174Th Council Meeting Minutes

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174Th Council Meeting Minutes Table of Contents I. Welcome and Introductions ................................................................................................ 1 II. Oath of Office – Ed Watamura, Michael Goto, Michael Duenas ....................................... 2 III. Approval of the 174th Agenda ............................................................................................ 2 IV. Approval of the 173rd Meeting Minutes ............................................................................ 2 V. Executive Director’s Report ............................................................................................... 2 VI. Agency Reports ................................................................................................................... 3 A. National Marine Fisheries Service .......................................................................... 3 1. Pacific Islands Regional Office .................................................................. 3 2. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center..................................................... 3 a. Ecosystem Based Fishery Management Regional Implementation Plan ....................................................................... 6 b. Large Marine Ecosystem Initiative ................................................. 6 B. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Pacific Islands Section ................................... 7 C. US State Department............................................................................................... 7 D. US Fish and Wildlife Service ................................................................................. 8 E. Enforcement ............................................................................................................ 9 1. US Coast Guard .......................................................................................... 9 2. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement .......................................................... 10 3. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Enforcement Section ........................ 10 F. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 12 G. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 12 VII. Mariana Archipelago - Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ....................... 12 A. Arongol Falú ......................................................................................................... 12 B. Legislative Report ................................................................................................. 12 C. Enforcement Issues ............................................................................................... 12 D. Community Activities and Issues ......................................................................... 13 E. Education and Outreach Initiatives ....................................................................... 13 F. Marine Conservation Plan Projects ....................................................................... 13 G. Pacific Community Fisheries Development Adviser ............................................ 14 H. Specification of CNMI Bottomfish Management Unit Species Annual Catch Limits for Fishing Year 2019 (Final Action).............................................. 16 I. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 17 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 17 2. Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee ............................................... 18 i 3. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 18 J. Public Hearing ...................................................................................................... 18 K. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 19 VIII. Protected Species .............................................................................................................. 20 A. Report of the Seabird Bycatch Mitigation Workshop........................................... 20 B. Status of the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team Recommendations ........ 22 C. Updates on Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act Actions ........................................................................................................... 24 D. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 26 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 26 2. Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee ............................................... 26 3. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 26 E. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 26 F. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 27 IX. Pelagic and International Fisheries ................................................................................... 28 A. Hawai'i and American Samoa Longline Fisheries Reports................................... 28 B. Hawai'i Shallow-Set Longline Fishery ................................................................. 31 1. Status of the Hawai'i Shallow-Set Longline Endangered Species Act Consultation ....................................................................................... 31 2. Managing Loggerhead and Leatherback Sea Turtle Interactions in the Hawai'i-Based Shallow-Set Longline Fishery (Final Action) .................. 35 C. Electronic Monitoring/Electronic Reporting in Hawai'i Longline Fishery........... 38 D. Mandatory Electronic Reporting for Hawai'i Longline Fishery (Initial Action) .. 41 E. International Fisheries ........................................................................................... 43 1. International Science Committee .............................................................. 43 2. 93rd Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission..................................... 44 3. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ................................. 45 a. Electronic Monitoring Working Group ........................................ 45 b. Scientific Committee .................................................................... 45 c. Northern Committee ..................................................................... 46 d. Technical and Compliance Committee ......................................... 47 e. US Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Permanent Advisory Committee ................................................... 48 4. North Pacific Fisheries Commission ........................................................ 49 F. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 50 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 50 ii 2. Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee ............................................... 50 3. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 50 G. Standing Committee Recommendations ............................................................... 51 H. Public Hearing ...................................................................................................... 51 I. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 52 X. American Samoa Archipelago .......................................................................................... 56 A. Motu Lipoti ........................................................................................................... 56 B. Fono Report .......................................................................................................... 57 C. Enforcement Issues ............................................................................................... 58 D. Community Activities and Issues ......................................................................... 58 E. Education and Outreach Initiatives ....................................................................... 60 F. Marine Conservation Plan Projects ....................................................................... 60 G. Specification of American Samoa Bottomfish Management Unit Species Annual Catch Limits for Fishing Year 2019 (Final Action) ................................. 60 H. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 61 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 61 2. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 61 I. Public Hearing ...................................................................................................... 61 J. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 61 XI. Public Comment on Non-agenda Items ............................................................................ 62 XII. Mariana Archipelago-Guam ............................................................................................. 62 A. Isla Informe ..........................................................................................................
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