# North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice of public meetings.
**SUMMARY:**
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will hold public meetings, December 5-13, 2011 at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel.
**DATES:**
The Council will begin its plenary session at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, December 7 continuing through Tuesday, December 13, 2011. Council's Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 8 a.m., Monday, December 5 and continue through Friday, December 9, 2011. The Scientific Statistical Committee (SSC) will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, December 5 and continue through Wednesday, December 7, 2011. The Halibut Charter Implementation Committee will meet Tuesday, December 6 at 4 p.m. in Lupine/Willow room. All meetings are open to the public, except executive sessions.
**ADDRESSES:**
The meetings will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 500 West Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK.
*Council address:* North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99501-2252.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
David Witherell, Council staff, telephone: (907) 271-2809.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Council Plenary Session**
The agenda for the Council's plenary session will include the following issues. The Council may take appropriate action on any of the issues identified.
**Reports**
1. Executive Director's Report (including Standard Operations and Procedures (SOPPs) review/approval and update on workshop with International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC)).
**NMFS Management Report**
Alaska Department of Fish & Game Report (including halibut subsistence update);
NOAA Enforcement Report;
United States Coast Guard Report;
United States Fish & Wildlife Service Report;
Protected Species Report (including Steller Sea Lion (SSL) Center of Independent Experts (CIE) Terms of Reference).
2. Pacific Cod Jig Fishery Management: Report on Board of Fisheries action and discuss next steps.
3. Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP): Final action to approve Salmon FMP.
4. Groundfish Harvest Specifications: Approve final BSAI groundfish specifications and Stock Assessment Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports. Approve final GOA groundfish specifications and SAFE reports.
5. Bering Sea Aleutian Island (BSAI) Crab Stakeholders reports(5-year review issues): Crew compensation/active participation/excessive lease rates; binding arbitration; community issues/Right of first refusal (ROFR).
6. Freezer Longline Vessel Replacement: Initial review of analysis to allow replacement of freezer longline vessels.
7. Halibut Catch Sharing plan: IPHC report on 2012 staff recommendations; ADF&G report on 2010/2011 sport catch estimates, and logbook versus statewide harvest survey comparisons; Council guidance to IPHC for 2012 management measures; Review Charter Halibut Committee report on revising Catch Share Plan (CSP) Tier one management measures; Review NMFS report on CSP deficiencies and provide Council direction.
8. Groundfish Issues: Review Bering Sea Habitat Conservation Area Boundary; Discussion paper on Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon bycatch in all fisheries; Discussion paper on GOA Pacific Cod A-season opening dates; Review/approve Halibut mortality on trawlers Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP); Establishing a Community Quota Entity (CQE)Program in Area 4b; final action.
9. Staff Tasking: Review Committees and tasking.
10. Other Business
The SSC agenda will include the following issues:
1. Groundfish Specifications.
2. FFL vessel replacement.
3. Review/approve halibut mortality on trawler EFP.
The Advisory Panel will address most of the same agenda issues as the Council, except C-6 Halibut CSP and #1 B reports. The Agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at *http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/* .
**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 at (907) 271-2809 at least 7 working days prior to the meeting date.
Dated: November 14, 2011.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.