[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24174-24176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08703]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF697]
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 meetings of its Archipelagic Plan Team (APT), Fishery Data
Collection and Research Committee Technical Committee (FDCRC TC) and
Pelagic Plan Team (PPT) to discuss fishery management issues and
develop recommendations for future management of fisheries in the
Western Pacific Region.
DATES: The APT will meet on Monday, May 11, 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and
4 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST) and Tuesday, May 12, 2026 between
8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. The FDCRC TC will meet Tuesday, May 12, 2026
between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. HST. The APT will meet jointly with the PPT
on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, between 8:30
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a.m. and 4 p.m. HST. The PPT will meet on Thursday and Friday, May 14-
15, 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. HST. For specific times and
agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in a hybrid format with in-person
and remote participation (Webex) options available for the members, and
public attendance limited to web conference via Webex. In-person
attendance for members will be hosted at the Council office, 1164
Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813. Specific information on
joining the meeting, connecting to the web conference and making oral
public comments will be posted on the Council website at https://www.wpcouncil.org. For assistance with the web conference connection,
contact the Council office at (808) 522-8220.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director,
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, (808) 522-8220 (voice) or
(808) 522-8226 (fax).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The APT meeting will be held Monday, May 11,
2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. HST (7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Samoa
Standard Time (SST); 4:30 a.m. to 12 noon on May 12, 2026, Chamorro
Standard Time (ChST)) and Tuesday, May 12, 2026 between 8:30 a.m. and
12 p.m. (7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. SST; 4:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. on May 13, 2026,
ChST). The FDCRC TC will meet Tuesday, May 12, 2026 between 1 p.m. and
4 p.m. HST (12 p.m. and 3 p.m. SST; 9 a.m.--12 p.m. on May 13, 2026,
ChST). The APT will meet jointly with the PPT on Wednesday, May 13,
2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. HST (7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. SST; 4:30
a.m. to 12 noon on May 14, 2026, ChST). The PPT will meet on Thursday
and Friday, May 14-15, 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. HST (7:30
a.m. to 3 p.m. SST; 4:30 a.m. to 12 noon on May 15-16, 2026, ChST).
Opportunities to present oral public comment will be provided on the
agenda. The order of the agenda may change, and will be announced in
advance at the meeting. The meeting may run past the scheduled times
noted above to complete scheduled business.
Agenda for the Archipelagic Plan Team Meeting
Monday, May 11, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. HST (7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. SST;
4:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 12, 2026, ChST)
1. Welcome and APT Introductions
2. Approval of Draft APT Agenda
3. Report on Previous APT Recommendations
4. 2025 Archipelagic Annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation
(SAFE) Reports
A. Fishery Performance
i. Archipelagic Fishery Performance Modules
a. American Samoa
b. Guam
c. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
d. Hawaii
e. Territorial Non-Commercial
B. Ecosystem and Climate Considerations
i. Protected Species
ii. Life History and Length-Derived Variables
iii. Biomass Estimates for Coral Reef Ecosystem Components
C. Administrative Reports
i. Federal Permit and Logbook Data
ii. Regulatory Actions
5. APT Review: Action Item Progress
A. Hawaii Non-Commercial Fishery Performance
1. Preliminary Results from Uku Mail Survey
2. Catch Estimation Approaches for Deep 7 Bottomfish
6. Public Comment
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. HST (7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
SST; 4:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. on May 13, 2026, ChST)
7. Council Actions
A. Kona Crab Annual Catch Limit Specification
8. Improving Data Collection Efforts
A. 2025 Mariana Archipelago Small Boat Survey
B. Territorial Fish Flow Projects
C. Transitioning from Random Surveys to Full Census
9. Open Discussion: Archipelagic SAFE Report Matters
A. Ecosystem Component Species (ECS) Management
B. Monitoring Shark Depredation
C. Monitoring Kona Crab Harvest
D. Improving Creel Survey Administration
10. Public Comment
11. Discussion and Archipelagic Plan Team Recommendations
Agenda for the Fishery Data Collection and Research Committee Technical
Committee Meeting
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. HST (12 p.m. to 3 p.m. SST; 9
a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 13, 2026, ChST)
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Report on Previous FDCRC TC Recommendations and Council Actions
3. Data Collection
A. Updates on Regional Data Summit Progress
B. Right-fitting Data Collection for the Region
i. Hawaii Uku Surveys
ii. American Samoa Census
iii. Plans for the Northern Mariana Islands
4. Other Issues
A. Non-Commercial Data Updates
B. Archipelagic Plan Team Recommendations
5. Public Comment
6. Discussion and Recommendations
7. Other Business
Agenda for the Joint Archipelagic and Pelagic Plan Teams Meeting
Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. HST (7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SST; 4:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 14, 2026, ChST)
1. PPT Welcome and Introductions
2. Approval of PPT Draft Agenda
3. 2025 Archipelagic and Pelagic Annual SAFE Reports
A. Fisher Observations
i. American Samoa
ii. CNMI
iii. Guam
iv. Hawaii
B. Ecosystem Considerations and Indicator Development
i. Oceanic and Climate Variables
a. Archipelagic Dashboard Update
ii. Socioeconomics
iii. Essential Fish Habitat
iv. Marine Planning
4. SAFE Reports Revamp
5. Executive Order 14276 Update
6. Program Planning
A. Aligning Science and Management Priorities
B. Magnuson Stevens Reauthorization Act Five-year Research
Priorities Update
C. IRA Project Updates
i. Scenario Planning
ii. Regulatory Review
iii. Protected Species Workshops
iv. Community Consultations
v. Shark Depredation Workshop
8. Other Issues
9. Public Comment
10. Discussion and Joint Plan Team Recommendations
11. Other Business and APT Closing
Agenda for the Pelagic Plan Team Meeting
Thursday, May 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. HST (7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SST; 4:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on May 15, 2026, ChST)
1. Report on Previous PPT Recommendations
2. 2025 Pelagic Annual SAFE Reports
A. Fishery Data Modules
i. American Samoa
ii. CNMI
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iii. Guam
iv. Hawaii
v. International
B. Ecosystem Considerations Modules
i. Protected Species
C. Administrative Reports
i. Regulatory Action
3. PPT Review: Working Group and Action Item Progress
A. Potential ECS Management under Pelagic FEP
4. Discussion: Pelagic SAFE Report Matters
5. Public Comment
Friday, May 15, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. HST (7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
SST; 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 16, 2026, ChST)
6. U.S. Pacific Marine National Monument Research and Monitoring
7. Electronic Monitoring (EM) in Hawaii and American Samoa Longline
Fisheries Update
8. Feasibility of Stock Assessments for Secondary Incidental Management
Unit Species
9. International Fisheries Updates
A. South Pacific Albacore Management Allocations
B. Bigeye Tuna Management Procedure
10. Public Comment
11. Discussion and Pelagic Plan Team Recommendations
12. Other Business and PPT Closing
Special Accommodations: These meetings are accessible to people
with disabilities. Please direct requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids to Kitty M. Simonds (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above) at least five days prior to
the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 1, 2026.
Anna Michelle Harrison,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-08703 Filed 5-4-26; 8:45 am]
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