March 2006 Council Meeting
List of Decisions

as of March 15, 2006; 2:20 pm

A basic summary of decisions from the March 2006 Council meeting in Seattle, Washington is posted below.

• Salmon Management
• Pacific Halibut Management
• Groundfish Management
• Habitat
• Coastal Pelagic Species Management
• Marine Protected Areas
• Highly Migratory Species Management
• Administrative Matters
• Download a PDF version of the March 2006 Decision Document
• Visit the Council Decisions Archives Page

Salmon Management

Inseason Action on March and April 2006 Fisheries

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) take inseason action to suspend the scheduled March 15 through April 30 openings for commercial fisheries in the Fort Bragg area and the Oregon coast from Cape Falcon to the Oregon/California border, and the April 1 through April 30 California recreational fishery from Point Arena to Point Sur.

Adoption of 2006 Management Options for Public Review

Detailed information on this agenda item will be available on our website, http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr.html#2006, early in the week of March 13, 2006. The Council will make recommendations for all fisheries for the May 1, 2006 through April 30, 2007 season at its April 2-7, 2006 meeting in Sacramento, California.

Salmon Hearing Schedule -- All hearings will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Salmon Hearings Officers

The following Council members and ancillary staff will be attending the hearings:
Westport, Westport, WA - Bob Alverson, Mark Cedergreen, Phil Anderson, and Jim Harp representing the Council, and Peter Dygert representing NMFS;
Coos Bay, OR - Frank Warrens and Curt Melcher representing the Council, and Frank Lockhart representing NMFS;
Santa Rosa, CA - Roger Thomas representing the Council, and Eric Chavez representing NMFS.

Fishery Management Plan Amendment Scoping for de minimis Fisheries Associated with Klamath River Fall Chinook Impacts

The Council identified two issues for consideration of a Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP) amendment:

1. Modifying the criteria and Council action for a Conservation Alert; and
2. Modifying the Klamath River fall chinook conservation objective. The intent of the FMP amendment would be to address implementation of de minimis fisheries associated with temporarily depressed stock status and to examine the use of "escapement floor" terminology.

The Council also identified three possible alternatives to be analyzed:

1. Use of a sliding scale for a spawner reduction rate as suggested by the Klamath Fishery Management Council;
2. Prescribing an exploitation rate level ( 5% or 10% were cited) below which fisheries could be prosecuted without significant impact on stocks of concern; and
3. Use of an exploitation matrix that takes into account such things as the abundance of the stock in question, the abundance of co-mingled healthy stocks and technical uncertainty.

A workgroup scheduled be formed from interested state and federal agencies, tribes, Council advisors and staff, and others. The workgroup will conduct analyses for Council consideration and may develop other alternatives.

The Council will review the preliminary analyses and adopt a final range of reasonable alternatives for detailed analysis, including a preferred alternative if possible, at its June 2006 meeting in Foster City, California. At its September 2006 meeting, the Council would review an analysis of the alternatives and adopt a preferred alternative for public review. Final action is tentatively planned for the November 2006 Council meeting in San Diego, California.

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Pacific Halibut Management

Incidental Catch Regulations for the Salmon Troll and Fixed Gear Sablefish Fisheries

The Council adopted public review options for the 2006 incidental halibut catch in both the salmon troll fishery and the fixed gear sablefish fishery. These options are:

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Groundfish Management

Stock Assessment Planning for the 2009-2010 Fishing Season

The Council adopted for public review the following list of groundfish stocks to be assessed next year for 2009-2010 management decisionmaking as well as a tentative listing of possible stocks to be assessed in the subsequent two fishing cycles.

The Council also adopted for public review a draft Stock Assessment Terms of Reference with many changes from the adopted version. The Council requests, in particular, for public comment on whether Groundfish Management Team (GMT) and Groundfish Advisory Subpanel representatives to future Stock Assessment Review panels should be full participants, not just advisors. Final actions on these two issues are scheduled for the April Council meeting.

Yelloweye Stock Assessment

The Council adopted a new yelloweye rockfish stock assessment and rebuilding analysis for use in 2007-2008 management decisionmaking. The Council also tasked the GMT and Scientific and Statistical Committee to explore the major data issues in the new assessment and provide recommendations to the Council on data improvements at the November Council meeting.

Pacific Whiting Management for 2006

The Council adopted a new acceptable biological catch (ABC) and a status quo optimum yield (OY) for the 2006 whiting fisheries as follows:

1. Coastwide (U.S. and Canada) ABC of 661,680 mt based on the more conservative q=1 assessment model,
2. Coastwide (U.S. and Canada) OY of 364,842 mt, and
3. U.S. OY of 269,069 mt.
4. The tribal allocation will be 35,000 mt.

The Council announced the intent to adopt a darkblotched bycatch cap for non-tribal whiting sectors at the April or later Council meeting and during the inseason adjustment agenda item, adopted bycatch caps of 4.7 mt and 200 mt for canary and widow rockfish, respectively.

Consideration of Inseason Adjustments

The Council adopted conforming federal inseason adjustments for 2006 recreational fisheries as follows:

The Council also adopted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife groundfish discard mortality rates for modeling impacts in Oregon recreational fisheries. Finally, the Council adopted canary and widow rockfish total mortality limits of 4.7 mt and 200 mt, respectively for non-tribal Pacific whiting fisheries.

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Habitat

Current Habitat Issues

After review of the Habitat Committee's proposed letter on relicensing of Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2, and J. C. Boyle dams on the Klamath River, the Council scheduled further consideration for the April Council meeting, pending additional information. The Council also postponed discussion of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River until June, pending new information and additional discussion of this matter by the Habitat Committee.

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Coastal Pelagic Species Management

Fishery Management Plan Amendment - Krill Management

The Council took final action adopting Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan Amendment 12 to prohibit harvest of all species of krill in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Additionally, the Council adopted an essential fish habitat designation for all species of krill that extends the length of the West Coast from the shoreline to the 1,000 fm isobath and to a depth of 400 meters. No habitat areas of particular concern were identified.

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Marine Protected Areas

Fishery Regulation in Marine Protected Areas (MPA) within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) through Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) and State Management Authority

The Council scheduled further development of alternatives for implementing fishing regulations under the MSA to create the proposed no-take and limited take areas within the CINMS to meet sanctuary goals and objectives. Specifically, the Council will pursue further consideration of existing MSA provisions for extending state fishery regulations into federal waters, and directed Council staff to work with NMFS Southwest Region and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) General Counsel to provide further detail on the functional necessities of this mechanism. Additionally, Council staff was directed to research the existing administrative record on this matter for relevant content for an update at the April Council meeting.

Finally, the Council directed staff to summarize Council comments on a NOAA flow chart to improve coordination regarding promulgation of fishing regulations in National Marine Sanctuaries for public review and further consideration at the April Council meeting.

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Highly Migratory Species Management

Bigeye Tuna Overfishing Response

The Council asked for additional information to be included in analysis of management options for Pacific bigeye tuna. The Council will select their preferred recommendation on a bigeye tuna overfishing response at the April 2006 Council meeting. These recommendations will be forwarded through NMFS for consideration by the U.S. delegation to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), as part of the U.S. position at the June 2006 IATTC meeting.

Drift Gillnet Management

The Council adopted a recommendation to NMFS to authorize an exempted fishing permit (EFP) that would allow drift gillnet fishing in the current August 15-November 15 closed area. The EFP fishery would be governed by several requirements for all vessels, including, to carry an observer; to limit total fishing effort in the EFP fishery to 300 sets; to immediately cease the EFP fishery if, and when, two leatherback sea turtles were encountered by the fishing gear; and to immediately cease the EFP fishery if one mortality or serious injury occurred to any of the following marine mammals: short-finned pilot whale, sperm whale, fin whale, gray whale, humpback whale, or minke whale.

Exempted Fishing Permit Applications for Highly Migratory Species

The Council approved the EFP proposal for a drift gillnet fishery as part of the preferred alternative selected as described under the drift gillnet management agenda item.

The Council considered a second EFP proposed to allow one vessel to use longline gear in the West Coast EEZ, which is prohibited under the highly migratory species (HMS) fishery management plan.

The Council preliminarily approved the EFP application and directed the Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) to prepare an environmental assessment for Council final consideration at a later meeting. If finally approved, the EFP would occur in 2007.

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Administrative Matters

Legislative Matters

The Council directed staff to send two letters to convey solicited Council input on two important legislative items. First, regarding reauthorization of the MSA, the Council recommends removing MSA language requiring term limits for the Council tribal representative seat and reiterating previous Council positions on issues that have not been incorporated into the most recent version of S. 2012, including fishery management authority in national marine sanctuaries and rebuilding requirements for depleted stocks.

Second, regarding potential amendment of the American Fisheries Act (AFA), the Council requested development of provisions to protect West Coast fisheries from potential influx of AFA-qualified vessels that do not have a West Coast landing history prior to a Council adopted control date of June 29, 2000.

Lastly, the Council requested the Legislative Committee discuss S.2012 language regarding implementation of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention as well as legislation regarding qualified withdrawals from the Capital Construction Fund. The next Legislative Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for mid-May.

Appointments to Advisory Bodies, Standing Committees, and Other Forums

The Council approved the following appointments to its advisory bodies:

Highly Migratory Species Management Team - Indefinite Term
Mr. Stephen Wertz - California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) Representative to replace Mr. Stephen Crooke.
Groundfish Management Team - Indefinite Term
Mr. John Wallace - NMFS Northwest Science Center Representative, to replace Dr. Jim Hastie.

Draft April 2006 Council Meeting Agenda

The Council adopted the draft agenda for the April 2006 Council meeting to be held April 2-7, 2006 in Sacramento, California. The draft agenda will be available on the Council website www.pcouncil.org during the week of March 13, 2006.

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PFMC
03/15/06
2:20 pm