Habitat and communities blog

Elwha Dam removal begins on Saturday

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

The process of removing Washington’s Elwha and Glines Canyon dams begins this Saturday in Olympic National Park. George Pess of the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center gave a presentation to the Council’s Habitat Committee yesterday, including a nifty animation showing how the Elwha and Glines dams will be removed.

For more information, see the following links:

Tags: dams, elwha, Salmon
Posted in Ecosystem-based management, Habitat and communities, Salmon

September Council Meeting to be Streamed Live on Internet

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

The September 12-19, 2011 meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management Council will be streamed live on the internet. The live audio will be broadcast starting with the “Open Session” scheduled to start Wednesday, September 14 at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time. Get the September meeting agenda.

To Listen to the Meeting

To listen and view the powerpoint presentations, go to the PFMC Live Meeting link. Please note that your name and email address will be required to join the meeting.

Alternate Instructions to Join the Meeting

If you are unable to join the meeting through the above link, then please follow these steps:

Copy this address and paste it into your web browser:
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/pacificfishery/join (This Will Launch the “launch.rtc” file)
Enter the Following Information:

Meeting ID: BD7K3S
Entry Code: (Leave This Field Blank)
Location: Choose the following:
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/pacificfishery

Choose “Join”

Technical Contact

For more information on how to use the Microsoft Live Meeting live streaming service, please see the Quick Reference Guide. You may also send an email to Sandra for additional assistance.

For MacIntosh — If you have never installed the “Live Meeting Web Access Client” on your workstation, please email Sandra.Krause@noaa.gov for those instructions. Please note, the “Live Meeting Web Access Client” does not provide for audio, but you may view the PowerPoint presentations and the agenda flow of the meeting.

Meeting and Content Expiration

After this meeting is over, you may revisit the meeting (“join the meeting”) to listen to the recordings and view the PowerPoint documents presented during the meeting. All Recordings and PowerPoint documents will be deleted from the meeting on December 18, 2011. (Maximum amount of time allowed by Microsoft Live Meeting Service).

If you need your own personal audio copies of recorded Council meeting CDs (MP3 or WAV formats), please contact our recorder, Mr. Craig Hess, Martin Enterprises, phone (360) 425-7507.

Posted in Council Meetings, Groundfish, Habitat and communities, Highly migratory species, Pacific halibut, Salmon

Ecosystem Plan Development Team to Hold a Work Session via Conference Call on the Schedule and Plans for Developing a Fishery Ecosystem Plan

Monday, August 29th, 2011

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene a meeting via conference call of the Ecosystem Plan Development Team (EPDT) that is open to the public. Please note, this is not a public hearing; it is a work session for the primary purpose of drafting a report and recommendations to the Council on the Schedule and Plans for Developing a Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP).

The EPDT will meet on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 and Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day, or when business for each day is completed.

Public listening stations will be available at the following locations:

Pacific Fishery Management Council
Small Conference Room
7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101
Portland, Oregon 97220
503-820-2280
OR toll free at 866-806-7204
Driving Directions

National Marine Fisheries Service
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Conference Room
110 Shaffer Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-420-3900

Driving Directions

The EPDT will primarily address Council requests from the June 2011 Council meeting where the Council approved a draft purpose and need statement and moved to develop an ecosystem plan that is primarily advisory in nature with the potential for expanding the plan to include regulatory authority in the future. The Council recommended continued management of fisheries through existing fishery management plans (FMPs), including potential future management measures for forage fish species. The Council also tasked the EPDT with developing a list of West Coast species that are not currently included in any FMP, that are not under State management, are not listed under the Endangered Species Act, or are species that could be the target of future fishery exploitation.

The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt at 503-820-2280, at least five days prior to the meeting date.

For further information, please contact Mr. Mike Burner at (503) 820-2280 ext. 414.

Posted in Aquaculture, Coastal Pelagic Species, Ecosystem-based management, Ecosystem-based management, Groundfish, Habitat and communities, Highly migratory species, Meetings and Events, Pacific halibut, Salmon

September 12-19, 2011 Council Meeting Notice and Agenda Available

Friday, August 19th, 2011

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory bodies will meet September 12-19, 2011 in San Mateo, California to address issues related to groundfish, highly migratory species, salmon, Pacific halibut, and habitat matters. Please visit the “Current Council Meeting” webpage for the meeting notice and agenda details.

Posted in Council Meetings, Groundfish, Habitat and communities, Highly migratory species, Hot topics, Pacific halibut, Salmon, Uncategorized

West Coast Strategic Action Plan Listening Sessions

Monday, June 20th, 2011

On July 19, 2010, President Obama announced his commitment to implementing the first National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes. The National Ocean Council has been developing Strategic Action Plans to achieve nine national priority objectives that address some of the most pressing challenges facing these areas (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/objectives).

The National Ocean Council recently released draft Strategic Action Plan outlines for the nine priority objectives, and they are accepting comments on these content outlines during a 30-day public comment period. In addition, the National Ocean Council is organizing regional public listening sessions to provide opportunities for input early on the drafting process for the nine Strategic Action Plans. The draft outlines are available here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/sap.

Three West Coast regional listening sessions are scheduled. The date, time, and locations for the three West Coast listening sessions are as follows:

Monday, June 27, 2011: 8:30 am -5:00 pm. Quinault Beach Resort and Casino, Ocean Shores, WA
Thursday, June 30, 2011: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Hilton Union Square, San Francisco, CA
Friday, July 1, 2011: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Portland State University, Portland, OR

Please note, that for planning purposes, you are encouraged to register online in advance. Advance registration closes June 22 for Ocean Shores and June 24 for San Francisco and Portland. Day of registration will be available at all sites.

Please pre-register by visiting: http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/registration/west_coast_sap.cfm

Posted in Habitat and communities, Habitat and communities, Marine Reserves, Other Fisheries Forums

Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review Committee Meeting

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

The Pacific Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review Committee (EFHRC), which is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss data needs, informational products, and to discuss next steps and future meetings.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 7, 2011, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. or as necessary to complete business for the day.

The EFHRC will meet at the following location:

Pacific Fishery Management Council
Large Conference Room
7700 NE Ambassador Place
Portland, OR 97220-1384
Telephone: 503-820-2280
Driving Directions

Posted in Groundfish, Groundfish, Habitat and communities

September Briefing Book Public Comment Deadline

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Public Comment Deadlines for the September Council Meeting in San Mateo, CA

Comments or materials received by 11:59 pm, August 25, 2011 will be mailed to Council members prior to the meeting. This is known as the “Advance Briefing Book Deadline.” Important: Materials included before this deadline will be mailed to Council members and appropriate advisory bodies prior to the meeting.

Comments or materials received at the Council office after August 25 but by 11:59 pm, September 5th will be included in the supplemental materials distributed to the Council on the first day of the meeting. This is known as the “Supplemental Public Comment Deadline.”

Posted in Council Meetings, Ecosystem-based management, Groundfish, Habitat and communities, Highly migratory species, Pacific halibut, Salmon

Final 2010 Pacific Marine Mammal Stock Assessments Now Available Online

Friday, June 10th, 2011

The final 2010 Pacific Marine Mammal Stock Assessments are now available online. All NMFS region stock assessments can be accessed either through the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources website or the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Protected Resources division website.

Link to 2010 Pacific SARs

Link to all NMFS Region SARs, 1995 to 2010

Federal Register Notice of availability of 2010 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports

Posted in Coastal Pelagic Species, Groundfish, Habitat and communities, Highly migratory species, Hot topics, Pacific halibut, Salmon, Uncategorized

Fisheries Economics of the US Report Available

Monday, June 6th, 2011

This week, NMFS Office of Science and Technology released its annual Fisheries Economics of the U.S. report. The report provides economic information related to commercial and recreational fishing activities, and fishing-related industries in the United States. These reports cover a 10-year time period and include descriptive statistics on commercial fisheries landings, revenue, and price trends; recreational fishing effort, participation rates, and expenditure information; and employer and non-employer establishment, payroll, and annual receipt information for fishing-related industries. The economic impact of commercial and recreational fishing activities in the U.S. is also reported in terms of employment, sales, and value-added impacts. The primary purpose of this publication is to provide the public with easily accessible economic information about the Nation’s commercial and recreational fishing activities and associated fishing-related industries. To download the report, visit the NOAA Fisheries website. Contact Rita.Curtis@noaa.gov in S&T for more info.

Posted in Coastal Pelagic Species, Groundfish, Habitat and communities, Highly migratory species, Salmon, Uncategorized