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NOAA 2004-R142 |
NOAA
News Releases 2004 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs |
NOAA,
the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
is hosting a series of constituent meetings on the West Coast and
Hawaii to receive input for the development of a Recreational Fisheries
Strategic Plan for the next five years. The meeting for Hawaii will
be conducted in conjunction with the Western Pacific Fishery Management
Council meeting on Wednesday, June 23, 2004, in Honolulu. The plan
will set a road map for addressing science, management and education
outreach issues related to recreational fisheries. The final plan
is expected to be available to the public in early September 2004.
“The constituent meetings will help ensure that our strategic plan reflects the priorities of the recreational fishing community,” said Bill Hogarth, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries). “Receiving input from marine anglers through public meetings and written comments is critical to ensure that we address the issues that are important to them.” These public meetings will give anglers an opportunity to discuss data collection, marine managed areas, artificial reef programs, management processes, information exchange, cooperative research and more. The meeting will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on June 23 at the Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Aktinson Drive, Honolulu. The other Pacific coast public meetings include one held in Seal Beach, Calif., on May 4, and another held in Portland, Ore. on May 26. In addition to the public meetings, written comments will also be accepted. Comments should be sent to Michael Kelly, Chief, Division of Constituent Services (Room 9554), NOAA Fisheries (F/CS), 1315 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Comments must be received by July 30, 2004, to ensure that they are given full consideration. The draft plan and e-mail submission addresses are posted on the Web: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/recfish. NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to providing and preserving the nation’s living marine resources and their habitat through scientific research, management, and enforcement. NOAA Fisheries provides stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting coastal communities that depend upon them and helping to provide safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public. On the Web: NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov NOAA Fisheries: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov Draft Plan: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/recfish WPFMC: http://www.wpcouncil.org Pervious
Plan: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/anglerinfo.html |
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