IPHC ANNUAL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Seventy-Fourth Annual Meeting of the International Pacific Halibut Commission will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, Monday, January 26 through Thursday, January 29, 1998. The sessions will be held at The Hotel Captain Cook, 4^th at K Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501 or P.O. Box 102280, Anchorage, Alaska 99510-2280.

A block of rooms has been reserved for attendees until January 11, 1998 at a special rate of $83.00 single or $93.00 double (U.S.). Phone: (800) 843-1950 or (907) 276-6000; FAX: (907) 278-5366.

The Commission will distribute a brief summary of its stock assessment information and staff recommendations to conference board members and fisheries agencies on December 20, 1997. This information will also be available on the Commission’s web page at http://www.iphc.washington.edu. Requests for 1998 regulatory measures should be submitted to the Commission by January 2, 1998. A summary of all recommendations will be distributed mid-January, 1998.

Meeting Schedule

Please note that the Public Session will be Monday afternoon and that the Conference Board and the Processor Advisory Group (PAG) will begin its deliberations on Tuesday morning. This schedule will again allow, as last year, more time for discussion between the Commission, the Conference Board, and the PAG.

Monday, January 26 the Commission will meet in private session from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. From 1:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. the Commission will meet in a public session. Fishermen, vessel owners, processors, and all other interested parties are welcome to attend the public session and are encouraged to ask the Commission staff questions. At this session the Commission staff will present the results of recent research, summarize results of the 1997 halibut fishery, and present its regulatory proposals for the 1998 halibut fishery. These materials will be available on the Commission’s web page by mid-January.

Tuesday, January 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. the Commission will meet privately in an administrative session. The Conference Board and the PAG will also meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to continue their discussion on recommendations for the 1998 fishery.

Wednesday, January 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. the Conference Board and the PAG will present its report to the Commission. From 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon the Commission will meet privately in an administrative session. From 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. the Commission will meet with the Conference Board and the PAG, if necessary.

Thursday, January 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon the Commission will meet with the public and make decisions regarding the 1998 fishery at this session.

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