Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its Joint Hawaii Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panel (AP) and Bottomfish Advisory Review Board (BARB), American Samoa FEP AP, Fishing Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC), Mariana Archipelago FEP Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) AP, and Social Science Planning Committee (SSPC) to discuss and make recommendations on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

Full Text

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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54312-54314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17127]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XF962]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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 its Joint Hawaii Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory 
Panel (AP) and Bottomfish Advisory Review Board (BARB), American Samoa 
FEP AP, Fishing Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC), Mariana Archipelago 
FEP Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) AP, and Social 
Science Planning Committee (SSPC) to discuss and make recommendations 
on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

DATES: The meetings will be held between August 28 through September 3, 
2026. For specific times and agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The Council will hold its Joint Hawaii Archipelago FEP AP 
and BARB, American Samoa FEP AP, FIAC, Mariana Archipelago FEP CNMI AP, 
SSPC meetings in a hybrid format with in-person and remote 
participation (Webex) options available for the members and the public. 
In-person attendance for the Joint Hawaii Archipelago FEP AP and BARB, 
FIAC

[[Page 54313]]

and SSPC and public will be hosted at Council Office, 1164 Bishop St 
Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI, 96813. In-person attendance for the American 
Samoa Archipelago FEP AP and public will be hosted at the Tedi of Samoa 
Suite 208B, P8C6+V2F, Fagatogo Village, AS, 96799. In-person attendance 
for the Mariana Archipelago FEP AP and public will be hosted at the BRI 
Building Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, 96950. 
Instructions for connecting to the web conference and providing oral 
public comments will be posted on the Council website at 
<a href="http://www.wpcouncil.org">www.wpcouncil.org</a>. For assistance with the web conference connection, 
contact the Council office at (808) 522-8220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Kitty M. Simonds, Executive 
Director, Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; phone: (808) 522-
8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Joint Hawaii Archipelago FEP AP and BARB 
will be held between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time [HST]) on 
Friday, August 28, 2026. The American Samoa FEP AP be held between 6 
p.m. and 8 p.m. (Samoa Standard Time [SST]) on Tuesday, September 1, 
2026. The FIAC will be held between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. (HST) on 
Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The Mariana Archipelago FEP CNMI AP will 
be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. (Chamorro Standard Time [ChST]) on 
Thursday, September 3, 2026. The SSPC meeting will be held between 12 
p.m. and 4 p.m. (HST) on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
    Public Comment periods will be provided in the agendas. The order 
in which agenda items are addressed may change. The meetings will run 
as late as necessary to complete scheduled business.

Schedule and Agenda for the Joint Hawaii Archipelago FEP AP and BARB 
Meeting

Friday, August 28, 2026, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Review of the Last AP Recommendation and Meeting
3. Council Fisheries Issues
    A. Options for Amending Fishing Regulations in the Northwestern 
Hawaiian Islands (NWHI)
    B. Options for Revising the Hawaii Shallow-Set Longline Fishery Sea 
Turtle Measure
    C. Hawaii Deep-Set Longline Swordfish Retention
    D. Social, Economic, Ecological and Management (SEEM) Process 
Review
4. Council Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Community Consultation Project 
Update
    A. Scenario Planning
    B. Protected Species
    C. Disaster Resilience Workshop
    D. Hawaii Shark Regulatory Alignment and Education Workshop
5. Research Priorities
6. AP Strategic Planning for 2026
7. Other Business
8. Public Comment
9. Discussion and Recommendations

Schedule and Agenda for the American Samoa Archipelago FEP AP Meeting

Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (SST)

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Review of the Last AP Recommendation and Meeting
3. Council Fisheries Issues
    A. Annual Catch Limit (ACL) Specification for American Samoa 
Bottomfish Management Unit Species (BMUS) for 2027-2029
    B. Options for Amending the Large Vessel Prohibited Area (LVPA) in 
American Samoa
    C. American Samoa Longline Fishery Sea Turtle Measures
    D. SEEM Process Review
4. Council IRA Project Discussions
    A. Scenario Planning
    B. Protected Species
    C. Community Consultation
5. Research Priorities
6. AP Strategic Planning for 2026
7. Other Business
8. Public Comment
9. Discussion and Recommendations

Schedule and Agenda for the FIAC Meeting

Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Status Report on Previous FIAC Recommendations
3. Roundtable update on Fishing/Market Issues/Impacts
4. Options for Amending the LVPA in American Samoa
5. Options for Amending Fishing Regulations in the NWHI
6. International Fisheries Updates
7. Seafood Executive Order Priority Actions for Reducing Burdens on 
Domestic Fishing
    A. Options for Revising the Hawaii Shallow-set Sea Turtle Measures
    B. American Samoa Longline Fishery Sea Turtle Measures
    C. Swordfish Retention Limit in Hawaii Deep-set Fishery
8. Update on Electronic Monitoring Implementation
9. Research Prioritization
10. IRA Project Updates
    A. Draft Final Report on Longline Scenario Planning
    B. Protected Species
    C. Community Consultation
11. Other Issues
12. Public Comment
13. Discussion and Recommendations

Schedule and Agenda for the Mariana Archipelago FEP CNMI AP Meeting

Thursday, September 3, 2026, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (ChST)

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Review of the Last AP Recommendation and Meeting
3. Council Fisheries Issues
    A. Next Steps for Management of Fishing in waters of the Islands 
Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument
    B. SEEM Process Review
4. Council IRA Project Discussions
    A. Rota/Tinian Data Collection Workshop
    B. Northern Islands Community Based Management Plan Workshop
5. Research Priorities
6. Advisory Panel Strategic Planning for 2026
7. Other Business
8. Public Comment
9. Discussion and Recommendations

Schedule and Agenda for the SSPC Meeting

Thursday, September 3, 2026, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (HST)

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Developing the SSPC Work Plan
4. SEEM Process Revision Draft Procedural Document
5. Update on the Scientific and Statistical Committee Social Valuation 
Working Group
6. Socioeconomic Considerations for Council Actions and Issues
    A. Options for Amending the LVPA in American Samoa
    B. Options for Amending Fishing Regulations in the NWHI
    C. ACL Specification for American Samoa BMUS for 2027-2030
    D. Options for Revising the Hawaii Shallow-set Longline Fishery Sea 
Turtle Measures
8. Project Updates
9. Other Business
10. Public Comment
11. Discussion and Recommendations

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. Requests 
for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be 
directed to

[[Page 54314]]

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: August 19, 2026.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-17127 Filed 8-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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