[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75614-75615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30765]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC412


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) 
Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold a work 
session, which is open to the public.

DATES: The HMSMT work session will begin each day at 8:30 a.m. on 
Wednesday, January 23; Thursday, January 24; and Friday, January 25, 
2013. On each day the meeting will continue until business is 
completed.

ADDRESSES: The work sessions will be held in the Large Conference Room, 
Torrey Pines Court, National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest 
Fisheries Science Center, 3333 North Torrey Pines Court, La Jolla, CA 
92037; telephone: (858) 546-7000.
    Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE. 
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220-1384.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kit Dahl, Pacific Council; 
telephone: (503) 820-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The HMSMT will work on an assignment for the 
March 2013 Council meeting in Tacoma, WA. The Council directed the 
HMSMT to determine if any changes can be made to the closure dates for, 
and/or the southern boundary of, the Pacific Leatherback Conservation 
Area (PLCA) in order to enhance fishing opportunity in the California 
drift

[[Page 75615]]

gillnet fishery. Since the PLCA was established to reduce the take of 
endangered leatherback sea turtles in this fishery, other mitigation 
measures may be considered to compensate for any additional fishing 
opportunity. Specifically, the HMSMT will consider a regulatory limit 
on the annual number of incidental take interactions allowed in the 
fishery. This regulatory approach has been used successfully in the 
Hawaii-based shallow-set pelagic longline fishery to limit takes of 
leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles.
    The HMSMT will also begin work on the next Stock Assessment and 
Fishery Evaluation document, which is prepared annually, summarizing 
information from the previous year. Informational topics may also be 
discussed, time permitting.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda 
may be discussed, those issues may not be the subject of formal action 
during these meetings. Action will be restricted to those issues 
specifically listed in this document and any issues arising after 
publication of this document that require emergency action under 
section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to 
take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    The meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt at (503) 820-2280 at least 
5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: December 18, 2012.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-30765 Filed 12-20-12; 8:45 am]
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