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170Th Council Meeting Minutes

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170Th Council Meeting Minutes WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONAL FISHERY J\.tANAGE~IENT COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE 170thMEETING OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL June 20-22,2017 Laniakea YWCA-Fuller Hall 1040 Richards Street, Honolulu, Hawai'i Ahupua'a o Nu'uanu, Moku o Kona Mokupuni o O'ahu Approved by Council: Western Pacific Re ional Fishery Management Council ii Table of Contents I. Welcome and Introductions ................................................................................................ 1 II. Approval of the 170th Meeting Agenda ............................................................................... 1 III. Approval of the 169th Minutes ............................................................................................ 2 IV. Executive Director’s Report ............................................................................................... 2 V. Agency Reports ................................................................................................................... 4 A. National Marine Fisheries Service .......................................................................... 4 1. Pacific Islands Regional Office .................................................................. 4 2. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center..................................................... 6 B. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Pacific Islands Section ................................... 8 C. US Department of State ........................................................................................ 10 1. United Nations Oceans Conference .......................................................... 10 2. United Nations Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction ......... 10 D. US Fish and Wildlife Service ............................................................................... 11 E. Enforcement .......................................................................................................... 12 1. US Coast Guard ........................................................................................ 12 2. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement .......................................................... 13 3. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Enforcement Section ........................ 14 F. Other Items............................................................................................................ 15 1. Status of Executive Order 13792 Review ................................................. 15 2. Status of Executive Order 13795 Review ................................................. 15 G. Enforcement and Vessel Monitoring System Standing Committee Recommendations ................................................................................................. 17 H. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 17 I. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 17 VI. Program Planning and Research ....................................................................................... 18 A. Update on the Fishery Ecosystem Plan Management Unit Species for Ecosystem Component Analysis ..................................................................... 18 B. 2016 Stock Assement and Fishery Evaluation Report and Recommendations .... 19 1. Archipelagic Report Overview and Highlights ......................................... 19 2. Pelagic Report Overview and Highlights ................................................. 20 3. Precious Coral Essential Fish Habitat Review.......................................... 22 iii 4. Non-Fishing Impacts to Essential Fish Habitat Review ........................... 23 C. Evaluation of 2016 Catch to the 2016 Annual Catch Limits (Action Item) ......... 24 D. Update on Essential Fish Habitat Program ........................................................... 25 E. Update on Aquaculture Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement ............ 25 F. Best Scientific Information Available Policy Guidance ....................................... 26 G. Annual Update to the Council’s Research Priorities ............................................ 27 1. Five-year Research Priorities .................................................................... 27 2. Cooperative Research Priorities ................................................................ 28 H. Regional, National and International Outreach and Education ............................ 28 I. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 28 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 28 2. Archipelagic Plan Team ............................................................................ 29 3. Pelagic Plan Team..................................................................................... 29 4. Marine Planning and Climate Change Committee ................................... 30 5. Protected Species Advisory Committee.................................................... 31 6. Social Science Planning Committee ......................................................... 32 7. Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee .................................... 32 8. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 33 J. Public Hearing ...................................................................................................... 34 K. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 34 VII. Protected Species .............................................................................................................. 40 A. Main Hawaiian Islands Insular False Killer Whale Abundance Estimate ............ 40 B. Seabird Workshop Plan......................................................................................... 44 C. Updates on Endangered Species Act Consultations ............................................. 45 D. Updates on Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act Actions ........................................................................................................... 45 1. False Killer Whale Take Reduction Plan Implementation ....................... 45 2. Other Actions ............................................................................................ 45 E. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 47 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 47 2. Protected Species Advisory Committee.................................................... 47 3. Federal Data Collection and Research Committee ................................... 48 iv 4. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 48 F. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 48 G. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 48 VIII. Pelagic and International Fisheries ................................................................................... 49 A. 2017 Hawaii Longline Bigeye Tuna Catch Projection ......................................... 49 B. American Samoa Annual Longline Fisheries Report ........................................... 50 C. American Samoa Large Vessel Prohibited Area (Action Item)............................ 51 D. American Samoa Longline Permit Modifications (Action Item) ......................... 54 E. Update on Scoping and Development of Deep-Set Longline Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement .......................................................................... 55 F. Report on Forum Fisheries Commission Meeting ................................................ 56 G. International Fisheries Meetings ........................................................................... 56 1. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission 2016 Stock Assessments .... 56 2. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ................................. 57 3. International Scientific Committee Blue Marlin Stock Assessment......... 58 H. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 58 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 58 2. Pelagic Plan Team..................................................................................... 59 3. Marine Planning and Climate Change Committee ................................... 59 4. Federal Data Collection and Research Committee ................................... 60 5. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 60 I. Fishery Rights of Indigenous People Standing Committee .................................. 61 J. Pelagic and International Standing Committee Recommendations ...................... 61 K. Public Hearing ...................................................................................................... 61 L. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 61 IX. Mariana Archipelago ........................................................................................................ 65 A. Guam ....................................................................................................................
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