Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2012, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final LOF for 2012 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must classify each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of serious injury and mortality of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery in the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan (TRP) requirements.
This final rule is effective January 1, 2012. Information regarding the LOF, along with the 2012 LOF, may be obtained from the NMFS LOF website.
Monday, November 28th, 2011
The National Marine Fisheries Service announces the first bilateral meeting of the Pacific Whiting Joint Technical Committee (JTC) to begin implementation of the Whiting Treaty. The meeting will be held in Seattle on Monday and Tuesday, November 28-29, 2011. As an interim measure, Canada will send a working group of industry representatives for this first meeting.
Meeting Logistics:
Dates: November 28-29, 2011
Times: November 28: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
November 29: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: University District Silver Cloud Inn
5036 25th Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Hotel Phone: 206-526-5200
Draft Agenda:
-
Introductions and overview of the JTC and treaty process thus far
- Summary of the 2011 Pacific hake assessment results
(executive summary and main points)
- Discuss and edit working draft of 2012 Terms of Reference (Draft to be finalized and ready to submit to JMC by meeting close)
- Discuss draft JTC workplan/timeline and data products for exchange
For further information, download the Bilateral Pacific Whiting Joint Technical Committee Meeting Notice/Draft Agenda. You may also contact Mr. Frank Lockart at 206-526-6142 or Mr. Kevin Duffy at 206-526-4743.
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
The following document: FINAL Environmental Assessment: “Trailing Actions for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program, Including: 1. Pacific Halibut Trawl Bycatch Mortality Limit (Amendment 21-1) and 2. Exemption From the Prohibition on Processing At Sea in the Shorebased IFQ Program” FINAL Environmental Assessment (October 2011) is available on the Council’s Amendment 21-1 webpage.
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
OPB’s Oregon Field Guide has produced a video that does a good job explaining how trawl catch shares work, from the perspective of a trawl fisherman. See it here.
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
The Center for Independent Experts (CIE) made available the report from the October 2011 Pacific sardine STAR Panel meeting. Please contact Mr. Kerry Griffin, Kerry.Griffin@noaa.gov, or call 503-820-2280, ext. 409.
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
The Council reaffirmed their intent to reduce the scope and number of changes to status quo harvest specifications and management measures for 2013-2014, so as to allow for an orderly start to the groundfish fishery on January 1, 2013.
The Council adopted final overfishing limits (OFLs), final acceptable biological catches (ABCs), and preliminary preferred alternative (PPA) annual catch limits (ACLs) for groundfish stocks and stock complexes with a few changes to status quo. One significant change involves widow rockfish management, as a result of its full rebuilding and removal from the overfished designation; thus the Council selected significantly higher ACLs and a fishery management plan amendment for within trawl sector allocation, for further analysis. The Council adopted only a few new management measures for analysis.
- Table 1. Final preferred 2013 and 2014 overfishing limits (OFLs in mt) and acceptable biological catches (ABCs in mt) and preliminary preferred 2013 and 2014 annual catch limits (ACLs in mt) for non-overfished west coast groundfish stocks and stock complexes (stocks with new assessments in bold; PPA = preliminary preferred alternative).
- Table 2. Estimated time to rebuild and spawning potential ratio (SPR) harvest rate relative to alternative 2013-2014 ACLs for overfished west coast groundfish stocks (numbered alternatives are those that were decided for detailed analysis in the DEIS; PPA = preliminary preferred alternative).
Results of the detailed analyses will be presented at the April 2012 Council meeting, where the Council is scheduled to develop final preferred ACLs and a preliminary preferred suite of 2013-2014 management measures. After a public review period, the Council will take final action at the June 2012 Council meeting.
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) met November 2-7, 2011 in Costa Mesa, California. The November 2011 Council Meeting Decision Document summarizes the decisions made during that meeting.
Monday, November 7th, 2011
The Council considered recent information on fisheries and determined no action was necessary for 2011.
For 2012, the Council
- Adopted conforming regulations that close portions of Washington Marine Areas 1 and 2 to recreational lingcod fishing (Agenda Item E.8.b, WDFW Report).
- Adopted minor nearshore rockfish and black rockfish trip limits between 42° N. lat. and 40°10’ N. lat. in both the limited entry and open access fixed gear fisheries for Period 1 of “8,500 lb /2months of which no more than 1,200 lb may be species other than black rockfish.”
- Adopted 2012 trip limits for sablefish DTL fisheries as follows:
- Adopted the following trawl RCA adjustments for 2012. Shaded cells indicate changes from 2011.
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has published a Proposed Rule for Salmon Amendment 16, and is taking public comment through November 18, 2011.
Monday, October 24th, 2011
The Fall issue of the Pacific Council News is now available here. This issue covers new stock assessments, changes to the halibut catch sharing plan, dam removal, Columbia and Sacramento salmon updates, and more.
