[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 3548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1215]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 010901E]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

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

ACTION:  Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The 76th meeting of the Western Pacific Fishery Management 
Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will 
convene January 30 through February 1, 2001, in Honolulu, HI.

DATES: The SSC meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on January 30 
and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on January 31 and February 1, 2001.

ADDRESS:  The 76th SSC meeting will be held at the Council office 
conference room, 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI; telephone: 
(808-522-8220).
    Council address: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1164 
Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 
telephone: 808-522-8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The SSC will discuss and may make 
recommendations to the Council on the agenda items below. The order in 
which agenda items will be addressed can change.
Tuesday, January 30, 2001, 9 a.m.
1. Precious corals fisheries
    A. Status of 2000 framework adjustment regarding Hawaiian Islands 
exploratory area quota increase
    B. Growth rates of gold coral
    C. November research surveys
    D. Summary of Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
    E. Plan Team recommendations
2. Crustaceans fisheries (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands [NWHI] 
lobsters)
    A. Status of framework closure of fishery
    B. Status of spring research tagging charter
    C. Status of plans for 5-year review/technical review panel
    D. Status of DEIS
3. Bottomfish fisheries
    A. Status of the NWHI stocks
    B. Status of litigation
    C. Status of DEIS
Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 8:30 a.m.
4. Pelagic fisheries
    A. 3rd quarter 2000 Hawaii and American Samoa longline fishery 
reports
    Exclusion of purse seiners from provisions of 50 nm closed area 
around American Samoa
    B. Turtle management

    (1) Pelagic EIS: NMFS preferred alternative

    (2) NMFS Biological opinion, recommended measures

    (3) Turtle Mitigation Working Group

    (4) Atlantic Turtle Working Group (TWG)

    (5) Turtle Recovery Plan

    (6) Criteria for de-listing species under Endangered Species Act 
(ESA)
    C. Shark management
    Amendment 9 blue shark quota following state & federal finning bans
    D. Seabird management
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife (FWS) Biological opinion on short-tailed 
albatross and Council recommended mitigation regime
    E. Kingman Reef Environmental Assessment(EA)
    F. Hawaii offshore handline fishery and gear conflicts at Cross 
seamount
    G. Other issues
Thursday, February 1, 2001, 8:30 a.m.
    5. Ecosystem and Habitat
    A. Draft Coral Reef Ecosystem FMP/DEIS

    (1) Aspects for further discussion

    (2) Review of (initial) public/agency comments
    B. Impacts of Clinton's Executive Order (EO) on NWHI fisheries
    C. Marine/wildlife inventory at remote atolls
    D. Other issues
    6. De-listing of protected species (green sea turtle)/allowing for 
cultural take
    7. Other business
    8. Schedule for 2001
    Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come 
before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject 
of formal action during this meeting. Action 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 Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's 
intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Kitty M. Simonds, 808-522-8220 (voice) or 808-
522-8226 (fax), at least 5 days prior to meeting date.

    Dated: January 10, 2001.
Richard W. Surdi,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 01-1215 Filed 1-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE: 3510-22-S