[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 68 (Monday, April 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18964-18965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07415]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA998]


Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of a public online workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Pacific Sablefish Transboundary Assessment Team (PSTAT), 
in collaboration with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), 
Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), Department of Fisheries and 
Oceans (DFO), Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (PFMC), and North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council (NPFMC), is holding a public workshop to solicit feedback on 
the ongoing range-wide sablefish management strategy evaluation (MSE). 
The Sablefish MSE Workshop is open to the public.

DATES: The Sablefish MSE Workshop will be held Tuesday, April 27, 2021 
through Wednesday, April 28, 2021 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Pacific 
Daylight Time (PDT) and ending at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, reconvening at 
9:30 a.m. on Wednesday and ending at 5 p.m. or when business for the 
workshop has been completed.

ADDRESSES: The Sablefish MSE Workshop will be an online meeting. 
Specific meeting information, including directions on how to join the 
meeting and system requirements will be provided at https://www.pacificsablefishscience.org/. You may send an email to Mr. Kris 
Kleinschmidt ([email protected]) or contact him at (503) 820-
2412 for technical assistance.
    Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE 
Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Melissa Haltuch, NMFS Northwest 
Fisheries Science Center, (206) 860-3480; Ms. Kari Fenske, Alaska 
Fisheries Science Center, (907) 789-6653; Mr. Chris Lunsford, Alaska 
Fisheries Science Center, (907) 789-6008; Dr. Brendan Connors, 
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, (250) 858-7028; Dr. Diana 
Stram, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, (907) 271-2806; or Mr. 
John DeVore, Pacific Fishery Management Council, (503) 820-2413.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Sablefish MSE Workshop is 
to engage fishery stakeholders, Alaska Native and Tribal governments, 
First Nations, scientists, managers, and non-governmental organization 
(NGO) staff from each region during this two-day workshop that will 
foster discussions among regions about sablefish science and 
management. The workshop will introduce the basic premise, goals, and 
utility of an MSE and participants' roles in the process. The 
successful sablefish MSE experience from British Columbia will be 
introduced, along with the range of time horizons for incorporating 
stakeholder input into this Sablefish MSE. Then the Operating Model 
(OM) structure and justification for focusing on the entire NE Pacific, 
rather than the

[[Page 18965]]

traditional regional approach to scientific analyses, will be 
discussed. The first key focal point for participant feedback into this 
MSE process is in identifying fishery objectives. Participants will be 
provided with an overview of the types of objectives commonly used for 
MSE and recommend objectives for this MSE. Next, participants will be 
provided with an overview of the types of performance metrics 
(quantities for evaluating if objectives are met) commonly used for MSE 
and provide feedback on performance metrics for this MSE. An overview 
of the current regional sablefish management strategies (the 
combination of stock assessment model and harvest control rule) will 
precede a discussion of the proposed near term MSE management 
strategies and identify and prioritize additional ideas for MSE 
management strategies for future research.
    Workshop attendees desiring to engage participants will be required 
to register in advance at https://www.pacificsablefishscience.org/. 
There are two registration options for workshop attendees--participant 
or observer. Registrants are asked to self-select their attendance 
category. Participants are expected to engage in the full two-day 
workshop, including approximately three small group breakout group 
sessions over the course of the two days (approximately 20-40 min. for 
each session). Facilitators will guide breakout group participants 
through questions and discussions aimed at collecting participant 
feedback and ideas on each focal topic. Facilitators will summarize 
breakout group discussions and suggestions to the full group of 
observers and participants. The registration deadline for participants 
is Friday, April 16. The objective is to accommodate everyone that 
registers as a participant, although it may not be possible for all 
participant requests to be fulfilled. Early registration is encouraged 
to ensure the ability to participate. Observer-level registrants will 
be able to listen to presentations and full group discussions and ask 
questions as time permits during full group discussions. While 
observers are encouraged to register in advance, observers may register 
for the meeting until 5 p.m. April 23.
    Additionally, the meeting will be live streamed via YouTube where 
individuals may listen to the presentations and full group discussions 
without registration. YouTube viewers will not be able to ask questions 
during the full group discussion periods and will not be able to view 
the breakout group discussions. Meeting materials and instructions for 
connecting to the live audio stream will be made available in advance 
of the workshop at https://www.pacificsablefishscience.org/. No 
management actions will be decided by the workshop participants. The 
workshop's participants' role will be development of recommendations 
for consideration by the PSTAT in developing the NE Pacific Sablefish 
MSE.
    Although nonemergency issues not contained in the workshop 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 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 intent of the workshop 
participants to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt, (503) 820-2412, at least 
10 days prior to the meeting date.

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

    Dated: April 7, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-07415 Filed 4-9-21; 8:45 am]
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