Calendar

Dec
5
Tue
American Samoa Fishery Ecosystem Plan Advisory Panel
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Tuesday, December 5, 2023,              5 p.m. – 8 p.m. (SST)
Virtual Meeting via Webex:
https://wprfmc.webex.com/wprfmc/j.php?MTID=m4c14e9b447edda41bf34aa62d22777d1
Event number (if prompted): 2630 290 2591
Event password (if prompted): ASAP1205mtg (27271206 from phones)

Agenda

Major agenda items: AS bottomfish rebuilding plan and annual catch limit options; Multi-year U.S. Territorial bigeye tuna catch limit and allocation specifications; Fishing regulations in the proposed Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Sanactuary; Inflation Reduction Act proposal discussion; and Fishermen observations and AP fishery issues and priorities.

Dec
6
Wed
Joint Mariana Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan Advisory Panel
Dec 6 @ 10:00 pm – 12:00 am

Thursday, December 7, 2023,             6 p.m. – 8 p.m. (ChST)
Virtual Meeting via Webex:
https://wprfmc.webex.com/wprfmc/j.php?MTID=m452d5fca91c13258ca1f9f952dcebe8b
Event number (if prompted): 2631 749 3547
Event password (if prompted): GUAP1207mtg (48271208 from phones)

Agenda

Major agenda itemsMulti-year U.S. Territorial bigeye tuna catch limit and allocation specifications; Fishing regulations in the proposed Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Sanctuary; Infrastructure Reduction Act proposal discussion; and Fishermen observations and AP fishery issues and priorities.

Dec
11
Mon
WPSAR for Stock Assessment of Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish @ NMFS Honolulu Service Center at Pier 38
Dec 11 – Dec 15 all-day

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and NMFS will convene a Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) of a benchmark stock assessment for the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) Deep 7 Bottomfish Complex.

Scientists from the NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) conducted a benchmark stock assessment of the MHI Deep 7 bottomfish complex. This benchmark assessment incorporated new data in the form of fishery-independent biomass estimates, and also followed data filtering recommendations from a series of five community workshops that involved fishermen, managers, and scientists on best practices for filtering bottomfish commercial catch and effort data from State of Hawaii commercial catch reports. Because of these workshops, PIFSC scientists are now able to better link individual fishermen’s catch reports further back in time, and this linking is newly applied in this benchmark stock assessment.

This assessment used commercial data for the years 1948-2015, and assessed Deep 7 bottomfish by building on the modeling framework from the previous three assessments, but with improved data and data filtering as previously described, along with improvements to catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) standardization, and other modeling approaches. The assessment also estimates unreported catches using catch and effort data following methods similar to those applied in previous assessments. After applying best practices from the workshop recommendations for filtering for CPUE calculation, PIFSC scientists applied model selection techniques to select the best structural form to standardize CPUE. CPUE in the model was split into two time series, fishing years 1948-2003, and fishing years 2003-2015) to accommodate new effort reporting from a change in reporting form by the State in October 2002.

note: Public comment is available on 12/11 at 3:30 pm, 12/12 at 3:30 pm, and 12/14 at 11:00 am.  The meeting will be closed to the public in the afternoon on 12/14 and morning of 12/15.  WPSAR recommendations and a report out will be provided at 1 pm on 12/15.  See agenda link below for specific times.

Dates: December 11-15, 2023 (see agenda for times)
Location: NMFS Honolulu Service Center at Pier 38, 1129 N. Nimitz Hwy, Suite 220, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Agenda
FR Notice

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: T. Todd Jones, Director—Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division (FRMD), telephone: (808) 725–5713, or todd.jones@noaa.gov.

Executive & Budget Standing Committee
Dec 11 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Date: December 11, 2023          Time: 9:30 a.m. – Noon
Location: Web conference via Webex, and Host site at the Council office – 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI

To access the meeting via Webex, click link below:
https://wprfmc.webex.com/wprfmc/j.php?MTID=m0df3dd6e3efe50b4f83042791f210891
Event number: 2634 915 2685
Event password: EBSC1211mtg (32721212 from phones)

Instructions for providing oral public testimony or comments:
For those participating remotely by Webex, request for public comment and identification of the agenda item on which you wish to speak must be sent through the “chat” function in Webex to the “Host” prior to the start of the public comment session. For those participating at a web conference host site, fill out a comment card and indicate the agenda item on which you wish to speak. Oral testimony is limited to three minutes. Please identify yourself and whom you represent at the beginning of your testimony.

Executive Budget Standing Committee Agenda
FR notice

Major agenda items: Financial and administrative matters; IRA discussion; Council Coordination Committee meeting outcomes; and Election of officers.

Dec
12
Tue
197th Council Meeting
Dec 12 – Dec 13 all-day

Dec. 12-13, 2023 (T-W)            Time: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Hawaii)
Dec. 12-13, 2023 (T-W)            Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (American Samoa)
Dec. 13-14, 2023 (W-Th)         Time: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Marianas)
Location: Web conference via Webex, and Host sites at 1164 Bishop St., Ste. 1400, Honolulu, HI; ; Cliff Pointe, Tedi of Samoa Bldg. Ste. 208B, Fagatogo Village, AS; 304 W. O’Brien Dr., Hagatna, Guam; BRI Bldg. Ste. 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, CNMI

To access the meeting via Webex, click link below:
https://tinyurl.com/197CouncilMtg
Event number: 2630 593 6741
Event password: CM197mtg (26197685 from phones)

197 CM public draft agenda rev1
FR Notice (Correction)
Final 197 CM Action Memorandum
Final 196th CM Minutes

Instructions for providing oral public testimony or comments:
For those participating remotely by Webex, request for public comment and identification of the agenda item on which you wish to speak must be sent through the “chat” function in Webex to the “Host” prior to the start of the public comment session. For those participating at a web conference host site, fill out a comment card and indicate the agenda item on which you wish to speak. Oral testimony is limited to three minutes. Please identify yourself and whom you represent at the beginning of your testimony. Public comment on non-agenda items will be taken on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m (HST).

Major agenda items: Fishing regulations in the proposed Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Sanctuary (final action item); American Samoa bottomfish rebuilding plan discontinuation and 2024-2026 annual catch limit specification (final action item); HI Fishery Ecosystem Plan uku essential fish habitat revision amendment (final action item); Multi-year U.S. Territorial bigeye tuna catch limit and allocation specifications (final action item); Inflation Reduction Act proposal discussion; and Council Western and Central Pacific Ocean longline management workshops and international meetings update.

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Revised Schedule and Agenda for the 197th Council Meeting
10 a.m. to 11 a.m., HST
Closed Session on Litigation Related Matters (pursuant to MSA § 302(i)(3))

11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. HST 

11:00 AM 1             Welcome and Introductions
01(1)_rev1 Council Family List
11:10 AM 2             Oath of Office – New Council Member
11:20 AM 3             Approval of the 197th CM Agenda
03(1)_rev1 197 CM public draft agenda
11:25 AM 4             Approval of the 196th CM Meeting Minutes
11:30 AM 5             Executive Director’s Report

 

6           Federal Agency Reports
11:40 AM 6.A National Marine Fisheries Service
6.A.1  Pacific Islands Regional Office
06.A.1(1) 197 Council Report – PIRO
6.A.2   Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
06.A.2(1) PIFSC Report 197 Council 150 SSC
11:55 AM 6.B NOAA Office of General Counsel Pacific Islands Section
12:00 PM 6.C Ethics Training
12:30 PM 6.D Enforcement Reports
6.D.1   US Coast Guard
06.D.1(1) 197th WPRFMC USCG Agency Report
6.D.2   NOAA Office of Law Enforcement 
6.D.3   NOAA Office of General Counsel Enforcement Section
12:45 PM 6.E US State Department
12:50 PM 6.F US Fish and Wildlife Service
12:55 PM 6.G Public Comment
1:00 PM 6.H Council Discussion and Action

 Break 1:15 – 1:30 p.m.

7           Island Agency Reports
1:30 PM 7.A American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources
07.A(1) AS DMWR Report
1:40 PM 7.B CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources
07.B(1) CNMI DFW Report
1:50 PM 7.C Guam Department of Agriculture
2:00 PM 7.D Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
2:10 PM 7.E Public Comment
2:15 PM 7.F Council Discussion and Action
8           Action Items
2:30 PM 8.A Fishing Regulations for the Proposed Pacific Remote Island National Marine Sanctuary (Final Action)
08.A(2) PIFSC Report on Economic Contribution of US commercial Fisheries in American Samoa
4:15 PM 8.B Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
8.B.1  Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
8.B.2  Advisory Panel
8.B.3   Scientific & Statistical Committee
4:30 PM 8.C Public Comment
4:35 PM 8.D Council Discussion and Action

 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

(approximate time; remaining agenda items for the day may shift)

Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items 

Wednesday December 13, 2023

11:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

9           Action Items Continued
11:00 AM 9.A Discontinuing the Rebuilding Plan and Annual Catch Limit Specifications for the American Samoa Bottomfish Fishery for 2024-2026 (Final Action)
09.A(1) Discontine the Rebuilding Plan and ACL for AS BMUS 2024-2026
11:30 AM 9.B Hawaii FEP Uku Essential Fish Habitat Revision Amendment (Final Action)
09.B(1)_rev1 DRAFT Uku EFH Revision Amendment_For 197CM Final Action

11:45 AM 9.C Guam Bottomfish Stock Assessment WPSAR Terms of Reference
12:00 PM 9.D Multi-year US Territorial Bigeye Tuna Catch Limit and Allocation Specification (Final Action)
1:00 PM 9.E Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
9.E.1  Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
9.E.2  Advisory Panel
9.E.3  Scientific & Statistical Committee
1:15 PM 9.F Public Comment
1:30 PM 9.G Council Discussion and Action

 Break 1:45 – 2:00 p.m.

10       Program Items
2:00 PM 10.A Council IRA Application Priorities and Development
2:45 PM 10.B Pelagic and International Fisheries
10.B.1                       Council WCPO Longline Management Workshops
10.B.1(1) Final Report 3nd WCPO Longline Management Workshop September 2023
10.B.2                       Outcomes of 20th Regular Session of the WCPFC
10.B.2(1) WCPFC20 2023 Provisional Annotated Agenda_0
3:00 PM 10.C Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
10.C.1                       Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
10.C.2                       Advisory Panel
10.C.3                       Scientific & Statistical Committee
3:15 PM 10.D Public Comment
3:20 PM 10.E Council Discussion and Action

 Break 3:30 – 3:40 pm 

11       Administrative Matters
3:40 PM 11.A Financial Reports
3:45 PM 11.B Administrative Reports
3:50 PM 11.C Council Family Changes
11.C(1) CF Changes for 197 CM
4:00 PM 11.D Meetings and Workshops
11.D(1) Public Meeting List
4:10 PM 11.E Report on the CCC Meeting Outcomes
11.E(1) October 2023 CCC Summary Report
4:20 PM 11.F Executive and Budget Standing Committee Report
4:25 PM 11.G Public Comment
4:30 PM 11.H Council Discussion and Action

 

12       Other Business
   
13       Election of Officers  

 -PAU-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mar
12
Tue
151st SSC Meeting (Tentative)
Mar 12 – Mar 13 all-day
Mar
18
Mon
198th Council Meeting (Tentative)
Mar 18 – Mar 20 all-day
Jun
10
Mon
152nd Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting (tentative)
Jun 10 – Jun 13 all-day
Jun
23
Sun
199th Council Meeting (tentative)
Jun 23 – Jun 28 all-day
Sep
16
Mon
153rd Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting (tentative)
Sep 16 – Sep 20 all-day