Council Advisory Bodies: Composition and Vacancies
This webpage is divided into several sections for easier viewing.
Council Advisory Bodies
The Pacific Fishery Managment Council’s advisory bodies (including technical teams, advisory subpanels, committees and working groups) prepare and review information and provide input to help the Council make decisions. All advisory body meetings are open to the public and the advisory subpanels offer the best opportunity for public involvement in the process.
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Scientific and Statistical Committee
The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) is a group of scientists from state and federal agencies, academic institutions, and other sources. The SSC prepares and reviews fishery management plans (FMPs) and other documents. Among other duties, the SSC identifies scientific resources required for the development of FMPs and amendments; provides a multidisciplinary review of FMPs or amendments, and advises the Council on their scientific content; helps the Council evaluate statistical, biological, economic, social, and other scientific information; and makes recommendations on the composition of plan development, technical, and management teams. The SSC has subcommittees that focus on salmon, groundfish, highly migratory species, coastal pelagic species, ecosystem management, and economics. SSC members are selected by the Council. At-large members serve three-year terms, while management representatives serve indefinite terms. See the current roster for the SSC.
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Advisory Subpanels
Advisory subpanels represent the commercial and recreational fishing industry, the public, and conservation interests.
They advise the Council on fishery management issues (such as annual management measures, FMPs,
and amendments) and provide input into fishery management planning. Members are selected by a Council
vote and serve three-year terms.
The Council has four advisory subpanels—one for each FMP being developed or monitored:
Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (GAP). This panel includes three fixed gear (at-large) commercial fishers, one
conservation representative, two processors, one at-sea processor, three sport fishers, two open access fishers,
three trawlers, one tribal representative, and four charter boat operators (one for Oregon and Washington, one
for northern California, and one for southern California). See the current roster for the GAP.
Coastal Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel (CPSAS). This subpanel includes three California commercial fishers,
one Oregon commercial fisher, one Washington commercial fisher, three processors (one from each state),
one California charter or sport fisher, and one conservation representative. See the current roster for the CPSAS.
Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel (HMSAS). This subpanel includes one member each from the
commercial troll, purse seine, gillnet, and private recreational fisheries; two from the charter fisheries (one northern, one southern); three commercial at-large members; two processors (one northern, one south of Cape
Mendocino); one conservation representative; and one public at-large member. See the current roster for the HMSAS.
Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS). Currently, this group comprises one tribal representative from California;
one tribal fisher from the Washington coast; one gillnetter; three charter boat operators and three trollers (one
from each state); four sport fishers (one from each state, including Idaho); one processor, and one conservation
representative. See the current roster for the SAS.
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Enforcement Consultants
Enforcement Consultants are representatives from state police agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, NMFS
regions, and the Coast Guard. They provide advice to the Council about whether proposed management actions
are enforceable. There are seven enforcement consultants who serve indefinite terms. See the current roster for the Enforcement Consultants.
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Habitat Committee
The Habitat Committee (HC) works with other teams and panels on habitat issues that affect Council fisheries.
The group helps develop ways to resolve habitat problems and avoid future habitat conflicts, and it makes recommendations
for actions that will help achieve the Council’s habitat objectives. The HC includes one member
each from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the National
Marine Sanctuary program; one NMFS region representative and one NMFS science center representative; one
at-large member; one conservation representative; four members from the four state fishery agencies; two tribal
representatives; and two fishing industry members. The Council chair requests nominees from these agencies
and organizations. HC members representing NMFS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Pacific States Marine
Fisheries Commission serve indefinite terms. Other HC members serve three-year terms. See the current roster for the HC.
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Groundfish Allocation Committee
The Groundfish Allocation Committee (GAC) is charged with developing options for allocating certain
groundfish species among the commercial and recreational sectors and among gear groups within the commercial
sector. The purpose of the GAC is to distribute the harvestable surplus among competing interests in a way
that resolves allocation issues on a short- or long-term basis. The GAC is composed of voting members who sit
on the Council (one representative each from the California, Oregon and Washington management agencies,
NMFS, PSMFC, and the Council Chair). NOAA Northwest Regional Counsel provides legal advice. See the roster for the GAC voting members. In addition,
there are seven non-voting members representing the non-whiting trawl, whiting trawl, fixed gear, open
access, and recreational sectors; conservation groups; and processors. See the roster for the GAC nonvoting members.
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Plan Development, Technical, and Management Teams
Plan development, technical, and management teams are working groups of state, federal, tribal, and nongovernmental
biologists and economists. Members serve indefinite terms and are selected by a majority vote of the
Council.
Technical and Management Teams monitor fisheries and prepare stock assessments and impact analyses. They
may monitor catch rates and management impacts, recommend harvest limits, develop rebuilding plans, or
conduct other tasks assigned by the Council. Currently, the Council has a Salmon Technical Team (STT), Groundfish
Management Team (GMT), Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT), Salmon Model Evaluation Workgroup (MEW), and
Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT).
Plan Development Teams focus on the development of fishery management plans. This includes appraising
Council fisheries and resources, working with other teams to draft fishery management plans and amendments,
presenting alternative management objectives to the Council, analyzing the short- and long-term tradeoffs of
management measures, helping Council and NMFS staff prepare related documents, attending public hearings,
advising the Council on biological and socioeconomic impacts of fisheries management, providing information
to advisory subpanels, and presenting stock assessments and analyses to the SSC for review. There are currently
no plan development teams.
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Standing Committees
Standing committees are made up of current Council members. The Budget Committee generally meets three
times a year to review the Council’s budget and grant proposals, and the Legislative Committee monitors federal
legislation on Council operations and West Coast fisheries and develops a position and course of action for
Council consideration. See the roster for current Council Standing Committees.
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Advisory Body Vacancies (Requests for Nominations)
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking qualified candidates to serve on the following advisory body:
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For further information
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PFMC
04/23/08
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