[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 160 (Thursday, August 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40821-40823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16019]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF069]
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will
hold its 157th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Executive
and Budget Standing Committee (SC), and its 204th Council meeting to
take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific
Region.
DATES: The meetings will be held between September 9 and September 17,
2025. For specific times and agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Written public comments on final action items at the 204th Council
meeting should be received at the Council office by 5 p.m. HST,
Thursday, September 11, 2025, see ADDRESSES.
ADDRESSES: The 157th SSC, Executive and Budget SC, and 204th Council
meetings will be held as a hybrid meeting for members and the public,
with a remote participation option available via Webex. The Executive
and Budget SC will be held as an in-person meeting. In-person
attendance for the 157th SSC and Executive and Budget SC meetings will
be hosted at the Council office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400,
Honolulu, HI 96813. In-person attendance for the 204th Council meeting
will be hosted at the Ala Moana Hotel, Garden Lanai, 410 Atkinson
Drive, Honolulu, HI 96814.
Specific information on joining the meeting, connecting to the web
conference and providing oral public comments will be posted on the
Council website at www.wpcouncil.org. For assistance with the web
conference connection, contact the Council office at (808) 522-8220.
Council address: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1164
Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813.
Background documents for the 204th Council meeting will be
available at www.wpcouncil.org. Written public comments on final action
items at the 204th Council meeting should be received at the Council
office by 5 p.m. HST, Thursday, September 11, 2025, and should be sent
to Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; Western Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813,
phone: (808) 522-8220 or fax: (808) 522-8226; or email:
[email protected]. Written public comments on all other agenda items
may be submitted for the record by email throughout the duration of the
meeting. Instructions for providing oral public comments during the
meeting will be posted on the Council website.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director,
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; phone: (808) 522-8220.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 157th SSC meeting will be held between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST) on September 9-10, 2025, and
between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. HST on September 11, 2025. The Executive and
Budget SC meeting will be held between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. HST on
September 15, 2025. The 204th Council meeting will be held between 8:30
a.m. and 5 p.m. HST on September 16-17, 2025. Public Comment on Non-
Agenda Items will be held between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. HST on September
16, 2025.
Agenda items noted as ``Final Action'' refer to actions that may
result in Council transmittal of a proposed fishery management plan,
proposed plan amendment, or proposed regulations to the U.S. Secretary
of Commerce, under Sections 304 or 305 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA). In addition to the agenda items
listed here, the Council and its advisory bodies will hear
recommendations from Council advisors. An opportunity to
[[Page 40822]]
submit public comment will be provided throughout the agendas. The
order in which agenda items are addressed may change and will be
announced in advance at the Council meeting. The meetings will run as
late as necessary to complete scheduled business.
This meeting will be recorded (audio only) for the purposes of
generating the minutes of the meeting. As public comments will be made
publicly available, participants and public commenters are urged not to
provide personally identifiable information (PII) at this meeting.
Participation in the meeting by web conference, or by telephone,
constitutes consent to the audio recording.
Agenda for the 157th SSC Meeting
Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST
1. Introductions
2. Approval of Draft Agenda and Assignment of Rapporteurs
3. Status of the 156th SSC Meeting Recommendations
4. NMFS Science Updates
A. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Director Report
B. Technical Review of the Fisheries Integrated Modeling System
Stock Assessment Model
5. Program Planning and Research
A. SSC Special Projects Working Group Reports
A.1. Integration of Biological, Economic, Social, and Cultural
Considerations
A.2. Integration of Climate Information Into Decision Making
A.3. Bottomfish Management Unit Species (BMUS) Multispecies Complex
A.1. Review and Update of the SSC Special Projects List
B. Overview of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Tools
C. Social, Economic, Ecological, and Management Uncertainty (SEEM)
Process Review Report
D. Council Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Project Updates
D.1. Scenario Planning
D.2. Protected Species Workshops
D.3. Regulatory Review and Community Engagement
E. Status of Shark Depredation Research
F. Review and Update of Research Priorities
G. Public Comment
H. SSC Discussion and Recommendations
Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST
6. Pelagic & International Fisheries
A. Deep-Sea Mining
A.1. State of Knowledge on Deep-Sea Mining Impacts
A.2. Impossible Metals Eureka
B. Design- and Model-Based Approaches for Shark Bycatch Estimation
C. Multi-Species Impact Considerations for the Southern Exclusion
Zone Closures
D. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Science
Committee
D.1. Science Committee Report
D.2. Oceanic Whitetip Shark Stock Assessment
E. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Science
Committee Report
F. Public Comment
G. SSC Discussion and Recommendations
7. Island Fisheries
A. Setting Acceptable Biological Catch for the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Bottomfish Fishery (Action Item)
B. Public Comment
C. SSC Discussion and Recommendations
Thursday, September 11, 2025, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. HST
8. Other Business
A. SSC Meeting Schedule and Potential Working Groups
9. Summary of SSC Recommendations to the Council
Agenda for the Executive and Budget SC Meeting
Monday, September 15, 2025, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. HST
1. Introduction and Approval of Agenda
2. Financial Reports
3. Administrative Reports
4. Council Family Changes
5. Meetings and Workshops
6. Other Business
7. Public Comment
8. Discussion and Recommendations
Agenda for the 204th Council Meeting
Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Oath of Office
3. Approval of the 204th CM Agenda
4. Approval of the 203rd CM Meeting Minutes
5. Executive Director's Report
6. Agency Reports
A. National Marine Fisheries Service
A.1. Pacific Islands Regional Office
A.2. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
B. NOAA Office of General Counsel Pacific Islands Section
C. US Coast Guard
D. Enforcement
D.1. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
D.2. NOAA Office of General Counsel Enforcement Section
E. US State Department
F. US Fish and Wildlife Service
G. Public Comment
H. Council Discussion and Action
7. Hawaii Archipelago and Pacific Remote Island Area (PRIA)
A. Moku Pepa
B. Division of Aquatic Resources Report
C. Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
D. Small Boat Fisheries Issues (Shortline, Sharks)
E. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
E.1. Advisory Panel
E.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
E.3. Scientific and Statistical Committee
F. Public Comment
G. Council Discussion and Action
8. Program Planning and Research
A. Legislative Report
B. Aligning Science and Management Priorities
C. Report on the Seafood Executive Order Updated Recommendations
D. Recommendations for Commercial Fishing in the Pacific Island
Heritage Marine National Monument Expansion Area (Initial Action)
E. Report on IRA Program Projects
E.1. Scenario Planning
E.2. Regulatory Review
E.3. Protected Species
E.4. Community Engagement/Capacity Building
F. Council Education and Outreach Report
G. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
G.1. Advisory Panel
G.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
G.3. Fishery Data Collection and Research Committee
G.4. Scientific and Statistical Committee
H. Public Comment
I. Council Discussion and Action
9. Mariana Archipelago
A. Guam
A.1. Isla Informe
A.2. Department of Agriculture/Division of Aquatic and Wildlife
Resources Report
B. CNMI
B.1. Arongol Fal[uacute]
B.2. Department of Lands and Natural Resources/Division of Fish and
Wildlife Report
[[Page 40823]]
B.3. CNMI BMUS Annual Catch Limit Specification (Initial Action)
C. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
C.1. Marianas Advisory Panel
C.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
C.3. Scientific and Statistical Committee
D. Public Comment
E. Council Discussion and Action
Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. HST
Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items
Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST
10. Pelagics and International
A. Status of Electronic Monitoring Implementation and Development
of the Vessel Monitoring Plan
B. International Fisheries
B.1. WCPFC Scientific Committee Report
B.2. WCPFC Technical Compliance Committee Report
B.3. American Samoa WCPFC Fishery Issues
B.4. IATTC Report
C. Update on the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP)
D. Marine Mammal Protection Act Imports Provision Implementation
Update on Comparability Findings
E. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
E.1. Advisory Panels
E.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
E.3. Scientific & Statistical Committee
F. Public Comment
G. Council Discussion and Action
11. American Samoa Archipelago
A. Motu Lipoti
B. Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources Report
C. Deep Sea Mining
C.1. State of Knowledge on Deep-Sea Mining Impacts
C.2. Impossible Metals Proposal
C.3. Report on American Samoa Concerns
D. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
D.1. American Samoa Advisory Panel
D.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
D.3. Scientific and Statistical Committee
E. Public Comment
F. Council Discussion and Action
12. Administrative Matters
A. Financial Reports
B. Administrative Reports
C. Council Family Changes
D. Meetings and Workshops
E. Executive and Budget Standing Committee Report
F. Public Comment
G. Council Discussion and Action
13. Other Business
Non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before
the Council for discussion during its 204th meeting. However, Council
final decisions will be restricted to those issues specifically listed
in this document and any regulatory issue arising after publication of
this document that requires emergency action under section 305(c) of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the
Council's intent to take action to address the emergency.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are 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: August 19, 2025.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-16019 Filed 8-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P