[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26010-26011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11977]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG270


Pacific Island Fisheries; Western Pacific Stock Assessment 
Review; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) will convene a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review 
(WPSAR) of a draft 2018 benchmark stock assessment for main Hawaiian 
Islands Kona crab.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for meeting dates and times and 
daily agenda.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Western Pacific Fishery 
Management Council office at 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 
96813.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Seki, Director--NMFS Pacific 
Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), telephone: (808) 725-5360.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PIFSC conducted a draft 2018 benchmark 
stock assessment for main Hawaiian Islands Kona crab (Ranina ranina). 
The assessment provides the basis for management of this culturally 
important species. Previously, non-NOAA scientists conducted stock 
assessments for Kona crab in 1978 and, in collaboration with PIFSC 
scientists, in 2010-2011. The draft 2018 benchmark assessment 
incorporates data from 1948 through 2016 and uses a production model, 
incorporating improvements to data standardization and model 
assumptions. Specifically, catch per unit effort (CPUE) in the model 
includes new standardization coefficients split into two time series 
(1948-2005 and 2006-2016), due to passage of Hawaii state law 
prohibiting the taking of female Kona crab in 2006. The assessment 
model accounts for unreported catch by evaluating the use of published 
estimates of non-reporting ratios estimated for other fisheries in the 
main Hawaiian Islands, and by incorporating estimates of fishing effort 
specific to crustaceans from ancillary surveys. Stock status is 
evaluated against MSY-based reference points set in the Fishery 
Ecosystem Plan for the Hawaii Archipelago. Projections are provided to 
inform management setting of annual catch limits.
    Section 301(a)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that fishery 
conservation and management measures be based upon the best scientific 
information available. Magnuson-Stevens Act Section 302(g)(1)(E) 
provides that the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and each regional 
fishery management council may establish a peer review process for that 
Council for scientific information used to advise the Council about the 
conservation and management of a fishery. Consistent with this 
provision, the Council, PIFSC, and the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional 
Office have established the WPSAR process in

[[Page 26011]]

an effort to improve the quality, timeliness, objectivity, and 
integrity of stock assessments and other scientific information used in 
managing fishery resources in the Pacific Islands Region.

Meeting Agenda for WPSAR Review

    The meeting schedule and agenda follow. The WPSAR panel will meet 
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The agenda order may change and the 
meeting will run as late as necessary to complete scheduled business.

Day 1 Monday June 25, 2018

1. Welcome and introductions
2. Background information--Objectives and Terms of Reference
3. Fishery operation and management
4. History of stock assessments and reviews
5. Data
a. State of Hawaii fishery data reporting system
b. Post-release mortality and sex ratio
6. Presentation and review of stock assessment
a. Life history
b. Catch (reported and unreported)
c. Catch per unit effort
d. Assessment model
i. Base case model and priors
ii. Base case results
e. Retrospective analysis
f. Sensitivities
g. Projections

Day 2 Tuesday June 26, 2018

7. Continue presentation and review of stock assessment

Day 3 Wednesday June 27, 2018

8. Continue review of stock assessment

Day 4 Thursday June 28, 2018

9. Continue review of stock assessment
10. Public comment period
11. Panel discussions (Closed)

Day 5 Friday June 29, 2018

12. Panel discussions (Closed)
13. Panel presents recommendations (afternoon)
14. Adjourn

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Please direct requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aides to Michael Seki, Director, PIFSC, tel (808) 725-5360, 
fax (808) 725-5360, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: May 30, 2018.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-11977 Filed 6-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P