[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 52 (Monday, March 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14229-14230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5207]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XG35


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, April 1-7, 2008, in 
Anchorage, AK.

DATES: The meetings will be held on April 1, 2008 through April 7, 
2008. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 500 W 3rd 
Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501.
    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 Tuesday, April 1 continuing through Tuesday April 7, 2008. 
The Council's Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 8 a.m., Monday, March 
31 and continue through Friday April 4. The Scientific and Statistical 
Committee (SSC) will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 31 and continue 
through Wednesday March 2, 2008. The Enforcement Committee will meet 
Tuesday, April 2, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Iliamna Room. The 
Ecosystem Committee will meet Wednesday, April 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 
p.m. in the Dillingham/Katmai Room. The Council will meet Tuesday, 
April 8, with Alaska Board of Fisheries, and may discuss any of the 
items listed in this notice, or other issues involving state/federal 
authorities for parallel fisheries or Board proposals with federal 
waters relevance. 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
    NMFS Management Report (NMFS Enforcement/NOAA General Counsel)
    Alaska Department of Fish & Game Report
    U.S. Coast Guard Report
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Report
    Protected Species Report (including Aleutian Island Pollock EFP 
report)
2. Steller Sea lion (SSL) Issues: Review final SSL Recovery Plan; SSL 
Mitigation Committee report on proposals and preliminary 
recommendations on measures.

[[Page 14230]]

3. BSAI Crab Issues: Report from Crab Committee; Refine problem 
statement and elements/options for analysis of 90/10 modifications; 
BSAI Crab Arbitrator Immunity discussion paper; Final action on BSAI 
Crab Arbitration Regulations; Final action on BSAI ``C'' Share active 
participation; Final action on St. George protection measures.
4. Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Issues: Initial review of GOA sideboards 
for BSAI Crab vessels.
5. License Limitation Program (LLP) Trawl Recency: Final action to 
eliminate latent trawl licenses/area endorsements.
6. Observer Program: Receive Observer Advisory Committee report; Final 
action on Observer Program regulation package.
7. Halibut Charter Management: Initial review of Charter Halibut 2C/3A 
Catch Sharing Plan analysis; Report on the Charter Halibut Logbook 
Program.
8. Bycatch Issues: Preliminary review of BSAI Salmon Bycatch 
Environmental Impact Statement; receive scoping report; refine problem 
statement/alternatives; Discussion paper on GOA Crab and Salmon 
Bycatch.
9. Groundfish Management: Review EFP application for Trawl Salmon 
Excluder; Review EFP application for CGOA Rockfish Electronic 
Monitoring (Phase II); Initial review of Vessel Monitoring System 
Exemption for dinglebar gear; Final action on GOA 'Other Species' ABC/
OFL specifications; Initial review of 4E Seabird Avoidance measures 
(T).
10. AFA Issue: Receive action on Amendment 62/62 (single geographic 
location) and affirm or repeal. (T)
11. Scallop Management: Review Stock Assessment Fishery Evaluation 
report.
12. Ecosystem Based Management: Report from Ecosystem Committee; 
preliminary review of Arctic FMP. (Council only)
13. Staff Tasking: Review Committees and tasking.
14. Other Business
    The SSC agenda will include the following issues:
    1. Steller Sea lions
    2. GOA Sideboards
    3. Halibut Charter
    4. Salmon Bycatch
    5. Groundfish Management
    6. Scallop SAFE
    7. Ecosystem Management
    8. Crab Model Review
    The Advisory Panel will address most of the same agenda issues as 
the Council, except for 1 reports. The Agenda is subject to 
change, and the latest version will be posted at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/.

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 11, 2008.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-5207 Filed 3-14-08; 8:45 am]
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