03-324. North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Notice of Committee Meeting

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Committee Meeting.

SUMMARY:

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Observer Committee will meet in Seattle, WA.

DATES:

The meeting will be held on January 23 and 24, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

Alaska Fisheries Science Center (Center), 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA.

Council address: North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nicole Kimball, NPFMC, 907-271-2809.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2003, and continue through Friday, January 24, 2003. The Committee's agenda includes the following issues:

(1) Review a discussion paper which outlines a proposed problem statement and general alternatives and issues for long-term, significant revisions to the Observer Program.

(2) Review a NMFS proposal for a short-term pilot project to test deployment of observer resources to determine catch composition and bycatch rates in a specific fishery.

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

Special Accommodations

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Gail Bendixen, 907-271-2809, at least 5 working days prior to the meeting date.

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Dated: January 02, 2003.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.