[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 200 (Monday, October 19, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53472-53473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25024]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN: 0648-XS15


North 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 Eight Regional Fishery Management Councils will convene a 
meeting of representatives of their respective Scientific and 
Statistical Committee (SSCs) at the Wyndam Sugar Bay Resort, St. 
Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, November 10-13, 2009.

DATES: The meetings will be held November 10-13, 2009, with travel 
dates November 9 and 14.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Wyndam Sugar Bay Resort, 
6500 Estate Smith Bay, St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
    Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 
4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Witherell at the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, telephone: (907) 271-2809 or Diana Martino 
at the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, telephone: (787) 766-5926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (MSA) requires that each Council maintain and 
utilize its SSCs to assist in the development, collection, evaluation, 
and peer review of information relevant to the development and 
amendment of fishery

[[Page 53473]]

management plans (FMPs). In addition, the MSA mandates that each SSC 
shall provide its Council ongoing scientific advice for fishery 
management decisions, including recommendations for acceptable 
biological catch (ABC), preventing overfishing, maximum sustainable 
yield, and achieving rebuilding targets, and reports on stock status 
and health, bycatch, habitat status, social and economic impacts of 
management measures, and sustainability of fishing practices. On 
January 16, 2009, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued 
final revised guidelines for National Standard 1 (NS1) of the MSA on 
how to comply with the new annual catch limit (ACL) requirements for 
ending overfishing of federal fisheries. The law requires that ACLs be 
implemented by 2011. The primary objective of this workshop is to 
discuss best practices and approaches for setting scientifically based 
catch limits.
    Tuesday, November 10, 2009; 9 a.m. - Peer review: National Standard 
2: Update and discussion; Meeting NMFS and Council objectives for best 
scientific information available and peer reviews; Clarifying the role 
of SSCs in the review of scientific information; Scientific 
Uncertainty: Report from NMFS; Quantifying scientific uncertainty in 
Over Fishing Limits (OFLs); Status report from each SSC on approaches 
being taken to implement ABCs
    Wednesday, November 11, 2009; 8 a.m. - Discussion of Scientific 
Uncertainty; Can we get to full probabilistic methods for setting 
buffer between OFL and ABC?; Proxies for unmeasured uncertainty and 
tiered approaches to setting buffers; Using stock vulnerability in 
setting level of risk aversion; Hitting the Target: Optimum Yield (OY) 
Overview including requirements and relationship with ACL/Annual Catch 
Target (ACTs); Defining Maximum Economic Yield (MEY) and MEY Control 
Rules; Management Strategy Evaluations; Accounting for management 
uncertainty including the use of ACTs.
    Thursday, November 12, 2009; 8 a.m. - Other NS1 issues: Dealing 
with data poor situations: Best proxies for Fishing mortality rate 
associated with maximum sustainable yield (Fmsy); Science advice when 
only catch is known; How to group stocks into complexes; Rebuilding 
plans and policies; and a discussion on other contemporary fishery 
management issues.
    Friday, November 13, 2009; 8 a.m.-Discussion and meeting 
conclusions/recommendations; 12 noon--Closing remarks. The Agenda is 
subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at 
www.fisherycouncils.org.
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before these groups for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 
those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these 
meetings. Actions will be restricted to those issues specifically 
identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of 
this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the 
Council's intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Gail Bendixen at (907) 271-2809 at 
least 7 working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: October 14, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-25024 Filed 10-16-09; 8:45 am]
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