Harvest Specifications, Regulations, and Seasons: Upcoming (Next Management Cycle)
The next groundfish management cycle covers the years 2013-14. Harvest specifications (annual catch limits and related parameters) and associated management measures may be changed with a target implementation date of January 1, 2013. In June 2011 the Council adopted a decision-making schedule that does not include the NMFS implementation process (see non-italicized font in Agenda Item E.4.a , Attachment 1). This schedule lays out decisions at the September 2011, November 2011, April 2012, and June 2012 Council meetings, as well as ancillary committee meetings where recommendations for the Council are developed. Briefly, the decisions at each meeting are:
September 2011: Overfishing limits (OFLs), acceptable biological catches (ABCs), and a preliminary range of management measures for initial analysis. (See the Fall 2011 Newsletter, page 2, for the outcome of this step.)
November 2011: Finalize OFLs and ABCs for all stocks. Make a preliminary decision on annual catch limits (ACLs) for non overfished species, a range of ACLs for overfished species, and a range of potential allocations of harvest harvest opportunity among fisheries. Make a final decision on the range of potential management measures to be analyzed.
April 2012: Finalize ACLs for all stocks. Make a preliminary decision on an allocation scheme and a specific set of management measures from the range adopted in November 2011.
June 2012: Finalize all outstanding decisions including the allocation scheme and specific management measures.
The best way to track these decisions (short of attending the Council meetings) is to read the briefing book materials and decision documents as they become available. Related materials may be posted on or linked to this page.
A draft analysis of Council recommendations (likely in the form of a draft environmental impact statement) is slated for publication in the spring of 2012. Once the Council completes decision making on harvest specifications and management measures in June 2011 a final analysis will be published.
