When:
September 12, 2023 – September 14, 2023 all-day Pacific/Honolulu Timezone
2023-09-12T00:00:00-10:00
2023-09-15T00:00:00-10:00

Date: Sept. 12-14, 2023 (Tu-Th)        Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Hawaii)
……………………………………     Time: 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Washington)
Sept. 13-15, 2023 (W-F)         .      …Time: 5:00 am to 1:00 pm (Marianas)
………………………………        … Time: 6:00 am to 2:00 pm (Noumea)
Location: Hybrid for members and public; in-person attendance will be hosted at Council office, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813

To access the meeting via WebEx, click link below:
https://wprfmc.webex.com/wprfmc/j.php?MTID=mc85853a451f9ec091b2b7f147c2066ab
Event number: 2631 218 4044
Event password: SSC149mtg (77214969 from phones)

02.1rev1 149 SSC public draft agenda
FR Notice

Press Release – Western Pacific Scientists to Advise Fishery Management Council on American Samoa Bottomfish, Pacific Remote Islands Sanctuary (8 September 2023)

Press Release – Council Science Advisors Weigh In on American Samoa Bottomfish Catch Limits, Electronic Monitoring in Pacific Islands Region (12 September 2023)

Press Release – Existing Fishing Regulations Sufficient to Meet Proposed PRI Sanctuary Goals, Science Advisors Say (13 September 2023)

Major agenda items: AS bottomfish rebuilding plan discontinuation and setting acceptable biological catch for 2024-2027 (action item); 2024 U.S. Territorial BET catch limit and allocation specifications (action item); MHI Deep 7 bottomfish stock assessment review; EM options in Western Pacific longline fisheries; Proposed NMS in the PRIA update; Proposed GST CH designation update; and Addressing climate change in fishery management priorities discussion.

Documents Available by Day
Day 1         Day 2         Day 3

Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 9:00 a.m.-5 p.m. HST

Time No. Agenda Item
9:00 AM 1         Introductions
9:10 AM 2         Approval of Draft Agenda and Assignment of Rapporteurs
  02.1rev1 149 SSC public draft agenda
2(2) 149th SSC & 196th CM FR Notice
9:15 AM 3         Status of the 148th SSC Meeting Recommendations
  03(1) 148SSC FINAL Report & Appendix
9:20 AM 4         Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Director Report
  04(1)  PIFSC Report
5         Island Fisheries
  5.A American Samoa Bottomfish Management Unit Species
9:40 AM 5.A.1   P* and SEEM Working Group Reports
10:10 AM 5.A.2   Discontinuing the Rebuilding Plan and Setting Acceptable Biological Catch for 2024-2026 (Action Item)
10:40 AM 5.B MHI Deep 7 Bottomfish Stock Assessment WPSAR Terms of Reference
11:00 AM 5.C MHI Uku Ecosystem and Socioeconomic Profile Report Cards
05.C(1) Uku_ESP report_Ayers
11:30 AM 5.D Public Comment
11:40 AM 5.E SSC Discussion and Recommendations

Lunch Break 11:50 – 1:00 PM

6         Pelagic and International Fisheries
1:00 PM 6.A American Samoa Longline Fishery Report
06.A(1) AS LL Fishery Report
1:20 PM 6.B Hawaii Longline Fishery Report
06.B(1) HI LL Fishery Report
1:50 PM 6.C 2024 US Territorial Bigeye Tuna Catch Limit and Allocation Specification (Action Item)
06.C(1) Options Paper 2024 BET Territorial Specifications 2023-08-10 (Action Item)
2:20 PM 6.D Scenarios for Implementation of Electronic Monitoring in Western Pacific Longline Fisheries
06.D(1) Electronic Monitoring 2023-08-21 Draft Discussion Document
3:00 PM 6.E Feasibility of Stock Assessments for Incidental Pelagic MUS
6.F International Fisheries
3:30 PM 6.F.1                     WCPO Longline Management Workshop
  06.F.1(1) Formal WCPFC TTMW3 Summary Report
3:40 PM 6.F.2                     19th WCPFC Science Committee
  06.F.2(1) WCPFC DRAFT SC19 Outcomes Document
3:50 PM 6.F.3                     19th ISC Meeting
  06.F.3(1) ISC23 Plenary Report FINAL
06.F.3(2) Stock Assessment Report for WCNPO Striped Marlin – FINAL (1)
4:00 PM 6.G Public Comment
4:10 PM 6.H SSC Discussion and Recommendations

Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. HST

7         Protected Species
9:00 AM 7.A Green Sea Turtle Critical Habitat Proposed Designations
07.A(1) NMFS Proposed Rule_Green Turtle Critical Habitat (marine)
07.A(2) [Electronic Only] NMFS GT-CH Supplemental Material_Biological Report
07.A(3) USFWS Proposed Rule_Green Turtle Critical Habitat (terrestrial)
07.A(4) FWS_Green Turtle CH – Methodology Document
9:30 AM 7.B Update on the Hawaii Pelagic False Killer Whale Assessment Approach
10:00 AM 7.C Public Comment
10:05 AM 7.D SSC Discussion and Recommendations
8         Program Planning and Research
10:10 AM 8.A NMFS Draft Climate Governance Policy
08.A(1) NMFS Draft Climate Governance Policy
10:30 AM 8.B Inflation Reduction Act Overview
8.C Priorities for Addressing Climate Change in Fishery Management
10:50 AM 8.C.1  NMFS National Activities and Priorities (including Ocean Climate Action Plan)
  08.C.1(1) Ocean-Climate-Action-Plan_Final (1)
08.C.1(2) NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy
11:10 AM 8.C.2  NMFS Regional Activities and Priorities (including Pacific Islands Regional Action Plan & Climate, Ecosystem and Fisheries Initiative)
  08.C.2(1) NOAA-Climate-Ecosystems-and-Fisheries-Initiative-Fact-Sheet
11:30 AM 8.C.3  PIFSC Funding Priorities for Climate-Ready Fisheries (including Inflation Reduction Act)
  08.C.3(1) Pacific Islands Regional Action Plan-Final-May23
11:50 AM 8.C.4  Council Management Priorities for Addressing Climate Change
12:10 PM 8.C.5  SSC Discussion on Climate Change and Fisheries Science Priorities for Management

Lunch Break 12:30 – 1:30 PM

8.D Proposed Designation of a Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Sanctuary
08.D.0 CCC letter on Sanctuaries 07.18.2023
1:30 PM 8.D.1                     Updates from Federal Agencies
1:45 PM 8.D.2                     Review of Existing Fishing Regulations and Options for Developing Fishing Regulations (Action Item)
2:15 PM 8.E Council five-year Program Plan Updates
2:30 PM 8.F Review of Council Research Priorities
2:45 PM 8.G Review of SSC Plan 2021-2023 and Development of 2024-2026 Plan
3:00 PM 8.H National Standards 4, 8 and 9 Review Working Group Report
3:15 PM 8.I NASEM Committee on Assessing Equity in the Distribution of Fisheries Management Benefits
08.I(1) NASEM Committee on Assessing EEJ in dist of fisheries mgmt benefits
3:30 PM 8.J Public Comment
3:40 PM 8.K SSC Discussion and Recommendations

4-5 PM: Reserved for work session time for SSC rapporteurs and working groups

Thursday, September 14, 2023, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

9         Other Business
9.A December SSC Meetings Dates
10      Summary of SSC Recommendations to the Council