[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 9104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04643]



[[Page 9104]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG844


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; 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 three 2019 benchmark stock assessments for bottomfish in 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
(CNMI), and Guam.

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

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Seki, Director, NMFS Pacific 
Islands Fisheries Science Center, tel (808) 725-5360, fax (808) 725-
5360, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 
(PIFSC) conducted three benchmark stock assessments for the Bottomfish 
Management Unit Species (BMUS) in the U.S. territories of American 
Samoa, the CNMI, and Guam, and combined them into a single stock 
assessment review. For each assessment, scientists modelled all BMUS 
species a single complex. PIFSC conducted the previous stock 
assessments for territorial bottomfish as an update in 2015. The 2019 
benchmark assessments incorporate improvements to data standardization 
and model assumptions that follow recommendations from the review panel 
for the 2015 assessments for the same stocks. The 2019 assessments also 
account for variations in creel survey estimates of BMUS catch. PIFSC 
used production models to estimate biomass and stock status through 
time, and to evaluate stock status against maximum sustainable yield-
based reference points set in the fishery ecosystem plans for American 
Samoa and the Mariana Archipelago, which includes the CNMI and Guam. 
The 2019 assessments provide projections to inform management in 
recommending allowable biological catch and annual catch limits.

Meeting Agenda

    The WPSAR panel will meet from 8:30 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 April 15

1. Welcome and Introductions.
2. Background information--Objectives and Terms of Reference.
    a. Fishery Operation.
    b. Fishery Management.
3. History of stock assessments and reviews.
4. Data.
    a. Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network
    b. Life history information.
    c. Other.
5. Presentation and review of stock assessment.

Day 2, Tuesday April 16

6. Continue presentation and review of stock assessment.

Day 3, Wednesday April 17

7. Continue review of stock assessment.

Day 4, Thursday April 18

8. Continue review of stock assessment.
9. Public comment period.
10. Panel discussions (closed).

Day 5, Friday April 19

11. Continue panel discussions (closed, morning).
12. Panel presents recommendations (afternoon).
13. Adjourn.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Please direct requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids to Michael Seki (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section above) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: March 8, 2019.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-04643 Filed 3-12-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P