Groundfish blog

NMFS Announces Commercial LE Primary Sablefish Fishery Season & Tier Limits

Friday, March 30th, 2012

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the commercial limited entry fixed gear sablefish primary fishery’s tier limits for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California. These tier limits were previously published in the Federal Register on December 13, 2011 (76 FR 77415). Please see the NMFS Public Notice NMFS-SEA-12-03 for all the details.

For more information, please contact NMFS Northwest Region at 206-526-6140 or visit their Groundfish Fishery Management webpage.

Posted in Groundfish

Bilateral Joint Management Committee Meeting for Pacific Whiting

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

The first bilateral meeting of the Pacific Whiting Joint Management Committee will be held in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday and Thursday, March 14-15, 2012. Members of the other panels created by the Whiting Treaty – the Advisory Panel, the Joint Technical Committee, and the Scientific Review Group – will also meet during this two-day period.

The meeting will be held at:

Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue
580 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1L6
(Please Enter the Centre via Seymour Street courtyard entrance)

For further information, please contact the Groundfish Branch of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Region at 206-526-6140; or visit their Pacific Whiting Treaty webpage.

Posted in Groundfish

NMFS requests comments on proposed rule for 2012 Tribal Fishery for Pacific whiting

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

NMFS is requesting comments on the proposed rule for the 2012 tribal fishery for Pacific whiting. This proposed rule would establish a tribal allocation of 17.5 percent of the U.S. total allowable catch (TAC) for 2012. The regulations proposed by this action would also establish a process for reapportionment of unused tribal allocation of Pacific whiting to the nontribal fisheries.

This proposed rule is accessible by visiting https://federalregister.gov/a/2012-4113.

For further information, please contact: Mr. Kevin C. Duffy (Northwest Region, NMFS), Phone: 206–526–4743, Fax: 206–526–6736 and email: Kevin.Duffy@noaa.gov.

Posted in Groundfish, Groundfish

March 2012 Briefing Book Available on Website

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

The Briefing Book for the March 2012 Council meeting has been posted to the Council’s website on the “Current Briefing Book” webpage. The Briefing Book contains “situation summaries” (brief summaries that provide background for each agenda item), reports and materials for each agenda item, and written public comment.

Posted in Council Meetings, Council operations, Groundfish, Highly migratory species, Hot topics, Pacific halibut, Salmon

NOAA Requests Comments on List of Gear by Fisheries and Fishery Management Council

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

NOAA is requesting comments on list of gear by fisheries and fishery management council. This is an extension of the currently approved information collection. The deadline for written comments is on or before April 9, 2012.

View the February 9, 2012 Federal Register notice announcing the extension.

The list has been published and appears in 50 CFR 600.725(v).

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Paula Evans, NMFS Office of Sustainable Fisheries at (301) 427-8557 or Paula.Evans@noaa.gov.

Posted in Coastal Pelagic Species, Groundfish, Highly migratory species, Salmon

Bilateral Pacific Whiting Scientific Review Group to Meet

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

The first bilateral meeting of the Pacific Whiting Scientific Review Group (SRG) will be held in Seattle, WA on Tuesday through Friday, February 21-24, 2012.

The meeting will be held at:

Watertown Hotel
4242 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Hotel Phone: 1-866-866-797

For further information, please contact the Groundfish Branch of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Region at 206-526-6140; or visit their Pacific Whiting Treaty webpage.

Posted in Groundfish, Groundfish, Uncategorized

March 2012 Briefing Book Deadline

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

March 2012 Briefing Book Deadline

Public Comment Deadline – Advance Briefing Book

Comments or materials received by 11:59 pm, February 9, 2012, will be mailed to Council members and appropriate advisory bodies prior to the meeting. This is known as the “Advance Briefing Book Deadline.”

Supplemental Public Comment Deadline

Comments or materials received at the Council office after February 9 but by 11:59 pm, February 26 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.”

How to Submit Comments

Written comments and materials on matters before the Council are accepted by the Council at any time. However, the public is encouraged to submit comments and materials as far in advance of the meeting as possible to maximize their exposure to the Council process. Comments in electronic format are most welcome, as they expedite posting to the Council’s website. Please email your comments to: pfmc.comments@noaa.gov. Of course, we accept comments by “snail mail” and fax; please see our “Contact Us” page.

Posted in Council Meetings, Groundfish

Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review Committee to Hold Conference Call

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a conference call of its Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review Committee (EFHRC).  The primary purposes of the conference call are to discuss a draft request for proposals, and to continue planning for a report to the Pacific Council at its April 2012 meeting in Seattle, Washington.  Other topics may be discussed as time allows, at the discretion of the Chair.

The conference call will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time.  A listening station will be made available to the public, in the Small Conference Room of the Council office:

Pacific Fishery Management Council
7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101
Portland, Oregon 97220-1384
503-820-2280
Driving Directions

This 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 about the EFHRC work session, please contact Mr. Kerry Griffin at 503-820-2280, ext. 409; toll free 1-866-806-7204.

Posted in Groundfish, Groundfish

Request for Nominations: At-Large Position on the Scientific and Statistical Committee

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Request for Nominations for an At-Large Position on the Scientific and Statistical Committee

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking qualified candidates to consider for an at-large position on its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The successful candidate will serve out the remainder of the 2010-2012 Council advisory body term. Please see the Council’s Advisory Body Vacancies webpage for all the specifics. The deadline to submit nominations is February 8, 2012.

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

Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review Committee to Hold Work Session

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Ad Hoc Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review Committee (EFHRC) will hold a work session January 17-18, 2012.  The meeting will be held in Portland, Oregon, and is open to the public.

The purpose of the work session is to continue developing the Phase I report on the review of information relevant to EFH for Pacific Coast groundfish stocks.  The Phase I report is designed to compile new and newly-available information, and compare it with the suite of information that was used to establish the current groundfish EFH designations.  The EFHRC is scheduled to report to the Council at its April 1-6, 2012 meeting in Seattle, Washington.

Dates/times: January 17-18, 2012.  Start times are 10:00 a.m. the first day, and 8:30 a.m. the second day.  The meeting will continue until 5:00 p.m. or until business is concluded each day.

The meeting will be held in Portland at the following location:

Embassy Suites Portland Airport
7900 NE 82nd Avenue
Pine II Room
Portland, OR 97220
Telephone: 503-460-3000
Driving Directions

Additional Information

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. Kerry Griffin at (503) 820-2280 ext. 409.


A draft agenda and other materials will be available in advance of the work session.

Posted in Groundfish, Groundfish, Habitat and communities, Habitat and communities

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