[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16707-16708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8471]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 032999B]
North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Notice of Meetings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and its advisory
committees will hold public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its
advisory committees will meet in Anchorage, AK.
DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates and times for
the meetings.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, 500
W. Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK.
Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W.
4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Council staff, telephone: 907-271-
2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dates and Times for the Meetings
1. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will begin at
9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 19, continuing through Wednesday, April 21,
1999.
2. The Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April
19, and continue through Thursday, April 22, 1999.
3. The Council's Enforcement Committee and Individual Fishery Quota
(IFQ) Implementation Team will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20,
to discuss a proposed weighmaster program for the halibut and sablefish
IFQ fisheries.
4. The Council's Enforcement Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. on
Wednesday, April 21, to discuss enforcement issues related to the
Federal and State definitions of 'pelagic trawl.'
5. The Council will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21,
continuing through a portion of Monday, April 26, 1999.
Other workgroup or committee meetings may be held during the week.
Notices of these meetings will be posted at the hotel. All meetings are
open to the public with the exception of Council executive sessions,
which may be held during the noon hour during the meeting week, if
necessary, to discuss personnel, international issues, or litigation.
Agendas
Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC)
The SSC will address the following issues:
1. Reports on Federal and State research activities involving
Steller sea lions, and review of an initial analysis of management
measures for Steller sea lion protection for the years 2000 and beyond.
2. Initial review of amendments to Council fishery management plans
designed to mitigate effects of recent
[[Page 16708]]
American Fisheries Act (AFA) measures on non-pollock fisheries, and
initial review of amendments to fishery management plans to conform
with the AFA.
3. Final review of management measures for seabird protection, and
review an experimental fishery permits, if available, for bird
avoidance measures.
4. Review of logbook data collection for the halibut charter
fisheries off Alaska.
5. Initial review of fishery management plan amendments:
a. A non-pelagic trawl ban in Cook Inlet.
b. Initial review of alternatives for shark management.
6. Initial review of a proposed rebuilding plan for C. bairdi crab
in the Bering Sea.
Advisory Panel
The agenda for the Advisory Panel will include the same subjects as
listed below for the Council's plenary session, with the exception of
Halibut Charter Guideline Harvest Level (Item 2), and Crab LLP
Eligibility (Item 6), which they considered at their February 1999
meeting, and Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization (Item 10), the NMFS
Budget (Item 12), and the status reports listed in Item 1.
Council
The agenda for the Council's plenary session will include the
following issues. The Council may take appropriate action on any of the
issues identified.
1. The Council will receive the following reports, taking action if
required:
a. Reports from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) on the current status of
the groundfish fisheries off Alaska.
b. Reports from the U.S. Coast Guard and NMFS Enforcement on recent
enforcement activities.
c. Report from the National Research Council on a recent ecosystems
management study.
2. The Council will review a discussion paper of proposed
management measures for the Alaska halibut charterboat fleet and
provide direction to staff.
3. Receive reports on Federal and State research activities
relating to Steller sea lions.
4. Initial review of alternatives and options for implementation of
additional or alternative Steller sea lion protection measures for 2000
and beyond.
5. Initial review of fishery management plan amendments to conform
with requirements of the American Fisheries Act (AFA), and initial
review of an amendment package for fishery management measures to
mitigate impacts of the AFA on non-pollock fisheries.
6. Consider revision of previous action on eligibility for the
license limitation program for the crab fisheries off Alaska.
7. The Council will discuss sustainable fisheries management, and
receive a progress report on development of criteria for defining
habitat areas of particular concern.
8. The Council is scheduled to take final action on management
measures for seabird protection, discuss the problem of net debris, and
review experimental fishery permits, if available, for bird avoidance
measures.
9. The Council will receive a status report on the national vessel
monitoring system.
10. The Council will receive a status report on a proposed
weighmaster program for the halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries and
take any necessary action.
11. The Council will hold an initial discussion of potential
amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act.
12. The Council will discuss and comment, if necessary, on a
proposed rule to reduce observer coverage on longline catcher vessels
60 ft and under in the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program.
13. The Council will receive a status report on communities
eligible under the CDQ program, and review an analysis to reduce CDQ
observer coverage at shore plants.
14. The Council will discuss NMFS budget priorities and regional
funding allocations within NMFS.
15. Under Groundfish Management, the Council will consider the
following subjects:
a. Final action on reduction of the maximum retainable bycatch of
shortraker/rougheye and thornyhead rockfish.
b. Initial review of an amendment to ban non-pelagic trawl gear in
Cook Inlet.
c. Review of any proposals received for individual vessel bycatch
accountability and halibut mortality avoidance programs.
d. Direction to staff on allocation of Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands
Pacific cod between freezer longliners and other fixed gear.
e. Initial review of management alternatives for sharks in the
waters off Alaska.
f. Discussion and direction to staff on analysis of species
endorsements under the groundfish license limitation program.
g. Review experimental fisheries permit to assess sampling for
species composition.
16. Initial review of a rebuilding plan for bairdi crab in the
Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands.
17. Review Board of Fisheries activities concerning crab fishing
seasons and new stand-down requirements.
The Council will review and discuss potential impacts of these
actions on other Council-managed fisheries and take action as
necessary.
Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the
subject of formal Council action during the meeting. Council action
will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the
agenda listed in this notice.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically accessible to people with
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Helen Allen, 907-271-2809, at
least 7 working days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: March 31, 1999.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 99-8471 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
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