[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3486-3487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-729]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 011806D]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a meeting of the Hawaii-based members of the Council Bottomfish 
Plan Team (BPT) to consider alternatives to end bottomfish overfishing 
in the Main Hawaiian Islands.

DATES: The meeting of the BPT will be held on February 8, 2006, from 9 
a.m. to 4 p.m. For specific times, and the agenda, see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The meeting of the BPT will be held at the Western Pacific 
Fishery Management Council conference room, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 
1400, Hololulu, HI.

[[Page 3487]]


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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BPT will meet on February 8, 2006 to 
discuss the following agenda items.

February 8, 2006, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    1. Introductions.
    2. Approval of draft agenda and assignment of rapporteurs.
    3. Review of last plan team meeting and actions from the 129th 
Council Meeting.
    4. Review the alternatives developed to address overfishing of 
bottomfish in the Main Hawaiian Islands.
    5. Review Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources proposed 
redefinition of bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas in the Main 
Hawaiian Islands.
    6. Review the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center(PIFSC) report 
on Hawaii Bottomfish.
    7. Status of PIFSC Bottomfish stock assessment.
    8. Other business.
    The order in which the agenda items are addressed may change. 
Public comment periods will be provided throughout the agenda.

The Agenda Background Information

    On May 27, 2005, the Secretary of Commerce notified the Council of 
this overfishing determination and gave the Council until May 2006 to 
develop a plan to reduce fishing mortality for bottomfish in the MHI. 
Scientists at NMFS' Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center (PIFSC) 
report that the target level of effort reduction, based on 2003 fishery 
statistics, is 15 percent.
    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 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: January 18, 2006.
Emily Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-729 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
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