Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 161st Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Executive and Budget Standing Committee (SC), and 208th Council meetings to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 162 (Monday, August 24, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 162 (Monday, August 24, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54696-54699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17247]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XF972]


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

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

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold its 161st Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Executive 
and Budget Standing Committee (SC), and 208th Council meetings to take 
actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

DATES: The meetings will be held between September 8 and September 17, 
2026. For specific times and agendas, see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 
Written public comments on final action items at the 208th Council 
meeting should be received at the Council office by 5 p.m. HST, 
Thursday, September 10, 2026, see ADDRESSES.

ADDRESSES: 161st SSC will be held as hybrid meetings for members and 
the public, with a remote participation option available via Webex. In-
person attendance for the 161st SSC meeting will be hosted at the 
Council office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813.

[[Page 54697]]

    The Executive and Budget SC will be held as an in-person meeting at 
the Council office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813.
    The 208th Council Meeting will be held by web conference via Webex. 
The following venues will be host sites for the 208th Council meeting: 
Council office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, Hawaii; Tedi 
of Samoa Building, Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa; Cliff 
Pointe, 304 W O'Brien Drive, Hagatna, Guam; and BRI Building, Suite 
205, Kopa Di Oru St. Garapan, Saipan, CNMI.
    Specific information on joining the meetings and connecting to the 
web conference will be posted on the Council website at <a href="https://www.wpcouncil.org">https://www.wpcouncil.org</a>. For assistance with the web conference connection, 
contact the Council office at (808) 522-8220.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 161st SSC meeting will be held between 
8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST) on September 8, 2026, 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. HST on September 9, 2026, and between 9 a.m. 
and 12 p.m. HST on September 10, 2026. The Executive and Budget SC 
meeting will be held between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. HST on September 14, 
2026. The 208th Council meeting will be held between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
HST on September 15, 2026, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. HST on September 
16, 2026, and between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. HST on September 17, 2026. 
Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items will be held between 4:30 p.m. and 5 
p.m. HST on September 15, 2026.
    Background documents for the 208th Council meeting will be 
available at <a href="https://www.wpcouncil.org">https://www.wpcouncil.org</a>. Written public comments on 
final action items at the 208th Council meeting should be received at 
the Council office by 5 p.m. HST, Thursday, September 10, 2026, and 
should be sent to Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; Western Pacific 
Fishery Management Council, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, 
HI 96813, phone: (808) 522-8220 or fax: (808) 522-8226; or email: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#82ebece4edc2f5f2e1edf7ece1ebeeacedf0e5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4920272f26093e392a263c272a202567263b2e">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Written public comments on all other agenda items 
may be submitted for the record by email throughout the duration of the 
meeting. Instructions for providing oral public comments during the 
meeting will be posted on the Council website.
    Agenda items noted as ``Final Action'' refer to actions that may 
result in Council transmittal of a proposed fishery management plan, 
proposed plan amendment, or proposed regulations to the U.S. Secretary 
of Commerce, under Sections 304 or 305 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA). In addition to the agenda items 
listed here, the Council and its advisory bodies will hear 
recommendations from Council advisors. An opportunity to submit public 
comment will be provided throughout the agendas. The order in which 
agenda items are addressed may change and will be announced in advance 
at the Council meeting. The meetings will run as late as necessary to 
complete scheduled business.
    This meeting will be recorded (audio only) for the purposes of 
generating the minutes of the meeting. As public comments will be made 
publicly available, participants and public commenters are urged not to 
provide personally identifiable information at this meeting. 
Participation in the meeting by web conference, or by telephone, 
constitutes consent to the audio recording.

Agenda for the 161st SSC Meeting

Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST

1. Introductions
2. Approval of Draft Agenda and Assignment of Rapporteurs
3. Status of the 160th SSC Meeting Recommendations
4. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Director's Report
5. Program Planning and Research
    A. Options for the Management of Restored Commercial Fishing in 
Pacific Marine National Monument Waters
    A.1. Overview of Proclamation 11035 Restoring American Commercial 
Fishing in the Pacific
    A.1. Next Steps for Management of Fishing in waters of the Islands 
Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument
    A.2. Options for Amending the Large Vessel Prohibited Area in 
American Samoa (Action Item)
    A.3. Options for Amending Fishing Regulations in the Northwestern 
Hawaiian Islands (Action Item)
    B. SSC Special Projects Social Valuation Working Group Report
    C. Council Research Prioritization
    D. Review and Update of the 3-year SSC Plan
    E. Review and Update of the SSC Special Projects List
    F. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Project Updates on Regulatory 
Review and Community Consultation
    G. Public Comment
    H. SSC Discussion and Recommendations
6. Island Fisheries
    A. American Samoa Bottomfish Management Unit Species Acceptable 
Biological Catch for 2027-2030 (Action Item)
    B. American Samoa Fish Flow Project
    C. Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) Terms of 
Reference for the Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish Stock 
Assessment Update
    D. Council Coral Reef Project Updates
    D.1. Marianas Ecosystem Based Indicators
    D.2. Ecosystem Component Species Framework
    E. Public Comment
    F. SSC Discussion and Recommendations

Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST

7. Pelagic & International Fisheries
    A. Electronic Monitoring Implementation Update
    B. Seafood Executive Order Priority Actions for Reducing Burdens on 
Domestic Fishing
    B.1. Options for Revising the Hawaii Shallow-set Longline Fishery 
Sea Turtle Measures
    B.2. Revising the American Samoa Longline Fishery Sea Turtle 
Measures
    B.3. Revising the Swordfish Retention Limit in the Hawaii Deep-set 
Longline Fishery
    C. IRA Scenario Planning for Hawaii and American Samoa Longline 
Fisheries
    D. International Fisheries
    D.1. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) 
Scientific Committee Report
    D.2. Bigeye Tuna Management Workshops
    D.3. South Pacific Albacore Allocation Workshop
    D.4. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Science 
Advisory Subcommittee Report
    E. Public Comment
    F. SSC Discussion and Recommendations
8. Protected Species
    A. SSC Special Projects Protected Species Working Group
    B. IRA Protected Species Project Phase 2 Update
    C. Public Comment
    D. SSC Discussion and Recommendations

Thursday, September 10, 2026, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. HST

9. Other Business

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    A. SSC Meeting Schedule and Potential WGs
10. Summary of SSC Recommendations to the Council

Agenda for the Executive and Budget SC Meeting

Monday, September 14, 2026, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. HST

1. Introduction and Approval of Agenda
2. Financial Reports
3. Administrative Reports
    A. Statement of Organization Practices and Procedures Changes
4. Council Family Changes
    A. Advisory Panel 2027-2030
    B. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
    C. Other
5. Meetings and Workshops
6. Other Business
7. Public Comment
8. Discussion and Recommendations

Agenda for the 208th Council Meeting

Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST

1. Welcome and Introductions/Land Acknowledgment
2. Oath of Office
3. Approval of the 208th Council Meeting Agenda
4. Approval of the 207th Council Meeting Minutes
5. Opening Remarks
6. Executive Director's Report
7. Action Items
    A. Update on Restoring Commercial Fishing in Pacific Marine 
National Monument Waters and Next Steps for Fishing Regulations
    A.1. NMFS Update
    A.2. National Ocean Service Update
    A.3. Next Steps for Management of Fishing in Waters of the Islands 
Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument
    A.4. Options for Amending the Large Vessel Prohibited Area in 
American Samoa (Final Action)
    A.5. Options for Amending Fishing Regulations in the Northwestern 
Hawaiian Islands (Initial Action)
    B. Seafood Executive Order Priority Actions for Reducing Burdens on 
Domestic Fishing
    B.1. Options for Revising the Hawaii Shallow-set Longline Fishery 
Sea Turtle Measures
    B.2. Revising the American Samoa Longline Fishery Sea Turtle 
Measures
    B.3. Removing the Swordfish Retention Limit in the Hawaii Deep-set 
Longline Fishery
    C. American Samoa Bottomfish Management Unit Species Annual Catch 
Limit Specifications for 2027-2030 (Initial Action)
    D. WPSAR Terms of Reference for Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 
Bottomfish Update Assessment
    E. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
    E.1. Advisory Panel/Bottomfish Advisory Review Board
    E.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
    E.3. Social Science Planning Committee
    E.4. Scientific & Statistical Committee
    F. Public Comment
    G. Council Discussion and Action

Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. HST

Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items

Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. HST

8. Program Planning and Research
    A. Council Member Round Robin Updates
    B. Agency Updates on Program Planning and Research Matters
    C. National Legislative Report
    D. Seafood Promotion
    D.1. Small Business Administration
    C.2. U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Seafood
    E. Seafood Executive Order Priorities and NMFS Actions
    F. Recreational Angler Partnership Improvement Directive
    G. Alignment of Science and Management Priorities--SSC Social 
Valuation Working Group Report
    H. Council Research Prioritization
    I. Social, Economic, Ecological, and Management Uncertainty Process 
Revision
    J. Regional Communications & Outreach Report
    K. Inflation Reduction Act Project Reports
    K.1. Report on IRA Regulatory Review Project
    K.2. IRA Disaster Relief Workshop
    K.3. Malesso Community-based Fishery Management Plan
    K.4. Rota/Tinian Data Collection Workshop
    L. Consultation on Proposed Deep Seabed Mining Exploration 
Activities in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone under the Deep Seabed Hard 
Mineral Resources Act
    M. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
    M.1. Advisory Panel
    M.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
    M.3. Social Science Planning Committee
    M.4. Scientific & Statistical Committee
    N. Public Comment
    O. Council Discussion and Action
9. Pelagic & International Fisheries
    A. Agency Updates on Pelagic and International Matters
    B. IRA Project Updates: Scenario Planning
    C. Electronic Monitoring Implementation Updates
    D. International Fisheries Issues
    D.1. WCPFC Scientific Committee Report
    D.2. Bigeye Tuna Management Workshop
    D.3. South Pacific Albacore Allocation Updates
    D.4. IATTC Report
    E. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
    E.1. Advisory Panel
    E.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
    E.3. Social Science Planning Committee
    E.4. Scientific & Statistical Committee
    F. Public Comment
    G. Council Discussion and Action

Thursday, September 17, 2026, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. HST

10. Protected Species
    A. Agency Updates on Protected Species Matters
    B. IRA Project Updates: Protected Species
    C. Green Sea Turtle Activity Update
    C.1. NMFS
    C.2. Report on Council Activities
    D. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations
    D.1. Advisory Panel
    D.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
    D.3. Scientific & Statistical Committee
    E. Public Comment
    F. Council Discussion and Action
11. Administrative Matters
    A. Financial Reports
    B. Administrative Reports
    B.1. Statement of Organization Practices and Procedures Changes
    C. Council Family Changes
    C.1. Advisory Panel 2027-2030
    C.2. Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
    D. Meetings and Workshops
    E. Executive and Budget Standing Committee Report
    F. Public Comment
    G. Council Discussion and Action
12. Other Business

    Non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the Council for discussion during its 208th meeting. However, Council 
final decisions will be restricted to those issues specifically listed 
in this document and any regulatory issue arising after publication of 
this document that requires emergency

[[Page 54699]]

action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the 
public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to 
address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are 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: August 19, 2026.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-17247 Filed 8-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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