March 22, 2021 — Scientists are proposing measures to ensure Pacific fisheries end overfishing of the North Pacific striped marlin population.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee this week suggested several actions in order to satisfy the Magnuson-Stevens Act obligation both internationally via the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and domestically.
March 16, 2021 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee will meet this week to take action on several items, including consideration of longline gear changes that could help give incidentally caught sharks greater opportunity to survive.
Most vessels in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery use wire leaders in the terminal portion of the branchline between the hook and the weighted swivel to reduce the risk of crew injuries resulting from flyback on the vessel. Wire leaders make it difficult to remove the terminal portion of the branch line from sharks or other protected species that cannot be brought onboard. Switching to monofilament nylon leaders would allow crew to remove gear closer to the hook and may facilitate a shark’s ability to break free by biting through the line. Tagging studies show that shorter trailing gear gives sharks a better chance of survival.
March 12, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
Scientists from throughout the Pacific will meet March 16 to 18, 2021, to discuss fishery management issues and make management recommendations for fisheries in the Western Pacific Region. The meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will be held virtually and is open to the public. The full agenda, background documents and instructions for connecting to the meeting and providing oral public comments are available at www.wpcouncil.org/event/139th-scientific-and-statistical-committee-meeting. Among the agenda items are the following:
Wire Leader Regulatory Amendment for the Hawaiʻi Longline Fishery
Most vessels in the Hawai‘i deep-set longline fishery use wire leaders in the terminal portion of the branchline between the hook and the weighted swivel to reduce the risk of crew injuries resulting from flyback. Wire leaders make it difficult to remove the terminal portion of the branch line from sharks or other protected species that cannot be brought onboard. Switching to monofilament nylon leaders would allow crew to remove gear closer to the hook and may facilitate a shark’s ability to break free by biting through the line. Tagging studies show that shorter trailing gear gives sharks a better chance of survival.
The Hawaii Longline Association announced at the December 2020 Council meeting that their member vessels will voluntarily eliminate the use of wire leaders by July 1, 2021, and use monofilament nylon leaders or other similar materials. The Council is considering a regulatory change to prohibit the use of wire leaders that would be implemented after the fleet’s voluntary transition. The SSC will provide scientific advice to the Council on potential impacts to target and nontarget stocks, ESA-listed oceanic whitetip sharks and other protected species, fishery participants and the range of alternatives under consideration.
Main Hawaiian Islands Deep-Seven Bottomfish Catch Limits
The Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) released an update to the main Hawaiian Islands deep-seven bottomfish stock assessment with catch-and-effort data up to 2018 and fishery-independent survey data up to 2020 indicating the stock remains healthy. The assessment provided alternative catch levels at different risk levels of overfishing from 2021 to 2025 to specify new annual catch limits. The SSC will consider the new information to determine if a change in the current acceptable biological catch (508,000 pounds) is warranted.
Guam Bottomfish Rebuilding Plan
At the 184th meeting in December 2020, the Council received options to address the overfishing bottomfish stock condition in Guam based on a 2019 benchmark stock assessment. The Council selected a 31,000-pound ACL as its preliminary preferred alternative, which would rebuild the bottomfish stock within the required 10 years. Since then, Council staff received an updated biomass projection from PIFSC, which substantially changed the rebuilding timeframes of the options provided in December 2020. The SSC will review the new information, reconsider its preliminary preferred alternative and may provide recommendations to the Council regarding the rebuilding target as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
North Pacific Striped Marlin Catch Limits
The North Pacific striped marlin stock is overfished and experiencing overfishing, requiring the Council to take steps to reduce the United States’ impact on the stock. The SSC will review alternatives and may recommend to the Council appropriate U.S. catch and/or effort levels for North Pacific striped marlin and international recommendations to move towards ending overfishing. U.S. Pacific fisheries, including the Hawaiʻi longline fishery, landed approximately 19% (about 796,000 pounds per year) of reported North Pacific striped marlin catch from 2013 to 2017. Japanese fisheries landed three and a half times that amount (almost 2.8 million pounds) per year over that same period, accounting for 60% of the total catch. Since 1975, U.S. fisheries have accounted for 6% of the historical North Pacific striped marlin catch, while Japan and Taiwan fisheries landed 83% and 9%, respectively.
Recommendations made by the SSC on these and other matters will be considered by the Council when it meets March 23-25, 2021, virtually with host sites at Tedi of Samoa Building, Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, American Samoa; BRI Building, Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Dr., Hagatña, Guam. Instructions on connecting to the web conference, agendas and briefing documents will be posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates.
February 26, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The 185th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will convene March 23-25, 2021, by web conference (Webex) with host sites at the following locations:
The Webex link is https://tinyurl.com/185CouncilMtg (if prompted, enter event number: 177 669 9488; password: CM185mtg).
The Council will consider and may take action on the issues summarized below (click here for a copy), including any public comments on them. Written public comments on final action items should be received by the Council’s executive director by 5 p.m. (HST), Friday, March 19, 2021, by postal mail, fax or email as indicated below.
Instructions for connecting to the Webex and providing oral public comments during the meeting will be posted on the Council website at http://www.wpcouncil.org/event/185th-council-meeting-virtual.
Mail: Ms. Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director
Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813
FAX: (808) 522-8226
E-mail: info@wpcouncil.org
1. Wire Leader Regulatory Amendment in Hawaiʻi Longline Fisheries (Initial Action)
Most vessels in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery use steel trace wire leaders in the terminal portion of the branchline between the hook and the weighted swivel to reduce the risk of crew injuries resulting from the flyback of weighted branchlines. Wire leaders also make it difficult to remove the terminal portion of the branch line from sharks or other protected species that cannot be brought on board. Longer trailing gear left on sharks and sea turtles have been shown to reduce post-hooking survivorship. Monofilament nylon leaders may facilitate early release of sharks and improve post-hooking survivorship if they sever the line and escape.
In an effort to reduce impacts to ESA-listed oceanic whitetip sharks and other protected species, the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA) announced at the 184th Council meeting in December 2020 that their member vessels will voluntarily eliminate the use of wire leaders by July 1, 2021, and use monofilament nylon leaders or other similar materials in its place. HLA also announced that it will focus on crew safety and work with vessel owners, captains and crew to utilize best practices, including deploying flyback prevention devices and branchline weight configurations and materials that would minimize flyback. In addition, HLA committed to work with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Council to lead captain and crew training on how to properly implement handling protocols.
The Council commended HLA’s comprehensive initiative to further reduce interactions and post-hooking mortality of oceanic whitetip sharks, leatherback turtles and other protected species while also addressing associated crew safety issues. The Council subsequently directed staff to prepare a regulatory amendment to the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosytem Plan (FEP) to evaluate options to prohibit the use of wire leaders in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery for Council action at the March 2021 meeting.
At its 185th meeting, the Council will review alternatives evaluating the impacts of regulating leader material in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery, consider taking initial action and may select a preliminary preferred alternative for further analysis.
2. US Catch Limits for North Pacific Striped Marlin (Final Action)
The North Pacific striped marlin stock is overfished, experiencing overfishing and subject to an interim rebuilding plan by an international commission, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), but with no specified catch limits. The Council will consider recommendations in response to the stock status, taking into account the relative impacts of U.S. vessels, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. At its 184th meeting, the Council took initial action recommending a catch limit for U.S. vessels proportional to a total North Pacific stock-wide catch limit to end overfishing.
The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) developed catch-scenario projections that would end overfishing and rebuild the stock based on Council FEP and WCPFC criteria. These projections were used to develop and analyze the following alternatives for Council consideration: 1) no action, while considering U.S. impacts under the status quo, 2) annual catch limit (ACL) of 313 metric tons (mt) that corresponds to a 13.4% reduction from 2013-2017 U.S. landings, 3) ACL of 237 mt that corresponds to a 34.4% reduction from 2013-2017 U.S. landings, and 4) ACL of 457 mt, consistent with previous Council action and WCPFC criteria. These catch limits are for U.S. vessels operating in the WCPFC Convention Area and north of the equator. The Council will also consider timing of the implementation of an ACL, whether it should be applicable for fishing year 2021 or 2022.
At its 185th meeting, the Council may take final action to recommend a preferred alternative for an ACL for North Pacific striped marlin that may proportionally reduce the relative impacts of U.S. vessels and move towards ending overfishing. The Council will consider timing of implementing catch limits and if limits may be applicable for specific years (e.g., until an updated stock assessment is available or within a WCPFC rebuilding plan timeline).
3. Environmental Assessment for the Guam Bottomfish Stock Rebuilding Plan (Final Action)
At the its 184th meeting in December 2020, the Council received the options to address the overfishing bottomfish stock condition in Guam based on the 2019 Benchmark Stock Assessment (Langseth et al., 2019). The Council selected 31,000 pounds as its prelimary preferred alternative that mitigates the short-term impacts to the fishery by allowing moderate levels of take while achieving the rebuilding of the stock within the longest timeframe allowed (10 years or Tmax). Since then, working with the Action Team, Council staff received an updated biomass projection from PIFSC that is consistent with the National Standards 1 (NS1) definition of Tmax. The new information substantially changed the rebuilding timeframes of the options provided in December 2020. It extended the rebuilding timeframe for the 27,000-pound ACL from four to eight years and the 31,000-pound ACL from six to 19 years. This was due to the recreated catch data to fill in the 2020 and 2021 period to do the biomass projection starting in 2022. The high catch of 37,000 pounds in 2019 increased the three-year average catch, which was further adjusted to be consistent with the catch data used in the assessment. This makes the 31,000-pound alternative no longer compliant with the NS1 guideline to rebuild within 10 years. Council staff will present the draft amendment document with an environmental analysis.
At its 185th meeting, the Council will review the new information, reconsider its preliminary preferred alternative and will consider final action to provide NMFS with rebuilding recommendations and management measures.
4. Update to the Main Hawaiian Island Deep-Seven Bottomfish Annual Catch Limits (Initial Action)
PIFSC released the update to the main Hawaiian Islands deep-seven bottomfish stock assessment with catch and effort data updated to 2018 and fishery-independent survey data up to 2020. The stock remains healthy with the biomass reference point indicating it’s not overfished and the fishery is sustainable, with the harvest reference point indicating the fishery is not experiencing overfishing. The assessment provided alternative catch levels at different risks of overfishing from 2021 to 2025 to inform the specification of new ACLs. The Science and Statistical Committee and the Council at their March 2021 meetings will consider the new information to determine if a change in the acceptable biological catch and ACL is warranted.
The current ACL (fishing years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) was specified at 40% risk of overfishing, accounting for the assessment information, uncertainty characterization, stock status, productivity and susceptibility of the species in the complex and the social, economic, ecological and management uncertainties. The catch associated with this risk of overfishing is 492,000 pounds.
The catch in fishing year 2019-2020 was 161,825 pounds, which is 33% of the ACL. The catch in 2019-20 is lower than the catch in 2018-19, which is probably due to COVID-19. The stock assessment update simply added recent data and did not change the parameters covered in the Risk of Overfishing Analysis. The 40% risk of overfishing in the updated assessment resulted in an ACL of 496,000 pounds, or 4,000 pounds higher than the current ACL.
Given that the information used in the assessment update did not change the scores in the four dimensions of the scientific and management uncertainties, the stock status remained the same and the average catch is far below the ACL, at its 185th meeting, the Council may consider rolling over the current ACL of 492,000 pounds. Keeping the current ACL is more conservative, with the risk of overfishing being less than 1% lower than a 40% risk of overfishing.
February 25, 2021 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council announces the following public meetings on fisheries management in offshore waters of Hawai‘i (HI), American Samoa (AS), Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA). Unless otherwise noted, the meetings will be held by web conference. Host sites are subject to local and federal safety and health guidelines regarding COVID-19; check the Council website for updates. All times listed are local island times. For more information on the virtual meeting connection and complete agendas, click on the meeting title, or go to www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars, email info@wpcouncil.org or call (808) 522-8220.
Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Plan Team
March 3 – 4 (W – Th) 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Oceanic whitetip shark report; Wire leader amendment and seabird mitigation measures for the HI longline fishery; and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits.
Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee
March 10 (W) 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Council action items; Noncommercial data collection efforts and reporting; and Executive order and legislation potential impacts.
AS Archipelago FEP Advisory Panel (AP)
March 10 (W) 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (SST)
Major agenda items: AS bottomfish management options; Catchit Logit implementation; AS Large Vessel Prohibited Area status; AP plans; and AS fishery issues and activities.
Fishing Industry Advisory Committee
March 11 (Th) 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Council action items; Mariana Archipelago green sea turtle population status; 2021 HI small-boat survey; Bigeye tuna management in Western and Central Pacific longline fisheries workshop.
Mariana Archipelago FEP-Guam AP
March 11 (Th) 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish stock rebuilding plan; Catchit Logit implementation; AP plans; and Guam fishery issues and activities.
HI Archipelago FEP AP
March 12 (F) 9 a.m. to noon (HST)
Major agenda items: Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) deep-seven bottomfish annual catch limit (ACL) specification; Wire leader amendment and seabird mitigation measures for the HI longline fishery; North Pacific striped marlin catch limits; HI reef fish life history research report; and AP plans.
Mariana Archipelago FEP-CNMI AP
March 13 (Sat) 9 a.m. to noon (ChST)
Major agenda items: Guam bottomfish update; Catchit Logit implementation; AP plans; and CNMI fishery issues and activities.
139th Scientific & Statistical Committee
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/139SSCMtg. If prompted, password SSC139mtg.
March 16 – 18 (T – Th) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: MHI deep-seven bottomfish acceptable biological catch update (action item); Guam bottomfish rebuilding plan impact analysis (action item); Wire leader amendment for the HI longline fishery (action item); and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits (action item).
Pelagic & International Standing Committee
March 22 (M) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Wire leader amendment for the HI longline fishery (action item); and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits (action item).
Executive & Budget Standing Committee
March 22 (M) 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: Financial and administrative matters; Coral critical habitat working group; and Council family changes.
185th Council Meeting
Direct link to meeting: https://tinyurl.com/185CouncilMtg.
If prompted, password CM185mtg.
Host sites: Tedi of Samoa Bldg., Suite 208B, Fagatogo Village, AS
BRI Bldg., Suite 205, Kopa Di Oru St., Garapan, Saipan, CNMI
Cliff Pointe, 304 W. O’Brien Drive, Hagatña, Guam
March 23 – 25 (T – Th) 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (HST)
Major agenda items: MHI deep-seven bottomfish ACL update (action item); Guam bottomfish rebuilding plan environmental assessment (action item); Wire leader amendment for the HI longline fishery (action item); and North Pacific striped marlin catch limits (action item).
Written comments on final action items on the 185th Council meeting agenda received by March 19, 2021, will be distributed to Council members prior to meeting. Direct comments to Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director, WPRFMC, and mail to 1164 Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, fax to (808) 522-8226 or email to info@wpcouncil.org. Written comments on all other agenda items may be submitted for the record by email throughout the duration of the meeting.
December 14, 2020 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has released the second of seven new issues in its historical Pacific Islands Fishery Monographs series. Each monograph looks at some of the most important federal fisheries and management issues for the U.S. Pacific Islands.
“History of the Billfish Fisheries and Their Management in the Western Pacific Region,” the second of these new monographs and the tenth overall in the series, is now available.
Written by Michael Markrich, the monograph depicts the controversies among various foreign and domestic fisheries that caught billfish in and around the Hawaiian Islands and how East Coast big gamefish and environmental advocates influenced the management of fisheries not only in the Atlantic and Gulf but also in the U.S. Pacific Islands.
Prior to Western contact, Native Hawaiians used special hooks to catch billfish, tuna and other large pelagic fish from outrigger canoes.
December 8, 2020 — The Hawaii Longline Association is continuing its efforts to be proactive at mitigating or avoiding effects to threatened or endangered species. In this case, seabirds.
The Association requested an experimental fishing permit for the deep-set longline fishery to test tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23° N. latitude when the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council met last week. The Council endorsed the application and recommended the National Marine Fisheries Service issue the permit as soon as possible. If approved, the permit would be the first of its kind issued in the Western Pacific Region and field trials could start in early 2021, the Council said in a press release.
December 7, 2020 — More bigeye tuna may be available for U.S. fishermen in the Pacific next year, if U.S. fishery managers can successfully negotiate the proposed increase.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council supported the U.S. proposal to revise the conservation and management measure for tropical tunas, which expires in February 2021, and increase the U.S. bigeye tuna quota by 3,000 metric tons to 6,554 mt at the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting next week.
December 7, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council voted to adopt a bottomfish annual catch limit (ACL) of 31,000 pounds starting in fishing year 2023 to rebuild the overfished bottomfish stock in Guam. The limit corresponds to a 35-40% risk of overfishing and would allow the stock to replenish in six years. This option poses the least chance of the fishery exceeding the catch limit and extending the rebuilding time. The annual average bottomfish catch over the past several years is about 27,000 pounds. An in-season accountability measure will be implemented to track catch relative to the ACL. Federal waters will be closed to bottomfishing when the ACL is projected to be reached.
Manny Dueñas, president of the Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Association (GFCA) and former Council member and chair, provided public comment on the bottomfish data. “Council staff said there were four years that the catch exceeded the ACL,” he noted, referring to data used in the bottomfish assessment and rebuilding plan. “Why didn’t anyone go back and look at this—maybe the ACL is wrong.” The GFCA was the only source of commercial fish dealer data for decades and the hub for the Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center (PIFSC) biosampling program. Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds said that staff will ask PIFSC to address Dueñas’s concerns.
The Council concluded its three-day virtual meeting with the following recommendations on other matters, among others.
Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM): The Council recommended delaying the release of the draft MTMNM management plan for public review and comment until the Marianas Trench Monument Advisory Council (MTMAC) is seated and provides input. The 2009 MTMNM Proclamation by President Bush established the MTMAC to “provide advice and recommendations on the development of management plans and management of the monument.” With a draft management plan for the monument due to be released in December 2020, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Council members were concerned that the MTMAC wasn’t able to provide its timely input as required.
“The MTMAC is a critical advisory body, and it needs to be an active participant in the review of the draft management plan,” said CNMI Vice Chair John Gourley. “Conducting a public review without the MTMAC would be a great disservice to the Marianas communities.”
The monument is co-managed by NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the CNMI government.
Fishing Industry Advisory Committee (FIAC): The Council endorsed several FIAC recommendations including supporting a Pacific Island-wide seafood promotion program and working with the U.S. Coast Guard and State of Hawaiʻi Harbors Division to review policies on allowing longline vessels to shelter in place during tropical storms and hurricanes, among others. The current regulation requires vessels under 250 gross tons to vacate the harbor during hurricanes. The FIAC provides input and recommendations on management and conservation actions to the Council from an industry perspective.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: The Council requested the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources to work with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to further extend deadlines of CARES Act fishery applications, noting that many within the commercial fishing sector were unable to apply during previous application periods.
Council Officers: The following Council members were re-appointed as officers for 2021: Archie Soliai, chair; Howard Dunham, vice chair, American Samoa; Michael Dueñas, vice chair, Guam; John Gourley, vice chair, CNMI; and Edwin Watamura, vice chair, Hawaiʻi.
For the full agenda and background materials on the meeting, go to www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars or contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or (808) 522-8220.
December 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Hawaii Longline Association has requested an experimental fishing permit for the deep-set longline fishery to test tori line efficacy without the use of blue-dyed bait when fishing north of 23° N. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council today in Honolulu endorsed the application and recommended that National Marine Fisheries Service issue the permit as soon as possible. If approved, the permit would be the first of its kind issued in the Western Pacific Region and field trials could start in early 2021.
Tori, or bird scaring, lines have been internationally recognized as an effective seabird mitigation measure, while data show using blue-dyed bait is less effective than alternative measures. The food-grade blue dye has also become increasingly difficult to source. The Council recommended developing a regulatory amendment to the Pacific Pelagic Fishery Ecosystem Plan to evaluate options for allowing the use of tori lines in lieu of blue-dyed bait. The results from the tori line study will inform the development of the regulatory amendment.
“I support these efforts to improve and streamline conservation measures in the fleet,” said Council member Roger Dang, owner of longline vessels and Fresh Island Fish of Hawai‘i. “The small Hawaiʻi fleet has minimal impact on seabird populations, but has many more regulatory requirements than foreign fleets on the high seas. Any changes to streamline these requirements will help us and make sense for the fleet,” he noted.
Action on specifying the annual catch limit (ACL) and the rebuilding plan for the American Samoa bottomfish fishery was deferred. The stock is overfished and subject to overfishing. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires the Council to take action to end overfishing immediately and rebuild overfished stock within 10 years. In the past quarter, four fishermen landed a total of 665 pounds of bottomfish.
Deferring action allows the Council to support the American Samoa government in finalizing its territorial bottomfish fishery management plan. With 85% of bottomfish habitat located within territorial waters, it is essential that local and federal governments work together to manage the fishery. Henry Sesepasara, director of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, recommended the Council postpone action. “We are in the process of providing feedback to the draft plan and will be completing it by January 2021,” he said.
The Council requested NMFS to extend the American Samoa interim catch limit of 13,000 pounds of bottomfish for an additional 185 days from the expiry date of May 17, 2021, while the Council finalizes conservation and management measures to end overfishing in the fishery. A new stock assessment is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
The Council meeting concludes tomorrow by web conference (Webex). Instructions on connecting to Webex, agendas and briefing documents are posted at www.wpcouncil.org/meetings-calendars.