[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13604-13605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5697]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA286


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 (Council) will 
hold a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR).

DATES: The meeting of the WPSAR will be held on April 5-7, from 8:30 
a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Ilima Room, Ala Moana Hotel, 
410 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu, HI 96814, telephone: (808) 955-4811.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The WPSAR will meet to review new 
information on the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat of 
Particular Concern (HAPC) for deep slope bottomfish in the Main 
Hawaiian Islands. The Magnuson-Stevenson Act mandates regional 
fisheries management councils and NOAA Fisheries to conduct a review 
and revision of the EFH components of fisheries management plans every 
5 years (600-815, section 10). The second cycle for such reviews since 
the Act was put into effect was scheduled for 2009. The process has two 
parts, beginning with NOAA Fisheries identifying any new information 
relevant to EFH and HAPC definitions that include, but are not limited 
to, evaluating published scientific literature and unpublished 
scientific reports; soliciting information from interested parties; and 
searching for previously unavailable or inaccessible data. Once this 
first step is completed, NOAA Fisheries is then required to develop 
written recommendations to assist each Council in the identification of 
EFH, adverse impacts to EFH, and actions that should be considered to 
ensure the conservation and enhancement of EFH for each Fishery 
Management Plan. The Act requires that both steps of the process be 
conducted in consultation with the Councils, participants in the 
fishery, interstate commissions, Federal agencies, state agencies, and 
other interested parties.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service has completed this process 
for deep slope bottomfish in the Main Hawaiian Islands, and the 
outcomes of the EFH/HAPC review will be subjected to independent peer 
review and scrutiny under the WPSAR process, which will inform the 
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council whether the 
information is sufficient to amend the EFH/HAPC definitions in the 
Hawaii Archipelago Fisheries Ecosystem Plan.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to 
those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising 
after publication of this notice that require emergency action under 
section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and

[[Page 13605]]

Management 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: March 8, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-5697 Filed 3-11-11; 8:45 am]
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