Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Highly Migratory Species Plan Development Team (HMSPDT) will hold a work session which is open to the public.

DATES:

The work session will be held on Monday, March 13, 2000, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; on Tuesday, March 14, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and on Wednesday, March 15, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES:

The work session will be held at the Holiday Inn Sea-Tac, Laguardia Room, 17338 International Blvd., Seattle, WA, 98188. Phone: 206-248-1000; Fax: 206-242-7089.

Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR 97201.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dan Waldeck, Pacific Fishery Management Council, 503-326-6352.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The primary purpose of the work session is to prepare and review draft sections of the fishery management plan (FMP) for highly migratory species (HMS) and related documents for HMS fisheries off the West Coast.

Management measures that may be adopted in the FMP for HMS fisheries off the West Coast include permit and reporting requirements for commercial and recreational harvest of HMS resources, time and/or area closures to minimize gear conflicts or bycatch, adoption or confirmation of state regulations for HMS fisheries, and allocations of some species to non-commercial use. The FMP is likely to include a framework management process to add future new measures, including the potential for collaborative management efforts with other regional fishery management councils with interest in HMS resources. It would also include essential fish habitat and habitat areas of particular concern, including fishing and non-fishing threats, as well as other components of FMPs required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The proposed FMP and its associated environmental impact statement would be the Council's fourth FMP for the exclusive economic zone off the West Coast. Development of the FMP is timely, considering the new mandates under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, efforts by the United Nations to promote conservation and management of HMS resources through domestic and international programs, and the increased scope of activity of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission in HMS fisheries in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Comments regarding the draft FMP will not be accepted if sent via the e-mail or the Internet.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in the HSMPDT meeting agenda may come before the HMSPDT for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal HMSPDT action during these meetings. HMSPDT action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this document and any issues arising after publication of this document that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the HMSPDT's intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. John Rhoton at 503-326-6352 at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.