[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 55 (Friday, March 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15727-15729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06170]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD196


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.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold meetings of its and Hawaii and Pacific Remote Island Area 
Archipelago Plan Team (HI-PRIA PT), the Joint Hawaii, Marianas and 
American Samoa Archipelago Plan Team (Joint PT) and the Council's 
Fishery Data Collection and Research Committee--Technical Committee 
(FDCRC-TC). The HI-PRIA PT and Joint PT will review the status of the 
nearshore fisheries, data collection issues and improvements, 
improvements in the Annual Catch Limit (ACL) specifications, and 
developing Cooperative Research Priorities and conduct a workshop to

[[Page 15728]]

estimate fishing mortality (F) and natural mortality (M) using length-
based estimates. The FDCRC-TC will develop a regional strategic plan 
for fishery research and data collection improvements and review the 
Council's 5 year research priorities.

DATES: The HI-PRIA PT meeting will be held on April 8, 2014, the Joint 
PT meeting on April 9-11, 2014, and the FDCRC-TC meeting April 14-16, 
2014. For specific times and agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The HI-PRIA PT, Joint PT and FDCRC-TC meetings will be held 
at the Council office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 
96813; telephone: (808) 522-8220.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public comment periods will be provided. 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 the HI-PRIA PT Meeting

April 8, 2014--8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Approval of the Agenda & Assignment of Rapporteurs
3. Status of Fishery Monitoring Programs and Research Projects
    A. Coral Reef Fisheries
    i. Re-estimation of coral reef recreational fishery catches
    ii. Estimation of F and M of reef fishes: insight on stock status
    iii. Kumu stock assessment
    iv. Uhu stock assessment
    v. Proposed size limits on reef fish in Maui
    B. Crustacean Fisheries
    C. Precious Coral Fisheries
    D. Bottomfish Fisheries
    i. Main Hawaiian Island ACL Monitoring
    ii. Amendment to the Hawaii Fishery Ecosystem Plan
    iii. Bottomfish Working Group report: Research Component
    E. Discussions
4. Discussion on the Council's 5-Year Program Plan
5. General Discussions
6. Other Business
7. Public Comment
8. Hawaii and PRIA Archipelago Plan Team recommendations

Schedule and Agenda for the Joint PT Meeting

April 9, 2014--8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Approval of Draft Agenda & Assignment of Rapporteurs
3. Report on previous Plan Team recommendations and Council actions
4. Archipelagic Fisheries Report
    A. American Samoa Fisheries Module
    i. Coral reef and crustacean fisheries
    ii. Bottomfish fisheries
    iii. Report on fishery independent surveys
    iv. FADs and sportfishing report
    v. Territory projects, initiatives and activities
    vi. Informing creel survey adjustment factors using village-based 
fisheries profiles
    B. Developing non-commercial catch report in the annual reports
    C. Discussions
    D. Public Comment
    5. Administrative and regulatory updates
    A. American Samoa
    B. Northern Mariana Islands
    C. Hawaii
    D. Discussions
    E. Public Comment
6. Annual Catch Limits
    A. Evaluating 2013 catches relative to its respective ACLs (Action 
Item)
    B. ACLs from the biomass-augmented catch-MSY approach
    C. Discussions
    D. Public Comment
7. Improving Fishery Data Collection in the Western Pacific Region
    A. Stock assessment framework for coral reef fishes in Guam
    B. Fishery Data Collection in the Guam Naval Base
    C. Report on expansion validation and variance estimation project
    D. Fishery Data Collection and Research Committee
    E. Project status in the omnibus proposal for fishery data 
collection improvements
    F. Discussions
    G. Public Comment
8. Update Cooperative Research and developing priorities
9. General Discussions
10. Archipelagic Plan Team Recommendations
11. Other Business

Work Group Session on Generating Fishing and Natural Mortalities for 
Reef Fishes From Fishery Dependent and Independent Length Estimates

April 10, 2014-8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

14. Workshop Introduction
    A. Overview
    B. Workshop Format
    C. Workshop Product
15. Estimating F and M for reef fishes in Hawaii
16. Review of the length-based stock assessment approach
17. Refresher on estimating mortality rates using a length-based 
mortality model in Excel
18. Report out on data inventory
19. Task assignment per jurisdiction
20. Breakout session 1
    A. Data compilation
    B. Data standardization session
    C. Literature search and drafting the report sections
21. Breakout session 2
    A. Model runs
    B. Result validation
    C. Literature search and drafting the report sections

April 11, 2014--8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

22. Continuation of breakout session 2
    A. Model runs
    B. Result validation
23. Report out on preliminary results
24. Result interpretations and report generation
25. General discussion and result consensus

Schedule and Agenda for the FDCRC-TC Meeting

April 14, 2014--8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

1. Welcome remarks
2. Introduction
3. Understand all perspectives: analysis of strength, weakness, 
opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
    A. American Samoa
    B. Guam
    C. Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
    D. Hawaii
    E. Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center
    F. University of Hawaii and University of Guam
    G. Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
4. Develop vision statements
5. Craft a common vision statement
6. Develop outcomes to accomplish vision

April 15, 2014--8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

7. Review day 1
8. Discuss fisheries research and management
9. Add projects to the plan
10. Develop metrics to measure projects
11. Develop the plan
12. Next steps

April 16, 2014--8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

13. Review of day 2
14. Develop the implementation plan
15. Develop the timeline and assignment of agency responsibilities
16. Review and update of the Council's 5 year research priorities

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    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 
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 18, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-06170 Filed 3-20-14; 8:45 am]
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