[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6636-6637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2862]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XU29


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council will hold 
public informational meetings on potential management measures for non-
commercial fishing in the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, Marianas 
Trench National Marine Monument, and Pacific Remote Islands Marine 
National Monument.

DATES: The meetings will be held on February 12, 2010, Tutuila, 
American Samoa; March 11, 2010, Rota, CNMI; March 12, 2010, Tinian, 
CNMI; and March 13, 2010, Saipan, CNMI. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
for specific times of the meetings.

ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Kingma, Western Pacific Fishery 
Management Council; telephone: (808) 522-8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2009, former President George W. 
Bush designated the Rose Atoll, Marianas Trench, and Pacific Remote 
Islands as Marine National Monuments (Presidential Proclamations 8335, 
8336 and 8337). In the Presidential Proclamations establishing these 
monuments, the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior (Secretaries) 
were instructed to prohibit commercial fishing within the boundaries of 
the monuments, except for the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument 
where commercial fishing is only prohibited in the Islands Unit. For 
the Rose Atoll Monument, the Secretaries were instructed to consider 
permitting non-commercial and sustenance fishing and, after 
consultation with the American Samoa government, permitting traditional 
indigenous fishing. For the Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine 
National

[[Page 6637]]

Monument, the Secretaries are to ensure that any sustenance, 
recreational, or traditional indigenous fishing in the Islands Unit be 
managed as a sustainable activity. Proclamation 8335 also provided that 
Marianas Trench Marine National Monument management plans shall provide 
for traditional access by indigenous persons, as identified by the 
Secretaries in consultation with the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Marianas Islands (CNMI) government, for culturally significant 
subsistence, cultural and religious uses within the Islands Unit. 
Presidential Proclamation 8337 for the Pacific Remote Islands Marine 
National Monument states that non-commercial fishing may be permitted 
and directs the Secretaries to provide a process to ensure that 
recreational fishing be sustainable. The Presidential Proclamations 
establishing the monuments identified the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) as the 
statutory authority to develop regulations related to fisheries. In 
following the MSA process to promulgate fishing regulations for the 
Rose Atoll, Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench, and Pacific Remote 
Islands Marine National Monuments, the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS), which acts on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, has 
requested that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council undertake 
the process to recommend definitions and fishing regulations for the 
types of fishing activities mentioned above.
    The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council will hold public 
meetings to gather information and views from the public regarding 
potential management measures for non-commercial fishing in the Rose 
Atoll, Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench, and Pacific Remote Islands 
Marine National Monuments as follows:

1. February 12, 2010. Tutuila, American Samoa.

    From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Sadies by the Sea. Main Rd, Pago Pago, 
Tutuila, American Samoa 96799.

2. March 11, 2010, Rota, CNMI.

    From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rota Round House. Rota, CNMI 96951

3. March 12, 2010, Tinian, CNMI.

    From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Tinian Elementary School. San Jose 
Village, Tinian 96952

4. March 13, 2010, Saipan, CNMI.

    From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Fiesta Resort and Spa, Coral Tree 
Avenue, Saipan, MP 96950
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before these groups for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 
those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these 
meetings. Actions will be restricted to those issues specifically 
identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of 
this notice that require 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 Eric Kingma (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION) at least 3 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: February 4, 2010.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-2862 Filed 2-9-10; 8:45 am]
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