On the meeting, the council will consider public comment and review recommendations of its advisory group including the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).
WPRFMC was established by the U.S. Congress to manage fisheries in the offshore waters of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, CNMI and other U.S Pacific Island Areas.
The major items that will be considered by the SSC and the Council are:
• Fishing Regulations in the Pacific Marine National Monuments
• Hancock Seamounts Groundfish Moratorium
• Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) Bottomfish 2009-2010
• Catch Shares for the MHI Bottomfish Fishery
• Annual Catch Limits
• Cross Seamount/ NOAA Weather Buoy Fishery Limited Entry Program and Control Date
• Tuna Quota Monitoring
• Tuna Quota Management
• Catch Shares for the Hawaii-based Longline Fleet
Entitled “Marlin on the Menu,” the forum aims to provide fishermen and other stakeholders a venue to discuss the past, present and future of marlin fisheries in the US Pacific Islands.
The public comment will be held on July 23 at 3:30 pm to 4 pm at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona while the forum will proceed at 6:30 pm to 9 pm. For more information regarding the forum, the public is advised to call 808-522-8220.
