July 20, 2007

2007 IPHC INTERIM MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The International Pacific Halibut Commission’s 2007 Interim Meeting will be held in Seattle, Washington, on November 28-29, 2007 at the Watertown Hotel (4242 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105). Rooms are available at $135 per night until October 28, 2007. Please identify yourself as attending the ‘IPHC Interim Meeting’. For reservations please call (866) 944-4242 or online at www.watertownseattle.com (contact information updated 9/10/07).

On Wednesday, November 28, the Commissioners and Commission staff will meet in private to discuss administrative and financial issues internal to the Commission. The Wednesday session will not be open to external agency staff. The following day, Thursday, November 29, the Commission will meet in Administrative Session to hear staff discussion and reports on 2007 research projects and proposed future research projects, as well as stock assessment and recommended catch limits. The meeting is for administrative purposes only and not open to the general public. Commissioners from each government determine attendance at the Administrative Session meeting (Nov. 29th session only) and should be contacted for information and attendance requests. Results from the meeting, including staff assessment of the fishery and catch limit recommendations, will be made public in a news release after the Interim Meeting.

2008 IPHC ANNUAL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Eighty-fourth Annual Meeting of the International Pacific Halibut Commission will be held in Portland, OR from Tuesday, January 15 through Friday, January 18, 2008. Please note that these dates are a change from the announcement at the 2007 Annual Meeting. The sessions will be held at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower. A block of rooms has been reserved for attendees at the hotel until December 15 or until the group block is sold-out, at a special rate of $106 USD for a single or double room (rate updated Aug. 22). Please note that this rate may be adjusted if the US Government per diem for Portland, OR is adjusted for 2008.  Attendees wishing to arrive early may do so starting January 11 and depart as late as January 21, based on availability. The Hilton Portland & Executive Tower is located at 921 SW Sixth Avenue in Portland, OR. Please identify yourself as part of the IPHC 2008 Annual Meeting to receive the special rate and ensure room availability. For reservations please call (503) 226-1611. Reservations can also be faxed to (503) 220-2565 or visit the meeting website at:

 www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/pdxphhh_iph/index.jhtml.

The Commission will distribute a brief summary of stock assessment information and staff recommendations to the public in December. This information will also be available on the Commission's web page at http://www.iphc.washington.edu. Requests for 2008 catch limit changes should be submitted to the Commission by December 31, 2007. Current information regarding the 2008 Annual Meeting, including regulation and catch limit proposal forms, can be located by following the Annual Meeting hyperlink on the Commission's web site or by calling the IPHC office at (206) 634-1838. The Commission's web site will be updated regularly with new information as the meeting date approaches.

The Commission invites the public to submit requests for 2008 regulatory changes (season length, clearances in Area 4, logbook reporting measures, etc) or management actions for review at the Annual Meeting. The deadline date for submission is November 15, 2007. The Commission will not guarantee consideration of proposals received after this date. The submission form can be downloaded from the IPHC web site or can be requested by calling the Commission offices at (206) 634-1838. A summary of all proposals will be distributed to industry and will also be posted on the IPHC web site when available.

The 2008 IPHC Annual Meeting Schedule and meeting rooms will be released in November, 2007.  

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