[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3911-3912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01067]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XD670]


North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of hybrid conference meetings of the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council and its advisory committees.

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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its 
advisory committees will meet in February in Seattle, WA.

DATES: The meetings will be held February 5, 2024 through February 12, 
2024. The Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will 
begin at 8 a.m. in the Courtyard Ballroom on Monday, February 5, 2024, 
and continue through Wednesday, February 7, 2024. The Council's 
Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the North/West room on 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024, and continue through Friday, February 9, 
2024. The Council will begin at 8 a.m. in the Courtyard Ballroom on 
Thursday, February 8, 2024, and continue through Monday, February 12, 
2024. All times listed are Pacific Time.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be a hybrid conference.
    Meeting address: The in-person component of the meeting will be 
held at the Renaissance Hotel, 515 Madison St., Seattle, WA 98104, or 
join the meeting online through the links at https://www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1007 W 
3rd Ave., Suite 400, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252; telephone: (907) 271-
2809. Instructions for attending the meeting via web conference are 
given under Connection Information, below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Evans, Council staff; email: 
[email protected]; telephone: (907) 271-2809. For technical support, 
please contact our Council administrative staff, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Agenda

Monday, February 5, 2024 Through Wednesday, February 7, 2024

    The SSC agenda will include the following issues:

(1) NSRKC (Norton Sound Red King Crab) ABC (acceptable biological 
catch)/OFL (overfishing limit)--Set Specifications, Crab Plan Team 
Report
(2) BBRKC (Bristol Bay Red King Crab) Closure Areas--Initial Review
(3) Cook Inlet Salmon--Status Determination Criteria, harvest 
specifications
(4) AFA (American Fisheries Act) Program Review--review workplan
(5) Case Studies for the 8th National Regional Fishery Management 
Councils' Scientific Coordination Subcommittee (SCS8) workshop--discuss 
candidates

[[Page 3912]]

(6) Small Sablefish release--identify sablefish DMR (discard mortality 
rate) for analysis
(7) Research Priorities--Plan Teams reports

    The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be 
posted at https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/3030 prior to the 
meeting, along with meeting materials.
    In addition to providing ongoing scientific advice for fishery 
management decisions, the SSC functions as the Council's primary peer 
review panel for scientific information, as described by the Magnuson-
Stevens Act section 302(g)(1)(e), and the National Standard 2 
guidelines (78 FR 43066). The peer-review process is also deemed to 
satisfy the requirements of the Information Quality Act, including the 
OMB Peer Review Bulletin guidelines.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Through Friday, February 9, 2024

    The Advisory Panel agenda will include the following issues:

(1) NSRKC ABC/OFL--Set Specifications, Crab Plan Team Report
(2) BBRKC Closure Areas--Initial Review
(3) Pelagic Trawl Gear Definition Changes--review NMFS report
(4) Cook Inlet Salmon--Status Determination Criteria, harvest 
specifications
(5) GOA (Gulf of Alaska) Tanner Crab protections--review discussion 
paper
(6) Programmatic Evaluation of management policies--Council direction 
and workshop planning
(7) AFA Program Review--review workplan
(8) Staff Tasking

Thursday, February 8, 2024 Through Monday, February 12, 2024

    The Council agenda will include the following issues. The Council 
may take appropriate action on any of the issues identified.

(1) B Reports (Executive Director including research presentation on 
effects of fishing on benthic habitat, NMFS Management including annual 
cost recovery updates and E-Logbooks Exempted Fishing Permit, NOAA GC, 
AFSC, ADF&G, USCG, USFWS, IPHC report, Advisory Panel, SSC report)
(2) NSRKC ABC/OFL--Set Specifications, Crab Plan Team Report
(3) BBRKC Closure Areas--Initial Review
(4) Cook Inlet Salmon--Status Determination Criteria, harvest 
specifications
(5) Pelagic Trawl Gear Definition Changes--review NMFS report
(6) GOA Tanner Crab protections--review discussion paper
(7) Programmatic Evaluation of management policies--Council direction 
and workshop planning
(8) AFA Program Review--review workplan
(9) Staff Tasking

Connection Information

    You can attend the meeting online using a computer, tablet, or 
smart phone; or by phone only. Connection information will be posted 
online at: https://www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings. For 
technical support, please contact our administrative staff, email: 
[email protected].
    If you are attending the meeting in-person, please refer to the 
COVID avoidance protocols on our website, https://www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings/.

Public Comment

    Public comment letters will be accepted and should be submitted 
electronically through the links at https://www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings. The Council strongly encourages written public 
comment for this meeting, to avoid any potential for technical 
difficulties to compromise oral testimony. The written comment period 
is open from January 12, 2024, to February 2, 2024, and closes at 12 
p.m. Alaska Time on Friday, February 2, 2024.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: January 16, 2024.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-01067 Filed 1-19-24; 8:45 am]
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