Table of Contents I. Welcome and Introductions ................................................................................................ 1 II. Oath of Office ..................................................................................................................... 2 III. Approval of the 171st Meeting Agenda ............................................................................... 2 IV. Approval of the 170th 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..................................................... 6 B. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Pacific Islands Section ................................... 7 C. US State Department............................................................................................... 8 D. US Fish and Wildlife Service ................................................................................. 8 1. Status of Monuments Review ..................................................................... 8 E. Enforcement ............................................................................................................ 9 1. US Coast Guard .......................................................................................... 9 2. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement ............................................................ 9 3. NOAA Office of General Counsel, Enforcement Section ........................ 10 F. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 11 G. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 13 VII. American Samoa ............................................................................................................... 13 A. Motu Lipoti ........................................................................................................... 13 B. Fono Report .......................................................................................................... 16 C. Enforcement Issues ............................................................................................... 16 D. Community Activities and Issues ......................................................................... 17 1. Report on the Governor’s Fisheries Task Force Initiatives ...................... 17 2. Fisheries Development.............................................................................. 20 ii 3. Fisheries Disaster Relief ........................................................................... 22 E. Education and Outreach Initiatives ....................................................................... 22 F. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 22 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 22 2. Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee ............................................... 23 3. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 23 G. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 24 H. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 25 VIII. Pelagic and International Fisheries ................................................................................... 27 A. Hawai‘i and American Samoa Longline Fisheries Reports .................................. 27 B. American Samoa Large Vessel Prohibited Area (Action Item)............................ 28 C. American Samoa Longline Permit Modifications (Action Item) ......................... 36 D. Considerations for the Annual Limits on Sea Turtle Interactions in the Hawai‘i-Based Shallow-Set Longline Fishery (Action Item) ............................... 38 E. International Fisheries ........................................................................................... 42 1. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission ............................................. 42 2. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ................................. 43 3. North Pacific Fisheries Commission Meeting .......................................... 48 4. South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization .................. 48 F. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 48 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 48 2. American Samoa Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee .................. 48 3. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 49 G. Pelagic and International Standing Committee Recommendations ...................... 49 H. Public Hearing ...................................................................................................... 49 I. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 50 iii IX. Protected Species .............................................................................................................. 54 A. Updates on Endangered Species Act and Marin Mammal Protection Act Actions ........................................................................................................... 54 1. Turtles ....................................................................................................... 54 2. Corals ....................................................................................................... 54 3. Other Actions ............................................................................................ 54 B. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 56 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 56 2. American Samoa Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee .................. 56 3. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 56 C. Public Comment.................................................................................................... 56 D. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 56 X. Program Planning and Research ....................................................................................... 56 A. Alternatives for Aquaculture Management (Action Item) .................................... 56 B. Options for Designating Management Unit Species into Ecosystem Components (Action Item) ................................................................................... 58 C. Precious Corals Management Issues ..................................................................... 61 1. Refining Precious Coral Essential Fish Habitat ........................................ 61 2. Gold Coral Moratorium (Action Item) ..................................................... 62 D. Territory Science Initiative Project Updates ......................................................... 63 E. Report on Coral Reef Regulation Review ............................................................ 63 F. Social Science Planning Committee Strategic Plan and Priorities ....................... 64 G. Report on the Climate Change Training Workshop ............................................. 65 H. Regional, National and International Outreach and Education ............................ 65 I. Advisory Group Report and Recommendations ................................................... 66 1. Advisory Panel .......................................................................................... 66 iv 2. Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee ............................................... 66 3. Scientific and Statistical Committee ......................................................... 67 J. Public Hearing ...................................................................................................... 68 K. Council Discussion and Action ............................................................................. 68 XI. Hawai‘i Archipelago and Pacific Remote Island Areas .................................................. 69 A. Moku Pepa ............................................................................................................ 69 B. Legislative Report ................................................................................................. 71 C. Enforcement Issues ............................................................................................... 71 D. Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish Fishery ............................................. 71 1. Report on Outcomes from the Bottomfish Commercial Fishery Data Workshops ........................................................................................ 71 2. Report on the Relative Abundance Estimation from the