2020-08049. Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council); Public Meeting

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice; public meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) Steering Committee will convene a public meeting to discuss and approve the 5-year calendar for stock assessments, and to address any other concerns related to the WPSAR process.

DATES:

The Steering Committee will meet from 1 to 4 p.m. on April 30, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

The meetings will be held by web conference. Audio and visual portions of the web conference can be accessed at: https://wprfmc.webex.com/​join/​info.wpcouncilnoaa.gov. Web conference access information will also be posted on the Council's website at www.wpcouncil.org. For assistance with the web conference connection, contact the Council office at [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marlowe Sabater, [phone], or [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The WPSAR steering committee consists of the Council's Executive Director, the Director of the NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, and the Regional Administrator of the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. You may read more about WPSAR at https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/​peer_​reviews/​wpsar/​index.php.

The public will have an opportunity to comment during the meeting. The agenda order may change. The meeting will run as late as necessary to complete scheduled business.

Meeting Agenda

1. Introductions.

2. Stock assessment prioritization process.

3. Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018, Section 201 process on data call out.

4. Scheduling of data preparation meetings.

5. Discuss and update 5-year stock assessment review schedule, including any changes to the scheduling of reviews for stock assessments already on the calendar, and any new additions to the schedule.

6. Discuss and update review levels, i.e., whether the stock assessments on the calendar will be reviewed as benchmark assessments (new assessments) or assessment updates (updates of existing models with recent data).

7. Discuss EFH 5 year reviews and inclusion of this review in the WPSAR schedule.

8. Review the upcoming schedule and nominate additional products for review by the Center for Independent Experts, if necessary.

9. Other business.

10. Public comment.

Special Accommodations

The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Make direct requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids to Marlowe Sabater at [phone] or [e-mail], at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: April 13, 2020.

Tracey L. Thompson,

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