[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59902-59904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23957]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC261


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold meetings of its 111th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), 
Executive and Budget Standing Committee, and 155th Council to take 
actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

DATES: The meetings will be held from Wednesday, October 24th through 
Thursday, November 1, 2012. For specific dates, times and agendas, see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The 111th SSC and Executive and Budget Standing Committee 
meetings will be held at the Council office, 1164 Bishop Street, 
Honolulu, HI 96813; telephone: (808) 522-8220. The 155th Council 
meeting will be held at the Laniakea YWCA-Fuller Hall, 1040 Richards 
Street, Honolulu, HI 96813; telephone: (808) 538-7061. The Fishers 
Forum will be held at the Harbor View Center, 1129 North Nimitz Hwy 
(Pier 38), Honolulu, HI 96817; telephone: (808) 983-1200.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SSC will meet on October 24-26, 2012, 
between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; the Council's Executive and Budget 
Standing Committee will meet on October 29, 2012, between 10 a.m. and 
12 noon; the 155th Council will meet on October 29-November 1, 2012. 
The 155th Council meeting will be held between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on 
October 29, 2012, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on October 30, 2012, 
between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on October 31, 2012, and between 8:30 
a.m. and 12 noon on November 1, 2012. A Fishers Forum will be held in 
association with the 155th Council Meeting between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on 
October 30, 2012. All meetings will be held in Honolulu, HI..
    In addition to the agenda items listed here, the SSC and Council 
will hear recommendations from Council advisory groups. Public comment 
periods will be provided throughout the agendas. The order in which 
agenda items are addressed may change. The meetings will run as late as 
necessary to complete scheduled business.

Schedule and Agenda for 111th SSC Meeting

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday, October 24, 2012

    1. Introductions.
    2. Approval of Draft Agenda and Assignment of Rapporteurs.
    3. Status of the 110th SSC Meeting Recommendations.
    4. Report from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 
Director.
    5. Program Planning.
    A. NMFS Science Plan & Prioritization Exercise.
    B. Public Comment.
    C. SSC Discussion and Recommendations.
    6. Insular Fisheries.
    A. Action Items.
    1. Options for Acceptable Biological Catch.
    a. American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands (CNMI).
    i. Bottomfish Management Unit Species (P-star Analysis).
    ii. Crustaceans.
    iii. Precious Corals.
    b. Hawaii.
    i. Non Deep 7 Bottomfish.
    ii. Crustaceans.
    iii. Precious Corals.
    2. Alternatives for the Moratorium on Gold Coral Fishery.
    B. Bottomfish Fishery.
    1. Cooperative Research Bottomfish Tagging Projects in Hawaii.
    2. Preliminary Results of Acoustic Tagging of Bottomfish.
    C. Public Comment.
    D. SSC Discussion and Recommendations.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday, October 25, 2012

    7. Pelagic Fisheries.
    A. Status of Opah Caught by the Hawaii-based Pelagic Longline 
Fishery.
    B. International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Research.
    C. Tracking the Changes of Economic Performance Indicators for the 
Main Commercial Fisheries in the Western Pacific Areas.
    D. Levels Of Observer Coverage In The Shallow Set Swordfish 
Fishery.
    E. American Samoa and Hawaii Longline Quarterly Reports.
    F. International Fisheries Meetings.
    1. Eighth Meeting of Western and Central Pacific Fisheries 
Commission (WCPFC) Scientific Committee (SC 8).

[[Page 59903]]

    G. Public Comment.
    H. SSC Discussion and Recommendations.
    8. Protected Species.
    A. Update on Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA) Actions.
    1. 90-day Finding on the Petition to Delist the Hawaiian Green 
Turtle.
    B. Draft 2012 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports and New 
Abundance Estimates for False Killer Whales.
    C. Public Comment.
    D. SSC Discussion and Recommendations.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2012

    9. Other Business.
    A. 112th SSC Meeting.
    10. Summary of SSC Recommendations to the Council.

10 a.m.-12 Noon, Monday, October 29, 2012

    Executive and Budget Standing Committee Meeting.

Schedule and Agenda for 155th Council Meeting

2 p.m.-5 p.m. Monday, October 29, 2012

    1. Welcome and Introductions.
    2. Approval of the 155th Agenda.
    3. Approval of the 154th Meeting Minutes.
    4. Executive Director's Report.
    5. Agency Reports.
    A. National Marine Fisheries Service.
    1. Pacific Islands Regional Office.
    2. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC).
    B. NOAA Office of General Counsel (OCG), Pacific Islands Report.
    C. NOAA National Ocean Service.
    D. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
    E. Enforcement.
    1. U.S. Coast Guard2. NMFS Office for Law Enforcement.
    3. NOAA General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation.
    F. Public Comment.
    G. Council Discussion and Action.

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday, October 30, 2012

    6. Program Planning and Research.
    A. Recommendations on Moratorium for Gold Coral (Action Item).
    B. PIFSC Science Plan and Prioritization.
    C. Pacific Island Recreational (Non-Commercial) Fishing Summit.
    D. Education and Outreach.
    1. Report on First Stewarts Meeting.
    a. Video Flyover.
    2. Third Managing Our Nations Fisheries Conference (MONF3).
    3. Other Activities.
    E. SSC Recommendations.
    F. Public Hearing.
    G. Council Discussion and Action.
    7. Protected Species.
    A. Update on ESA and MMPA Actions.
    1. General Update on ESA and MMPA Actions.
    2. Honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle) Petition 90-Day Finding.
    B. Main Hawaiian Islands Monk Seal Management Plan.
    C. Draft 2012 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports and New 
Abundance Estimates for False Killer Whales.
    D. SSC Recommendations.
    E. Public Comment.
    F. Council Discussion and Action.
    8. American Samoa Archipelago.
    A. Motu Lipoti.
    B. Fono Report.
    C. Enforcement Issues.
    D. Community Activities and Issues.
    1. Update on Community Fisheries Development.
    E. Annual Catch Limits (Action Item).
    1. Bottomfish Management Unit Species (P-star Analysis).
    2. Crustaceans (Spiny Lobster and Slipper Lobster).
    3. Precious Corals.
    F. Education and Outreach Initiatives.
    G. SSC Recommendations.
    H. Public Hearing.
    I. Council Discussion and Action.
    9. Marianas Archipelago.
    A. Island Reports.
    1. Arongo Flaeey.
    2. Isla Informe.
    B. Legislative Report.
    1. CNMI.
    2. Guam.
    C. Enforcement Issues.
    1. CNMI.
    2. Guam.
    D. Status of Guam Indigenous Fishing Rights PL 29-127.
    E. Annual Catch Limits (Action Item).
    1. Bottomfish Management Unit Species (P-star Analysis).
    2. Crustaceans (Spiny Lobster and Slipper Lobster).
    3. Precious Corals.
    F. Community Activities and Issues.
    G. Education and Outreach Initiatives.
    H. SSC Recommendations.
    I. Public Hearing.
    J. Council Discussion and Action.

6 p.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday October 30, 2012

    Fishers Forum: Tuna, Tuna, Tuna

8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 31, 2012

    10. Pelagic & International Fisheries.
    A. American Samoa and Hawaii Longline Quarterly Reports.
    B. International Fisheries Meetings.
    1. Western Central Pacific Fishery Commission (WCPFC) Science 
Committee.
    2. WCPFC Northern Committee.
    3. WCPFC Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC).
    4. North Pacific Regional Fishery Management Organization (NP 
RFMO).
    5. WCPFC Permanent Advisory Committee.
    C. SSC Discussion and Recommendations.
    D. Public Comment.
    E. Council Discussion and Action.
    11. Hawaii Archipelago and Pacific Remote Island Areas.
    A. Moku Pepa.
    B. Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Admin Report/
Update.
    C. Enforcement.
    D. Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) (Action Item).
    1. Non Deep 7 Bottomfish.
    2. Crustaceans (Spiny Lobster, Slipper Lobster and Kona Crab).
    3. Precious Corals.
    E. Bottomfish Fishery.
    1. Cooperative Research Bottomfish Tagging Projects in Hawaii.
    2. Preliminary Results on Acoustic Tagging of Bottomfish.
    F. Update on Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale Sanctuary Review.
    G. Community Projects, Activities and Issues.
    1. Status of Aha Moku Legislation.
    2. Report on Aha Moku Projects.
    H. Education and Outreach Activities.
    1. Hawaii Summer High School Course.
    2. Community Meetings on ACLs and MMPA.
    3. Other Hawaii Outreach Activities.
    I. SSC Recommendations.
    J. Public Hearing.
    K. Council Discussion and Action.
    12. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items.

8:30 a.m.-12 Noon Thursday, November 1, 2012

    13. Administrative Matters.
    A. Council Member Ethics and Rules of Conduct Training.
    B. Financial Reports.
    C. Administrative Reports.
    D. Freedom of Information Act (FOIAs) Requests.
    E. Council Family Changes.
    1. SSC.
    F. Meetings and Workshops.
    G. Approval of Standard Operating Practices and Procedures (SOPP).
    H. Department of Commerce/Office of Inspector General Review of the 
Fishery Management Rule Making Process.
    I. Other Business.

[[Page 59904]]

    J. Standing Committee Recommendations.
    K. Public Comment.
    L. Council Discussion and Action.
    14. Election of Officers.
    15. Other Business.
    Non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the Council for discussion and formal Council action during its 155th 
meeting. However, Council action on regulatory issues will be 
restricted to those issues specifically listed in this document and any 
regulatory 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:  1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 25, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-23957 Filed 9-28-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P