[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26545-26546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11117]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD936


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 Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold the Second Meeting of its Protected Species Advisory Committee 
(PSAC) in Honolulu, HI. The PSAC will receive updates on fishery 
management actions and protected species activities, review protected 
species interactions in the Hawaii longline fishery, discuss monitoring 
of Fishery Ecosystem Plans (FEP) through annual reports, and review the 
Council's research priorities related to protected species. The PSAC 
may make recommendations on these topics.

DATES: The PSAC meeting will be held between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on May 
27-28, 2015.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Council Office Conference 
Room, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI; telephone: (808) 
522-8220.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public comment opportunity will be provided. 
The order in which agenda items are addressed may change. The meetings 
will run as late as necessary to complete scheduled business.
    Agenda:

9 a.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2015

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Status of the First Protected Species Advisory Committee Meeting 
Recommendations
4. Fishery Management Updates
    A. Recent Council Actions
    i. American Samoa Large Vessel Prohibited Area Temporary Exemption
    ii. Other Pelagic Fisheries Actions
    iii. Insular Fisheries Actions
    iv. Discussion
    B. Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 Consultations
    i. Overview of Section 7 Consultations
    ii. Biological Opinion for the Hawaii Deep-set Longline Fishery and 
Related Marine Mammal Protection Act Permit
    iii. Consultation for the American Samoa Longline Fishery
    iv. Consultations on Corals and Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
    v. Discussion
5. Protected Species Updates
    A. Council Protected Species Activities Update
    B. NMFS Protected Species Activities Update
    C. Green Turtle Status Review and Proposed Rule
    D. Humpback Whale Status Review and Proposed Rule
    E. Discussion
6. Review of Protected Species Interactions in the Hawaii Longline 
Fishery
    A. Overview of Protected Species Interactions
    B. Fishing Effort and Spatial Trends
    C. Sea Turtle Interactions
    i. Observed and Expanded Interactions
    ii. Sea Turtle Abundance Trends
    iii. ESA Consultation Analyses
    iv. Discussion
    D. Seabird Interactions
    i. Observed and Expanded Interactions
    ii. Albatross Abundance Trends
    iii. Ongoing Research to Assess Seabird Catch Rates
    iv. Discussion
    E. Discussion on Interaction Trends and Analysis Needs
7. Public Comment

9 a.m., Thursday, May 28, 2015

8. Monitoring the Fishery Ecosystem Plans (FEP) through Annual Reports

[[Page 26546]]

    A. Annual Report Outline and Review Schedules
    B. Considerations for Monitoring Protected Species Interactions
    C. Statistical Control Chart Approach for Monitoring Protected 
Species Interactions
    D. Discussion on Effective Monitoring of Protected Species under 
the FEP Annual Reports
9. Council's Research Priorities
    A. Five-year Research Priorities
    B. Cooperative Research Priorities
    C. Discussion
10. Public Comment
11. Committee Discussion and Recommendations
12. Other Business & Next Meeting

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are 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 the meeting 
date.

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

    Dated: May 5, 2015.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-11117 Filed 5-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P