[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2620-2621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00786]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF959


Pacific Island Fisheries; Western Pacific Stock Assessment 
Review; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice; public meeting.

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SUMMARY: NMFS and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council 
(Council) will convene a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review 
(WPSAR) of the draft 2017 benchmark stock assessments for Guam coral 
reef fish.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for meeting dates, times, and 
daily agenda.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Council office, 1164 Bishop 
St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Seki, Director, NMFS Pacific 
Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), tel 808-725-5360.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PIFSC scientists are conducting stock 
assessments on exploited Pacific Islands coral reef fish included in 
the Council's fishery ecosystem plans. These stocks are generally 
classified as data-poor because they lack reliable, long-term, catch 
and fishing effort data. Historically, the Council has recommended, and 
NMFS has approved, setting annual catch limits (ACLs) using a 
percentile of median historical catch levels and, more recently, a 
biomass-augmented catch-MSY (maximum sustainable yield) method has been 
applied.
    In an effort to use additional available data sources for these 
stocks, PIFSC scientists have conducted new coral reef fish assessments 
using length composition data, abundance data from diver surveys, and 
certain key population demographic parameters related to growth, 
maturity, and longevity. PIFSC scientists have been implementing an 
approach that uses size structure data to obtain an estimate

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of total and fishing mortality rates for coral reef fish stocks. These 
rates, combined with population demographic parameters, are used in a 
numerical population model to obtain stock sustainability metrics (for 
example, spawning potential ratio, F/F<INF>MSY</INF>).
    Overfishing limits can be generated by using recent total catch 
estimates and/or population size estimates from diver surveys. 
Furthermore, a meta-analytical approach using stochastic simulations 
was developed at PIFSC to obtain demographic parameter estimates for 
species with even less data than data-poor species (that is, ``data-
less'' species). These scientific methods passed a rigorous independent 
review by a panel organized by the Center for Independent Experts in 
2015. In 2017, these methods were applied to individual species in the 
main Hawaiian Islands, and now this general approach will be used to 
assess 20 species from the U.S. territory of Guam. Per WPSAR, there is 
a need to independently review these species-specific stock assessments 
prior to submission to a fishery management organization for 
consideration.
    Section 301(a)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires that fishery 
conservation and management measures be based upon the best scientific 
information available. Magnuson-Stevens Act Section 302(g)(1)(E) 
provides that the Secretary of Commerce and each regional fishery 
management council may establish a peer review process for that Council 
for scientific information used to advise the Council about the 
conservation and management of a fishery. Consistent with this 
provision, the Council, PIFSC, and the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional 
Office have established the WPSAR process in an effort to improve the 
quality, timeliness, objectivity, and integrity of stock assessments 
and other scientific information used in managing Pacific Island 
fishery resources.

Meeting Agenda for WPSAR Review

    The meeting schedule and agenda are as follows (9 a.m.-5 p.m. every 
day). The agenda order may change and the meeting will run as late as 
necessary to complete scheduled business.

Monday, February 5, 2018

1. Welcome and introductions
2. Background information--Objectives and terms of reference
3. Fishery operation and management
4. History of stock assessments and reviews
5. Data
    a. Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources data collection
    b. Commercial Fisheries Biosampling Program
    c. NMFS Coral Reef Ecosystem Division surveys
    d. Biological data
    e. Other data
6. Presentation and review of stock assessment

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

7. Continue review of stock assessment

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

8. Continue review of stock assessment

Thursday, February 8, 2018

9. Continue review of stock assessment
10. Public comment period
11. Panel discussions (closed)

Friday, February 9, 2018

12. Panel discussions (closed)
13. Present panel recommendations (afternoon)
14. Adjourn

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Please direct requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aides to Michael Seki, Director, PIFSC, tel 808-725-5360, fax 
808-725-5360), at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: January 12, 2018.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-00786 Filed 1-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P