[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 231 (Friday, December 1, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 69527-69528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20380]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 665

[I.D. 112006J]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold its 136th meeting to consider and take action on pending 
recommendations regarding a request to longline fish within the Main 
Hawaiian Islands longline exclusion zone, addition of Heterocarpus 
shrimps to the appropriate Western Pacific Council fishery management 
plan and several issues concerning the harvest of precious corals in 
the Main Hawaiian Islands. The Council will also hold a public hearing 
during this 136th Council meeting.

DATES: The 136th Council meeting and public hearing will be held at 2 
PM (Hawaii Standard Time) on Thursday, December 21, 2006 (Friday 
December 22 in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands). For specific 
dates, times and locations of the public hearing, and the agenda for 
the 136th Council meeting, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The 136th Council meeting and public hearing will be held at 
the Council's office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 
96813. For participants residing in American Samoa, the Northern 
Mariana Islands, Hawaii and the continental United States, the 136th 
Council meeting telephone conference call-in-number is: 1-888-482-3560; 
Access Code: 5228220. For Guam and international

[[Page 69528]]

participants, the call-in-number is: 1-647-723-3959; Access Code: 
5228220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 
telephone: (808) 522-8220; fax: (808) 522-8226.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

136th Council Meeting Agenda

Thursday, December 21, 2006, 2 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time

    1. Introductions
    2. Approval of Agenda
    3. Fishing within the Main Hawaiian Islands longline exclusion zone
    4. Addition of Heterocarpus shrimps to the appropriate Western 
Pacific Council fishery management plan
    5. Precious coral harvesting around the Main Hawaiian Islands
    i. Redefinition of the Auau Channel black coral maximum sustainable 
yield (MSY) as 75 percent of current MSY estimate
    ii. Prohibition on the harvest of gold coral in the Main Hawaiian 
Islands
    iii. Creation of a limited entry program for harvesting of Main 
Hawaiian Islands black coral.
    6. Public Hearing
    7. Council Discussion and Action
    8. Other Business

Background Information

    Fishing within the Main Hawaiian Islands longline exclusion zone: 
The Council has received a request from a Hawaiian fisherman to be 
allowed to use a limited amount (7 miles) of old-fashioned ``basket-
style'' longline gear within the 25-75 nautical mile longline exclusion 
zone around the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). At its 135th meeting the 
Council directed its staff to draft an options paper to explore the 
potential for an exemption for the applicant from the current 
regulations for longline fishing around Hawaii, for Council review 
before the end of 2006. The Council will consider these options, which 
include no action, the potential granting of a permit through the 
Council's Community Development Program, or the granting of an ad-hoc 
exemption from the longline permit or closed area regulations governing 
longline fishing around the MHI. The Council may take action and 
recommend a preferred alternative or suggest other alternatives for 
consideration.
    Addition of Heterocarpus shrimps to the appropriate fishery 
management plan(s): A fishery for deepwater shrimp (Heterocarpus 
laevigatus and Heterocarpus ensifer) occurs in waters off of Hawaii and 
other areas of the Pacific. These fisheries are sporadic with vessels 
fishing for one to two years followed by a five to seven year hiatus. 
Hawaii data is currently captured by the State of Hawaii through its 
Commercial Marine Landings Catch Reports. The deepwater shrimp, 
however, are not currently managed under any fishery management plan. 
At its 135th meeting, the Council recommended that Heterocarpus species 
be added to the appropriate management plan(s) as a Management Unit 
Species in order to improve monitoring throughout the Western Pacific 
Region and allow management of this fishery. The Council may take 
action on this issue at its 136th meeting.
    Precious coral harvesting around the Main Hawaiian Islands: At its 
135th meeting, the Council directed staff to prepare an options paper 
regarding the redefinition of the MSY for the black coral fishery in 
the Auau Channel from 5,000 to 3,750 kg. per year. The Council also 
directed staff to prepare an options paper regarding a potential 
moratorium on the harvest of gold coral, both live and dead. The 
Council further directed staff to investigate the creation of a limited 
access program for the MHI black coral fishery.
    At its 136th meeting, the Council will review the various 
alternatives and options presented on these issues and may take action 
on the preferred alternatives for precious coral management in the Main 
Hawaiian Islands
    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 its 136th meeting. Council action will 
be restricted to those issues 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 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: November 27, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-20380 Filed 11-30-06; 8:45 am]
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