[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 76 (Monday, April 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22100-22101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08954]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD250


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (WPFMC); Public 
Meeting/Hearing

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold a meeting of its American Samoa Regional Ecosystem Advisory 
Committee (REAC) to discuss fishery management issues in the Territory 
of American Samoa. Hearings to receive public input on the Council 
action to modify the boundaries of the American Samoa Large Pelagic 
Vessel Area closure (LPVA) will also be held.

DATES: A public hearing will be held at Sadies by the Sea Conference 
Room in Pago Pago on May 3, 2014. The

[[Page 22101]]

American Samoa REAC meeting will be held in American Samoa in the 
village of Tafuna on May 5, 2014. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
specific dates, times, and locations.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this issue may be sent to Kitty M. 
Simonds, Executive Director, Western Pacific Fishery Management 
Council, 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813. Comments may 
be sent to the Council via facsimile (fax) at (808) 522-8226.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Date, Time, and Location for Public Hearing and American Samoa REAC 
Meeting

     Pago Pago, American Samoa--Saturday, May 3, 2014, from 4 
p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Sadies By The Sea Conference Room;
     Tafuna, American Samoa--Monday, May 5, 2014, from 9 a.m. 
to 1 p.m. at the Port Administration Airport Building, Tafuna 
International Airport, AS 96799;

4 to 6 p.m., May 3, 2014, Sadies by the Sea Conference Room

    Modification to the Boundaries of the American Samoa Large Pelagic 
Vessel Area Closure.
    At its 159th Meeting, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery 
Management Council directed staff to prepare an amendment to the 
Pelagics Fishery Ecosystem Plan to modify the LVPA and identify options 
to reduce, for a period of one year, the northern boundary of the LVPA 
around Tutuila, Manua, and Rose to 25 nautical miles and to reduce the 
LVPA around Swains to 12 nautical miles, as preliminarily preferred 
alternative. The purpose of this amendment is to provide a temporary 
increase in the area that can be fished by the large vessel segment of 
the American Samoa longline fleet such that competition between 
longline gears is reduced, albacore catch rates improved, and that 
there are reductions in the cost of longline trips, thus improving 
economic returns from the fishery. The need for this amendment is to 
promote the efficiency of the American Samoa longline fishery at a time 
when the fishery is experiencing difficulties in maintaining the 
economic viability of the fishery.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 5, 2014, Port Administration Airport Building, 
Tafuna International Airport

1. Welcome and Introduction of Members
2. Report on Fishery Development Program
3. Report on Sanctuaries Program in American Samoa
4. Marine Conservation Plan
5. Modification to the Boundaries of the American Samoa Large Pelagic 
Vessel Area closure
6. Public Hearing
7. REAC Discussion and Recommendations

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: April 15, 2014.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-08954 Filed 4-18-14; 8:45 am]
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