Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its Joint Hawaii Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Advisory Panel (AP) and Bottomfish Advisory Review B...
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Notice of public meeting.
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
( printed 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
www.wpcouncil.org.
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
( printed page 54314)
Kitty M. Simonds, (808) 522-8220 (voice) or (808) 522-8226 (fax), at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
www.wpcouncil.org
16 U.S.C. 1801