Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council; Minutes of the 100th Council Meeting

Contents: 7. Introductions, 7. approval of agenda and 99th council meetin minutes, ISLAND REPORTS 7. American Samoa, 8. Guam, 9. Hawaii, 11. Northern Mariana Islands, REPORTS FROM FISHERY AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS 11. Department of commerce, 11. National Marine Fisheries Service a. SWR,PIAO, b. SWFSC Honolulu Lab, 13. NOAA general counsel, SWR , 14. Deputy chief, ethic division, 14. US fish and wildlife service, ENFORCEMENT 15. USCG report, 16. NMFS enforcement activities and status of violations, 18. Cooperative agreements for Guam, 18. Illegal immigration related to foreign fishing fleet, 19. Update on US customs policies, 21. standing committee recommendations, 21. public comment, 21. council discussion and action, 21. GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Vaughan Pratt, VESSEL MONITORING SYSTEMS, 26. Hawaii VMS report, 27. report on MAFAC meeting, 29. report on FFA monitoring, control and surveillance meeting, 29. advisory panel recommendations, 30. standing committee recommendations, 30. council discussion and action, ECOSYSTEM AND HABITAT 30. Draft coral reef ecosystem FMP, 30. review of current draft, 32. GIS maps for EFH, 33. SSC recommendations, 33. standing committee recommendations, 33. public comment/hearing, 34. council discussion and action, FISHERY RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE 35. status of marine conservation plans, 35. status of community development program and demonstration projects, 36. funding for fisheries development projects, 38. advisory panel recommendations, 39. standing committee recommendations, 39. public comment, 39. council discussion and action, PELAGIC FISHERIES 41. 1st quarter 1999 Hawaii and American Samoa longline fishery report, 42. Akule and opelu study, 42. Hawaiian islands bigeye and yellowfin tuna tagging, 42. council authority beyond the EEZ and with respect to the remote Pacific Insular Areas: coordination with Department of the Interior, 50. Shark incidental catch in the longline fishery, 50. update on catch trends, 51. Socioeconomic study of shark finning in the WP region, 56. utilization of shrks, 58. coastal shark fishery, 59. council discussion on shark finning, 63. publiccomment, 69. Seabird interactions in the longline fishery, 69. update on trends and numbers, 69. section 7 consultation for short tailed albatross, 70. FISHERMEN'S FORUM: "Are you an effective player in the fishery management game?", 81. albatross workshop reprot and recommendations, 83. mitigation project results, 87. enforcement concerns, 87. discussion on regulatory alternatives, 89. turtle interactions, 89. upodate on trends and numbers, 89. ecology of loggerhead turtles, 89. effective mitigation alternatives, 89. international meetings, 89. recreational fisheries data task force, 90. final action on comprehensive data amendment, 91. advisory panel recommendations, 93. plan team recommendations, 95. SSC recommendations, 96. standing committee recommendations, 97. public comment/hearing, 98. council discussion and action, BOTTOMFISH FISHERIES 103. overview of Mau Zone limited entry program, 104. Hoomalu Zone permit review, 105. 1998 draft bottomfish annual report, D. MHI bottomfish management, 106. status of NMFS list of overfished stocks, 106. final report on genetic stock structure of onaga and ehu, 107. genetic research needs for hapuupuu, 107. MHI closed area program: number of permits, violations, 109. use of Cigua-Check as a fishery management assessment tool, 108. advisory panel recommendations, 105. plan team recommendations, 110. SSC recommendations, 112. standing committee recommendations, 112. public comment, 112. council discussion and action, PRECIOUS CORALS FISHERIES 115. status of proposed new measures, 117. proposed state of Hawaii regulations, 118. plan team/advisory panel recommendations, 120. SSC recommendations, 120. standing committee recommendations, 120. public comment, 120. council discussion and action, CRUSTACEANS FISHERIES 120. 1998 draft annual report, 121. NWHI 1999 harvest guidelines and data collectors, 121. NMFS tagging research on NWHI lobster stocks, 122. NWHI Hawaiian monk seals French Frigate Shoals, 122. Necker Island refuge boundary, 123. plan team recommendations, 123. advisory panel recommendations, 124. SSC recommendations, 124. standing committee recommendations, 124. public comment, 125. council discussion and action, PROGRAM PLANNING 125. review of PFRP terms of reference, 125. disapproval of American Samoa area closure, 125. Addressing disapproved sections of council's SFA amendment, 125. bycatch, 126. overfishing, 126. fishing communities, 127. program planning document, 128. Magnuson-Stevens act changes, 128. advisory panel chair's operation plan, 129. MAFAC meeting, 129. CO tuna update, 130. Wpacfin, 132. SSC recommendations, 133. standing committee recommendations, 133. public comment, 134. council discussion and action, ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 135. Administrative reports, 135. SOPP, 135. appointments to advisory bodies, 135. meetings and workshops, 135. 101st council meeting, 136. advisory panel recommendations, 136. standing committee recommendations, 136. public comment, 136. council discussion and action, OTHER BUSINESS 138. council discussion and action