[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 46 (Friday, March 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10712-10713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4223]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 030507H]


North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
advisory committees will hold public meetings in Anchorage, AK.

DATES: The meetings will be held from Monday, March 26 through Tuesday, 
April 3, 2007. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and 
times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500 
West Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 
4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Witherell, Council staff, 
telephone: (907) 271-2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Council will begin its plenary session 
at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28, continuing through Tuesday, April 3, 
2007. The Council will meet jointly with the Alaska Board of Fisheries 
from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28.
    The agenda will consist of: Halibut Charter Management; Steller Sea 
Lion (SSL) Recovery Plan and Biological Opinion (BiOp); Salmon Bycatch; 
Potential sector split for cod in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and License 
Limitation Program (LLP) recency in the GOA and tendering issues; Dark 
Rockfish in the GOA (and potential state management aspects); Request 
for closed area around Unalaska Bay; Arctic Management Plan discussion 
paper.

[[Page 10713]]

    The Council's Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 8 a.m., Monday, 
March 26 and continue through Saturday, March 31.
    The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will begin at 8 a.m. 
on Monday, March 26 and continue through Wednesday March 28, 2007.
    The Enforcement Committee will meet Tuesday, March 27, from 9 a.m. 
to 12 noon, in the Birch/Willow Room.
    The Ecosystem Committee will meet March 27, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., 
in the Birch/Willow Room.
    All meetings are open to the public, except executive sessions. 
Council Plenary Session:
    The agenda for the Council's plenary session will include the 
following issues. The Council may take appropriate action on any of the 
issues identified.
    1. Reports
    Executive Director's Report (including revised National 
Environmenal Protection Act (NEPA) process, Statement of Oreganization, 
Practices, and Procedures).
    NMFS Management Report (including National Bycatch Report 
Updates and annual catch limit guidelines).
    U.S. Coast Guard Report.
    Alaska Department of Fish & Game Report.
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Report.
    Protected Species Report (including update on recovery 
plan/BiOp).
    2. Charter Halibut Management: NMFS Report on International Pacific 
Halibut Commission (IPHC) action; receive Stakeholder Committee report, 
action as necessary; Final action on Moratorium; State/Federal 
Management - review discussion paper; Review discussion paper on sport 
fish discard mortality; Initial review of analysis of Area 2C Guideline 
Harvest Levels (GHLs) measures; Discussion paper on halibut 
allocations, action as necessary; Report on Alaska Department of Fish & 
Game (ADF&G) logbook data (SSC only).
    3. GOA Groundfish Management Review: Review discussion paper on GOA 
sideboards; review problem statement and develop alternatives GOA 
sector split; review problem statement and develop alternatives for GOA 
latent licenses; review discussion paper on Western GOA pollock trip 
limits and action as necessary.
    4. Trawl LLP Recency: Review discussion paper on interactions with 
other limited entry programs; review discussion paper on implementation 
issues; action as necessary.
    5. Bering Sea Aleutian Island (BSAI) Crab Management: Review 18-
month BSAI Crab Review report, and take action as necessary; review 
crab data collection protocols, action as necessary.
    6. Observer Program: Progress report and action as necessary.
    7. Community Development Quota (CDQ): Review of legal opinion about 
CDQ Program roles and responsibilities, and action as necessary (T).
    8. Socioeconomic Data: Receive workgroup report on Comprehensive 
Socioeconomic Data Collection.
    9. Scallop Management: Review and approve Scallop Stock Assessment 
Fishery Evaluation (SAFE).
    10. Groundfish Management: Discussion paper on >Other Species= 
management; final action on Dark Rockfish management; stock assessment 
review guidelines, action as necessary; SSCs Salmon Bycatch Workshop; 
action as necessary.
    11. Habitat Conservation: Initial Review of Bering Sea habitat 
conservation measures; review Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) 
priorities and timing, action as necessary; final action on Essential 
Fish Habitat Aleutian Island open area adjustment.
    12. Aleutian Island Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP): Initial review of 
FEP (T).
    13. Arctic Management: Review discussion paper, and take action as 
necessary.
    14. Staff Tasking: Review Committees and tasking, and take action 
as necessary.
    15. Other Business.
    The SSC agenda will include the following issues:
    1. Protected Species
    2. Charter Halibut Management
    3. GOA Groundfish Management
    4. BSAI Crab Management
    5. Trawl LLP Recency
    6. Socioeconomic Data
    7. Scallop Management
    8. Groundfish Management
    9. Habitat Conservation
    10. Aleutian Island Fishery Ecosystem Plan
    11. Arctic Management
    The Advisory Panel will address the same agenda issues as the 
Council, except for reports.

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 7 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: March 6, 2007.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-4223 Filed 3-8-07; 8:45 am]
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