Highly migratory species blog

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.

January 10-12, 2012 HMSMT Meeting Agenda

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

The proposed agenda for the January 10-12, 2012, HMSMT meeting in La Jolla, California is available here.

Winter Newsletter Now Available

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

The Winter issue of the Pacific Council News is now available. Please visit the Council’s Newsletters webpage for details.

Northwest and Southwest Stakeholder Conference Call on NOAA’s Draft Enforcement Priorities

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Special Agents in Charge Vicki Nomura and Don Masters of NOAA Office of Law Enforcement’s Northwest and Southwest Divisions, respectively, would like to invite you to participate in a conference call on Monday, December 12, 2011 to outline NOAA’s Draft Enforcement Priorities, which are open for public comment through January 9, 2012. The draft priorities document identifies the national priorities for Fiscal Year 2012 and gives examples of regional priorities that support those national priorities.

Conference Call Date and Time:

Monday, December 12, 2011
11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time
Dial-in: 888-469-2087
Verbal passcode: ENFORCEMENT WEST COAST

The document — as well as guidelines for commenting by the deadline via email, fax and mail — can be found on the NOAA OLE Enforcement Priorities website.

NOAA’s Draft Enforcement Priorities reflect extensive input and guidance from those of you who submitted comments last year as we began the process of identifying our national priorities. Regional priorities vary with the specific resources, activities, and threats across the country. What may be a high priority in one region may not be a priority in another. Equally, fish stocks, fishing gear, and management programs are not identical across the country. Thus, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement must tailor our priorities appropriately.

NOAA OLE looks forward to your participation in this conference call specifically for the Northwest and Southwest Divisions.

For further information, please contact:

Lesli Bales-Sherrod, Communications specialist
Lesli.Bales-Sherrod@noaa.gov
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
8484 Georgia Ave., Suite 415
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301-427-2300 ext. 103

**This information has been posted as a courtesy to the Pacific Fishery Management Council family and constituents.**

Highly Migratory Species Management Team to Meet

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold a work session, which is open to the public.  The HMSMT work session will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day, and continue until business is completed.

The HMSMT will discuss work assignments to be delivered at the March 2012 Council meeting in Sacramento, California.  The first assignment is the development of recommendations for a management framework for North Pacific albacore tuna fisheries.  This will help inform the Council in relation to the development of such a framework planned by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Northern Committee.  The second assignment is to provide information to the Council about future management of the U.S. west coast swordfish fishery.  The HMSMT will also begin work on the next SAFE (Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation) document, which is prepared annually, summarizing information from the previous year.  Informational topics may also be discussed, time permitting.

The meetings will be held at the following location:

Large Conference Room, Torrey Pines Court
National Marine Fisheries Service
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
3333 North Torrey Pines Court
La Jolla, California  92037
858-546-7000

Driving Directions

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 about the work session, please contact Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2280, ext. 422; toll free 1-866-806-7204.

NOAA Seeks Input on Enforcement Priorities

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

On November 8, 2011, NOAA released a draft of its enforcement priorities and invited the public to submit comments through January 9, 2012 (midnight, Eastern Standard Time). To view the priorities, and how to comment, please see the following NOAA Office of Law Enforcement webpage.

NMFS Publishes Final “List of Fisheries for 2012″

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) publishes its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2012, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The final LOF for 2012 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must classify each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories under the MMPA based upon the level of serious injury and mortality of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery. The classification of a fishery in the LOF determines whether participants in that fishery are subject to certain provisions of the MMPA, such as registration, observer coverage, and take reduction plan (TRP) requirements.

This final rule is effective January 1, 2012. Information regarding the LOF, along with the 2012 LOF, may be obtained from the NMFS LOF website.

Fall Newsletter Now Available

Monday, October 24th, 2011

The Fall issue of the Pacific Council News is now available here. This issue covers new stock assessments, changes to the halibut catch sharing plan, dam removal, Columbia and Sacramento salmon updates, and more.

Proposed rule published modifying swordfish retention in the deep-set tuna longline fishery

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Proposed Rule: to Modify Retention Limits for Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, Harvested in the U.S. West Coast-Based Deep-Set Tuna Longline Fishery (October 20, 2011). View the Federal Register notice: http://www.pcouncil.org/resources/federal-register-notices/2011-federal-register-notices/#October

U.S. Coast Guard’s Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee to Meet

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee (CFSAC) will meet in Seattle, Washington to discuss various issues relating to safety in the commercial fishing industry. This meeting will be open to the public.

The CFSAC will meet on November 14, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on November 15–16, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. This meeting may close early if all business is finished.

Please read the October 20, 2011 Federal Register notice for meeting details. If you have further questions, please contact Mr. Jack Kemerer, Alternate Designated Federal Official of CFSAC, Commandant (CG–5433), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, at (202) 372–1249.