[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28994-28995]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13978]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 051898D]


North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of meetings of the North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council (Council) and its advisory bodies.

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SUMMARY: The Council and its advisory committees will meet in Dutch 
Harbor, AK.

DATES: The meetings will be held during the week of June 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The Council and Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) 
will meet at the Grand Aleutian Hotel in Dutch Harbor, AK. The Advisory 
Panel (AP) will meet at the UniSea Galley Conference Room in the UniSea 
Central Building.
    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: 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.
    The SSC will meet beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 8, 
continuing through at least Wednesday, June 10.
    The AP will begin meeting at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 8, and 
continue through a portion of Friday, June 12.
    The Council's regular plenary session will begin at 8:00 a.m. on 
Wednesday, June 10, and continue through a portion of Monday, June 15, 
1998.
    Other workgroup or committee meetings may be held during the week. 
Notices of these meetings will be posted at the hotel.
    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. Reports from the NMFS and Alaska Department of Fish and Game 
(ADF&G) on the current status of the fisheries off Alaska, and 
enforcement reports from the U.S. Coast Guard and NMFS Enforcement.
    2. Final action on allocation of pollock between inshore and 
offshore fisheries.
    3. Final action on an amendment to the fishery management plans to 
incorporate essential fish habitat information as required by the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act).
    4. Final action on an amendment to close a 4-mile by 4-mile area 
off Sitka (Cape Edgecumbe Pinnacles) to protect habitat important for 
juvenile rockfish and lingcod.
    5. Final action on an amendment to extend the existing vessel 
moratorium..
    6. Preliminary review of proposed amendments to the license 
limitation program for groundfish and crab.
    7. Status report on NMFS guidelines for vessel buyback programs.
    8. Final action on an amendment to roll over the current pollock 
community

[[Page 28995]]

development (CDQ) program in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI), 
and a committee and status report on the implementation of the 
multispecies CDQ program.
    9. Status report on the development of the joint partnership 
agreement for the Council's observer program and final action to extend 
existing program.
    10. Status report on Council compliance with the Sustainable 
Fisheries Act.
    11. Groundfish amendments scheduled for action are as follows:
    a. Final action on an amendment to ban bottom trawling in the BSAI 
pollock fishery.
    b. Final action on amendments for revised overfishing definitions 
for the groundfish, salmon, scallop, and BSAI king and Tanner crab 
fisheries.
    c. Final action on an amendment to separate Atka mackerel in the 
BSAI by season and subarea.
    d. Final action on request for experimental fishing permit.
    12. Committee report from the combined Vessel Bycatch Allowance/
Halibut Mortality Avoidance Program/Individual Vessel Checklist Program 
and further direction to staff.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
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: May 19, 1998.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-13978 Filed 5-21-98; 4:03 pm]
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