may take initial action on a preferred alternative and 
direct staff to develop an amendment to the Bottomfish FMP that may be 
considered for final action at the 124th meeting in October 2004.
    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 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.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: May 17, 2004.
Galen R. Tromble,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 04-11580 Filed 5-20-04; 8:45 am]
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